Method for printing on spherical object and pad to be used therefor

A method for printing on a spherical object to be printed, comprising the steps of:

• preparing a hollow printing pad having a transfer surface, the printing pad being configured so that when the transfer surface is pushed, the gas in the hollow part is released to the outside of the printing pad, wherein the printing pad has a columnar side surface adjacent to the transfer surface, and a cylindrical structure is arranged so as to surround the outer periphery of the side surface and to restrain the side surface from being deformed when the transfer surface is pushed, wherein a relationship between a diameter Dp of an outside side surface of the printing pad and a diameter Ds of an inside side surface of the cylindrical structure is 1.05Dp≦Ds≦2.0 Dp;
• transferring ink or paint in recesses formed on the surface of a printing plate to the transfer surface of the printing pad by applying the ink or paint onto the surface of the printing plate and by pressing the transfer surface of the printing pad against the surface of the printing plate;
• and
• pressing the transfer surface to transfer the ink or paint, which has been transferred to the transfer surface of the printing pad, to the object to be printed by pressing the transfer surface of the printing pad, to which the ink or paint has been transferred, against the object to be printed until at least the hemispherical portion of the object to be printed is wrapped by the transfer surface of the printing pad,
• wherein during the pressing the transfer surface a portion of the hollow printing pad contacts the cylindrical structure.