Black and white print; print processes.

Pad printing is a printing process that can transfer a 2-D image onto a 3-D object. This is accomplished using an indirect offset (gravure) printing process that involves an image being transferred from the cliché via a silicone pad onto a substrate. Pad printing is used for printing on otherwise impossible products in many industries including medical, automotive, promotional, apparel, and electronic objects, as well as appliances, sports equipment and toys. It can also be used to deposit functional materials such as conductive inks, adhesives, dyes and lubricants.

Physical changes within the ink film both on the cliché and on the pad allow it to leave the etched image area in favor of adhering to the pad, and to subsequently release from the pad in favor of adhering to the substrate.

The unique properties of the silicone pad enable it to pick the image up from a flat plane and transfer it to a variety of surfaces, such as flat, cylindrical, spherical, compound angles, textures, concave, or convex surfaces.

Rotogravure (Roto or Gravure for short) is a type of intaglio printing process; that is, it involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, it uses a rotary printing press. Once a staple of newspaper photo features, the rotogravure process is still used for commercial printing of magazines, postcards, and corrugated (cardboard) product packaging.

www.wikipedia.org

The Production Manual by Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris. 

I learnt about these print processes within the second year of the course but this was during the first module so although I had an idea of what they were and how they worked I felt I needed reminding of this and because I'd like to be a print based designer it's of upmost importance that I know the ins and outs. I had a copy of the print production manual where I managed to find most of the processes but there were a couple missing so I researched these online. 

I've looked at these processes because some of them are things I'd like to experiment with within my brief and also so that I can understand how different elements of my product range would be printed in bulk and professionally. Although not all of them are possible at this stage because I won't be needing bulk orders, when I become an industry professional, I will be using these processes.