Would you like your product to feature a useful icon? Or would you like your promotional gift to be personalized with a customer’s name or logo? Silac offers a unique range of printing options to meet all your needs—whether it’s laser engraving, pad printing, digital printing, 3-D printing, screen printing, or hot foil stamping. You’ve come to the right place with this plastics specialist.

Why are plastics printed on?

When we think about printing on a product, the first thing that comes to mind is promotional printing. This involves applying the desired logo, company name, or a clear message to the plastic item. The result is unique branded products, original promotional items, or personalized corporate gifts.

But object printing can do much more. Printing can be used to apply useful scales, user-friendly controls, technical specifications, traceable serial numbers, or explanatory icons to both large and very small surfaces. Even a desired electroplated look can be achieved using a hot foil stamping process.

Prints must be extremely durable and scratch-resistant. They must withstand harsh cleaning agents, extreme temperature fluctuations, and rain that can cause them to soften. In short: they must last forever. And how is that possible? The answer lies in choosing the right printing process.

 

Can any type of plastic be printed on?

Plastics such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, glass-fiber-reinforced polymer materials, bioplastics, etc., can vary greatly. Among other things, they have different surface characteristics—smooth, rough, or even porous. Nevertheless, all plastics can be printed on, even if some require pretreatment. This is where Silac AG’s extensive expertise in plastics comes into play. Thanks to our many years of experience, we know which printing process is best suited for each specific surface.

 

What printing methods does Silac offer?

Over the past few years, Silac has gradually expanded its range of printing services to best meet all of our customers’ needs. Today, we are proud to offer the following printing processes:

• Hot foil stamping
• Screen Printing
• Pad Printing
• Digital Printing
• Laser Engraving
• 3D Printing

All printing processes are carried out at our headquarters in Euthal—in-house, so to speak. This guarantees our customers fast turnaround times and maximum flexibility. And did you know that Silac also offers its printing services to suppliers and other third parties?

 

Hot foil stamping for an exclusive look

Are you looking for a metallic sheen or a very special printing effect on your product? Then hot foil stamping is the right printing technology for you. Using a heated stamp, the desired design is transferred from a foil and embossed onto the plastic item.

Ideal for logos, marketing messages, or eye-catching graphics in elegant gold, silver, or metallic finishes. Hot foil stamping can also be a smart alternative to the labor-intensive electroplating process. An exclusive look is guaranteed. Suitable for both small and large production runs.

Screen printing – ideal for large and round surfaces

Screen printing is a tried-and-true printing method and is often used for large surfaces as well as round objects, such as can lids. It is important that the surfaces are flat.

One color is applied per print run. For multicolor designs, the process must be repeated several times. This results in high resolution with exceptional color brilliance. Screen prints last forever. The print is easy to reproduce, making it suitable even for smaller print runs.

 

Pad printing for very small and uneven surfaces

Do you have an uneven surface that you’d like to have printed on? Then we recommend pad printing. With this versatile printing method, the ink is applied to the object using a pad. The pad is made of silicone rubber; it’s elastic and completely flexible, allowing it to conform perfectly to the shape of the plastic object. The result: a flawless print image despite an uneven surface or unusual shape. Ideal for small designs such as icons or logos.

Digital Printing—for Very Small Runs in a Short Amount of Time

Digital printing is ideal for very small runs, but it’s also well-suited for larger print runs. Files go straight from the computer to the production press in no time. The results are impressive: vibrant colors, outstanding print quality, and excellent color density.

To ensure the print’s long-lasting durability, the UV inks are cured with special UV light. Modern digital printing is suitable for all types of plastic and is perfect for customization in very small quantities. Multicolor prints and one-of-a-kind items can be produced at no extra cost.

Laser engraving for accurate and precise printing results

In this printing process, ink is not applied to the object; instead, a layer of material is removed using a laser beam. This results in a permanent and durable laser engraving.

Thanks to computer-controlled application, custom labels, graphic elements, as well as sequential serial numbers and markings can be applied with precision and accuracy. No matter how small the text may be, this is an ideal printing method for industrial products that must be permanently numbered and labeled for traceability purposes.

 

3D Printers – The Manufacturing Expert

While you can’t use a 3D printer to add designs or messages, you can use it to produce the tiniest plastic parts—and in industrial quality. Cable ties, stencils, print mounts, or even handy tools.

Especially during the critical design phase, Silac can use this technology to create useful prototypes for testing purposes for its customers—with just a few clicks, directly from the CAD software, and in no time at all.

 

Silac – Your Swiss Printing Specialist

An overview of Silac’s unique printing services:

Printing Methods	Ideal for	Advantages	Volume
Pad Printing	Very small or uneven surfaces	Excellent adhesion, even on irregularly shaped objects	For medium to high production volumes
Screen Printing	Circular Designs	Unique Printed Products	All Sizes
Hot foil stamping	Gold, silver, and metallic imprints	Elegant look	All quantities
Digital Printing	Vibrant colors	Excellent print quality, low production costs	Ideal for one-of-a-kind items or very small production runs
Laser Engraving	Tiny Markings	Highly precise and durable	One-of-a-kind items or small production runs
3D Printing	Manufacturing of Parts and Prototypes	Fast and precise	Single pieces or small batches

Silac offers not only printing, but also finishing, assembly, packaging, and shipping. Everything from a single source. Do you need more reasons to place your print order with us? We’d be happy to advise you personally!