Vastex Pallet Rubber Top — 15 Pre-Cut Sizes for Screen Printing Pallets

Image Density Improvement

Soft-top rubber gives ink a slight cushion to compress into, resulting in better coverage and denser-looking prints on the first stroke. Especially noticeable on dark garments where ink opacity matters.

Flash Cure Throughput

The rubber surface holds heat evenly across the platen and helps flash cycles run faster. On multi-color jobs with flash between every color, this adds up to real time savings over a production shift.

Substrate Penetration

Soft-top helps ink push into garment fibers rather than sitting on top. Prints are more durable, hand feels softer, and you get cleaner results on fleece, pique knits, and textured fabrics.

Highest Heat Resistance

Specially manufactured for the exact conditions of a screen printing pallet — repeated flash heat, spray adhesive, ink wipes, solvent cleaning. Vastex’s blemish-free formulation holds up through thousands of impressions.

Non-Slip Top Surface

Grips garments mechanically, which helps with registration and reduces how much spray adhesive you need to use between prints. Cleaner press environment, faster job changeovers.

Industry Standard Material

Same rubber specification used on Vastex factory pallets and on most of the world’s top automatic presses. Proven in production shops from 1-press operations to large automatic lines.

Step 1: Remove Old Rubber

Peel or scrape the old rubber off the pallet. Remove all old adhesive with a putty knife, scraper, or adhesive remover. Clean the pallet surface with denatured alcohol or acetone — surface must be free of grease, ink, and dust for the new adhesive to bond.

Step 2: Test-Fit the New Rubber

Lay the pre-cut rubber on the pallet to confirm fit. Because this is a factory pre-cut sheet, most pallets will fit with the listed size plus small trim allowance. A very slight overhang is normal — trim flush after bonding.

Step 3: Apply Vastex Rubber Mat Adhesive

Brush or roll an even layer of Vastex Rubber Mat Adhesive on the pallet surface. Most single pre-cut sheets need about a half-pint of adhesive. Follow the adhesive’s flash-off time — most contact adhesives need a few minutes of tack time before mating the rubber.

Step 4: Press the Rubber Down

Place the rubber on the pallet starting from one edge, smoothing as you go to push out air bubbles. Press firmly across the entire surface — a small J-roller or rubber mallet helps. Bubbles left underneath will show up later as soft spots in your prints.

Step 5: Trim & Cure

Trim any slight overhang flush to the pallet edge with a fresh utility knife. Let the adhesive cure fully before returning the pallet to production — typically 4-24 hours depending on the adhesive. Do not rush this or you will lift edges during printing.

Skip Adhesive with Peel & Stick

If you want to skip the adhesive step entirely, check out Peel & Stick Soft-Top Rubber — same material, pre-applied adhesive backing, 80% faster install, no caustic chemicals. Standard 17″x24″ sheet size only.

⚠ Drop-Ships from Bethlehem, PA

This product ships directly from Vastex’s manufacturing facility in Bethlehem, PA — not from our San Antonio warehouse. Delivery times vary based on Vastex’s current production queue and your location. For an accurate delivery estimate on your specific size, chat, email, or call us.

⚠ Hi-Temp Adhesive Required

This rubber must be bonded with Hi-Temp adhesive to survive flash cure temperatures. We recommend Vastex Rubber Mat Adhesive. Standard hardware-store contact cement will lift during flash — do not cut this corner.

⚠ Confirm Your Pallet Dimensions

Measure your pallet before ordering. Pre-cut sizes are exact and final — rubber cannot be exchanged for a different size once shipped. If you are between two sizes, order the next size up and trim to fit, or order rolled rubber from the by-the-foot page for an exact custom cut.

⚠ Allow Adequate Cure Time

After applying rubber with adhesive, let the pallet cure a full 4-24 hours before returning it to production. Rushing cure time causes edge lifting during the first few print runs — and once it starts lifting, you have to strip and redo it.

✔ Authorized Vastex Dealer

Factory-direct authorized Vastex dealer. Same supply chain as buying direct — this product actually drop-ships from Vastex’s Bethlehem PA manufacturing facility.

🏷 Same or Better Than Direct Pricing

Authorized dealer pricing matches factory-direct — and we frequently beat it with bundle deals and promotional pricing Vastex doesn’t run directly. Zero markup penalty for choosing a dealer. Same price plus our support.

🌟 Screen Printing Since 2008

17+ years outfitting screen printing shops. When you call, you talk to people who have re-rubbered thousands of pallets — not a call center.

📍 San Antonio Order Desk

11915 Starcrest Dr, San Antonio, TX 78247. Orders placed before 3:30 PM CT go to Vastex the same day. We handle the order, tracking, and any issues on your behalf.

💬 Real Expert Support

Chat, email, local and toll-free phone — all answered by the same team that knows the equipment. No ticket queues, no escalation chains, no scripts.

📦 Complete Shop Ecosystem

Not just rubber — we also carry pallets, presses, flash dryers, adhesives, inks, emulsions, and every Vastex replacement part on one invoice.