PAD Printer Recommendation

[JLAfan2001]

I'm looking for recommendations for a reliable PAD printer that can fit on a desktop to print decals on to lego parts. I would prefere in the $500 or less range. Can anyone help me with this? Thanks

[JopieK]

Believe me good printers are expensive, my sticker printer costed 16.000€. There is no free lunch.

[dr_spock]

You can probably find a small manual single colour pad printer on aliexpress in that price range.  You will need to factor in supplies like pad ink and printing plates to keep it all under $500.  Do you have a way to engrave your printing plates? 

[JLAfan2001]

11 hours ago, dr_spock said:

You can probably find a small manual single colour pad printer on aliexpress in that price range.  You will need to factor in supplies like pad ink and printing plates to keep it all under $500.  Do you have a way to engrave your printing plates? 

No. I'm new to this so I don't even know how it works. I thought I would find a printer first and go from there.

[deraven]

7 hours ago, JLAfan2001 said:

No. I'm new to this so I don't even know how it works.

Do the research first.  You can easily waste thousands of dollars if you don't know what you're doing.  Pad printing isn't like plugging in an inkjet or laser printer to you computer and hitting "Print" - it's more like a combination of screen printing and an old school printing press.  If you don't have a way to make the plates (or silicone blanket + charged screen for ink deposition, if the machine supports that) then you won't get very far.  

Curious to see what you come up with if you charge ahead, though, so please do share what you find and try!

[MAB]

As above. PAD printing is really only for doing very large runs of the same print on every part. If you want to do just a few copies of lots of designs, it is not for you. You can get relatively cheap presses if you don't mind manual stamping, for things like stamping a company advert on pens or golf balls.  But they are one colour only and you have to align things very well if you want more than one colour in multiple passes / stamps.