Pad printing process using thixotropic ink

Claim 1

A process for printing an image on the surface of an article comprising: a. providing a printing plate having a recess that is a facsimile of a desired image and a thixotropic ink, said ink comprising a pigment and a catalyst, b. filling said recess with said ink including an excess of said ink, c. doctoring said excess ink from said plate by passing a doctoring blade over said plate to remove said excess ink from said plate whereby the viscosity of said thixotropic ink in said recess is severely reduced by the mechanical stress of the passage of said doctor blade over said image in said plate and ink flow into said recess in said plate is completed. d. allowing said image to return to its cohesive nature which provides the required adhesive properties to facilitate the transfer of said image from said recess in said plate to an elastomer print pad, e. engaging said ink in said recess with said pad and lifting said pad whereby a substantial part of said image is lifted from said plate, f. substantially immediately transferring said image from said pad to said article, g. lifting said pad from said article thereby leaving said ink that was lifted from said recess on said article, thereby providing said image on said article.