Choosing the right logo process is a key decision in product design. It directly affects the product's perceived quality and brand feel. Make the wrong choice and your mold is already cut — faded or blurry logos drag down the whole product's look.
Here's a practical comparison of four common logo processes, based on real projects:
1. Screen Printing: Lowest Cost, But Flat Surfaces Only
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil onto the surface. Simple design, few colors, high volume = extremely low per-unit cost.
Pros: Cheap at scale, good color saturation, thick ink layer gives a tactile feel.
Cons: Only flat or very gently curved surfaces. Curved and 3D surfaces are out. Medium wear resistance — a 3M tape peel test can lift the ink.
Best for: Large flat panel logos, instruction labels, packaging. We used it on a smart speaker's top surface logo — 100,000 units, per-unit cost $0.02.
2. Pad Printing: The Solution for Curved Surfaces
A silicone pad picks up ink from a cliché (etched plate) and transfers it to the product. Curved, concave, and convex surfaces all work.
Pros: Handles 3D surfaces easily. Better detail than screen printing — can do 0.2mm line widths.
Cons: Ink layer is thin — medium wear. Setup cost per color is moderate.
Best for: Earbud shells, mouse side buttons, game controller buttons — any complex curved surface that needs a logo. We pad-printed a medical device grip with a tiny logo on a concave surface — 0.3mm lines, 5,000 units, consistent quality.
3. Laser Engraving: Highest Precision, Never Wears Off
A laser burns the logo directly into the surface. No ink, no peeling.
Pros: Extreme precision (0.1mm), fine detail, graduated effects possible. Zero wear — can't rub off, solvent-resistant. No consumables per part.
Cons: Single color only (the material's reaction to the laser). Results vary significantly by material — ABS looks different from PC or metal. Slower per-part than printing.
Best for: Metal parts, high-gloss surfaces, medical devices, tools. We laser-engraved a stainless steel medical instrument — logo still crisp after 500 autoclave cycles.
4. IMD (In-Mold Decoration): Never Wears Out, But Expensive Mold
A printed PET film is placed in the mold before injection. The plastic bonds with the film during molding, embedding the logo inside the plastic.
Pros: Logo never wears — it's inside the material. Best color saturation of any process. Multi-color and gradient possible. Can do brushed-metal or textured looks.
Cons: Mold costs 30-50% more than standard. Film lead time adds 2-3 weeks to the schedule. Higher per-part cost due to film consumption. Minimum volume usually needed to justify the mold investment.
Best for: High-volume premium products — phone cases, home appliance panels, car interior trim. We did the front panel logo for a high-end air purifier — 200,000 units, zero logo wear complaints in 3 years.
5. The Decision Table: Which Process for Which Scenario
| Factor | Screen Print | Pad Print | Laser | IMD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface | Flat | Any 3D | Flat/gentle | Flat/curved |
| Precision | 0.3mm | 0.2mm | 0.1mm | 0.1mm |
| Wear | Medium | Medium | Excellent | Excellent |
| Color | 1-4 solid | 1-4 solid | 1 (material) | Full |
| Mold cost | None | None | None | +30-50% |
| Part cost | $0.01-0.05 | $0.03-0.10 | $0.02-0.08 | $0.10-0.30 |
| Min Qty | 1000+ | 500+ | 100+ | 10000+ |
Quick guide:
- Budget-limited + flat + high volume → Screen print
- Complex 3D surface + low-medium volume → Pad print
- Premium look + maximum durability → Laser engraving
- Mass production + no-wear requirement → IMD
- Already-available combination: flat panel logo with IMD + small 3D part with laser engraving
FAQ: Common Questions on Logo Processes
Q: Can I do a gradient effect with screen printing?
A: No. Screen printing is solid ink per layer. For gradients, use pad printing (fine halftone dots) or laser engraving (varying power density). IMD can do full gradients with the printed film.
Q: How do you attach a logo to a curved high-gloss surface?
A: Avoid screen printing — the squeegee can't conform strongly enough. Laser engraving is best if the material is compatible; pad printing is the runner-up. Test wear resistance on the curved area first — the stretched ink layer on curves can crack sooner.
Q: I need a metallic-looking logo on plastic. Which process?
A: Two options. IMD with a metallized PET film gives the best look but needs high volume. Hot stamping is a simpler alternative for lower volume — a metallized foil is pressed onto the plastic with heat and pressure; cheaper than IMD, good for medium quantities, but the foil edge may be visible after wear.
Q: Does laser engraving work on all plastics?
A: No. ABS and PC engrave cleanly (light gray to dark contrast). PP and PE absorb laser poorly — the mark is faint. Filled materials (glass-filled nylon) engrave unevenly. Always test on actual production material before finalizing. We've had projects where switching from ABS to PC changed the engraved contrast dramatically.
This article is adapted from the Hezi Industrial Design official website (hezidesign.com), "Structural Design Field Notes" column.
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