If you want to have pencils printed, the question of the right printing process comes up quickly. Pad printing, screen printing and UV digital printing differ in how finely they reproduce detail, how strong the colours look and how well they transfer onto a round or triangular wooden surface. This article explains the key differences and shows which process we use at colobell for printed pencils.
What is the difference between pad printing, screen printing and UV digital printing?
In pad printing, the ink is transferred to the curved surface of the pencil via a printing plate and a soft silicone pad. The process suits simple, mostly single-colour designs, but reaches its limits with fine lines or small type sizes. Screen printing uses a stencil through which the ink is pressed. It produces strong, opaque areas of colour, but is also less suitable for very detailed artwork or colour gradients. In UV digital printing, the ink is applied directly to the pencil and cured immediately with UV light, without needing a printing plate or stencil as in the other processes. This allows fine type, small logos and multicoloured designs to be reproduced precisely.
Why UV digital printing is the best choice for printed pencils
At colobell we use UV digital printing for printing pencils because it makes high-white prints possible that look clearly brighter than pad or screen printing. This is particularly noticeable on dark barrels: the triangular black pencil with dipped cap offers three printable sides, on which a white print shows off your design to its best advantage. Accents can also be set on pencils with coloured details, for example on the round pencil with orange eraser, which can be printed in either white or orange. In both cases, UV digital printing ensures that even small lettering is reproduced cleanly and sharply.
Printed pencils in natural wood: examples for logo and text
Besides painted versions, pencils in natural wood are also well suited to business or school use. The set of 100 white pencils with eraser is made from FSC-certified wood and offers space for your design on two sides. If you value a strong signal colour, the red pencil with natural wood barrel and eraser is a variant that is also suitable for printing on two sides. With light, matt-lacquered pencils, the graphite core can cause small marks when sharpening – something you can take into account when choosing the barrel colour.
From order to finished printed pencil
Whichever model you choose: at colobell we print and dispatch within one working day, from just one piece, with no minimum order quantity. This is particularly handy if you would like to check a sample first before ordering a larger quantity for your company, school or event. You will find an overview of all models, colours and print areas in the Bleistifte bedrucken category, where you can compare the right process and design directly.
Bleistifte zur Einschulung