A holding device includes a support mechanism configured to contact and hold the golf ball, a first motion device configured to move the golf ball and at least a portion of the support mechanism in a translational direction along an axis, a second motion device configured to move the golf ball and at least a portion of the support mechanism in a rotational direction around the axis, and a securing mechanism configured to produce a retaining force configured to hold the golf ball to the support mechanism.

A printing pad includes a printing surface to be pushed against a printing original plate and a surface to be printed, the printing original plate having ink placed on the printing original plate; an inner layer disposed inside the printing pad; and an outer layer provided in contact with a surface of the inner layer that is closer to where the printing surface is disposed than is an opposite surface of the inner layer. The outer layer has the printing surface on an outside surface of the outer layer, and is formed such that the printing surface is brought into close contact with the surface to be printed to conform to the surface to be printed when the printing surface is pushed against the surface to be printed, and the inner layer has a cavity provided in the inner layer.

A pad printing machine comprising at least one inverted planetary roller threaded drive (12; 24; 36; 48; 60; 62) and application of latter to a pad printing machine.

A process for decorating a dial includes a step (E1) of engraving a pattern in a pad-printing clich with a femtosecond laser, then a step (E20) of transferring said pattern to the dial using the pad-printing clich. The process can include surface structuring of the dial, then transferring the pattern to the dial at least partially superposed on surface-structuring obtained by the surface structuring, and can also include an intermediate coloring of the decorated or to be decorated surface in the surface structuring, using a different color from the color used in the transferring.

There are provided a printing blanket which maintains the accuracy of printing of an image, and also prevents a failure of transfer of an ink from an original printing plate to the printing blanket, a method for manufacturing the printing blanket, and a printing method using the printing blanket. The printing blanket according to the present invention includes an elastic body which deforms in conformity to the shape of a to-be-printed surface. The elastic body includes a printing surface to be pressed against the to-be-printed surface. In the printing surface, an entire region is provided with a plurality of irregularities are formed over the entire surface of the printing surface, and an elevation difference from a highest part of the irregularities to a lowest part thereof falls within the range of 2 to 20 m.

A printing apparatus includes a printing pad having a printing surface configured to be deformed to conform to a shape of a surface of an item to be printed, a printing original plate stage on which a printing original plate is placed, the printing original plate having a placement surface on which ink is placed, a printing stage provided for placing the item to be printed, and a blower configured to send air toward the printing surface of the printing pad. The printing pad is movable between the printing original plate stage and the printing stage, and is vertically movable from and to the printing original plate stage or the printing stage, and the blower sends air toward the printing surface of the printing pad in a state where the ink on the placement surface of the printing original plate is transferred to the printing surface.

A cover glass printing pad, a method of manufacturing the cover glass and the cover glass are provided. The cover glass printing pad includes a jig portion, a body portion in which a first surface contacts the jig portion and at least a part of a second surface is parallel to the first surface and a pad portion including an outer frame portion disposed on at least one side of the body portion and protruding in a first direction perpendicular to the second surface.

An apparatus for pad printing includes a printing pad (12). A textured transfer member (13) is configured to be pressed alternately by the printing pad (12) against an ink carrier (17) and against a substrate (24) so as to transfer an ink pattern to the substrate.

A conductive liquid composition includes: for a binder resin, 5 to 25 mass % of hydroxyl-containing resin with hydroxyl value 3 to 100 and weight-average molecular weight 4000 to 20000, for a solvent, at least one solvent with a boiling point 170 C., 70 mass % of the total solvent, for a curing agent, 1.5 to 10.0 mass % of polyisocyanate, (D) for a curing accelerator, 0.005 to 0.1 mass % of an organometallic compound, (E) for an adhesion reinforcing agent, 0.2 to 2.5 mass % of coupling agent, (F) for conducting materials: (f1) 2.0 to 10.0 mass % of graphite, (f2) 5.0 to 15.0 mass % of conductive carbon black, and (f3) 20.0 to 50.0 mass % of silica particles with a mean particle size 1.0 to 7.0 m and surface-coated with silver, and (G) a surface resistivity 1 to 1000 /sq. when the thickness of the cured film of the conductive liquid composition is 8 m.

Pad printed golf balls comprising a plurality of partially overlapping pad printed areas. The pad printed areas can comprise a surface area occupying at least 20% of a total surface area of the golf ball and a pad printed image occupying a portion of the surface area. Two or more of the pad printed areas can partially overlap in an overlap area where a portion of both a first pad printed image and second pad printed image are located. In some embodiments, an overlap area can have an overlap surface area greater than or equal to 5% of the surface area for a pad printed area.