Not a lot of people do care about this, but it always gives you a rest to the wrist and the palm. The mouse pad is one such amazing thing to have. you could always use the mouse pad for fast movement of the optical mouse. Most of the people do think that using anything just under the mouse should make it work.
However, a perfect mouse pad does your job slightly better. Obviously, it has several advantages other than just a normal piece of paper or cardboard. Using a mouse pad means that you will be able to get proper rest to your fingers and your wrist as well.
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What Are Mouse Pads Made Of? [Materials Used]
A mouse pad could be made up of a lot of options. It is just like a regular pad lying under the optical mouse of your PC.
However, to make it look attractive and also effective, some of the manufacturers do use a mouse pad that has a decent material. Below are some of the options which can be regularly seen as mouse pad materials.
- Fabric
- Rubber
- Leather
- Wood
- Microfiber
- Paper
- Vynex
Although there are a number of other options available, it is still important to choose a type of mouse pad that sits comfortable in your arms.
This will always give you better precision while working. When you are playing a game with your mouse, the pad helps in generating friction.
Types of Mouse pads
When it comes to the types of mouse pads available, they are mainly classified into two types – the soft pads and the hard mouse pad This is mainly due to the major differences in the manufacturing materials that are used. However, both of them can be easily available in the market with a stylish look and an appealing result.
1. Soft Mouse pads
The soft ones are extremely comfortable to put your arms on. They have soft and thick pads that give you comfort while placing your hands for long hours.
This is why most of the soft pads are used for school and work requirements. At the same time, they are extremely light in weight so that you can carry the pad from one place to the other.
2. Hard Mouse Pads
The hard pads are generally used for gaming requirements. When you are playing a game and it requires swift action, you would expect the mouse to respond fast.
As a result, the requirement of friction is very low. With a hard mouse pad, you can get low friction which makes movement easy.
How is a Mouse Pad Made?
A mouse pad is a simple and yet an effective thing to have under the optical device.
Although the procedure to manufacture this type of pad is not complex, it involves a few steps as well. Here are some steps for the manufacture
Step 1: Prepping the Material
The first step taken is to prepare the material that is being used to manufacture the pad. According to the material, the sheets are slotted. This will allow the workers to get easy access to the type of pad that is to be manufactured.
Step 2: Measuring the Material
Now, comes the part of measurement. Each mouse pad has a specific area which is designed for the optical device to move around.
The measurement is taken out rapidly that allows getting the right working area. Usually, this area is measured as a square sheet of 7.5 inches x 7.5 inches. However, the size can vary for different models.
Step 3: Cutting the Material
Once the marking is done, it is now the time to take out the exact measurements for it. manufacturers do use machinery to cut out the piece of material according to the size.
However, the shape can also be customized according to the make and the model of the pad that you are going to use.
Step 4: Adding Rubber to the Bottom
The next step is to finish the base of the pad. Clearly just a sheet will not be enough. It requires a surface to hold onto the movement.
This is why a new alignment of rubber is added to the bottom of the product. Once the bottom is added, a superglue is used to past the rubber. It can easily protect from the wear and tear.
Step 5: Printing with a Design
Now, preparing the basic model is almost done. It is the time to enhance the mouse pad and make it attractive for the people to buy.
Printing the mouse pad is the next step to conclude the printing inkjet printers are added to the fabric that allows the complete getup of the pad. In case of the hard pads, a pre-designed mouse pad fabric is used right from the start.
Step 6: Checking for Quality Control
Once the pasting is done, most of the manufacturers do use machines to stitch the corners. Stitching the edges of the pad makes it secured.
Now, the pad is ready to go for the long run. Before the dispatch, the quality is also checked so that there are not many technical faults.
Step 7: The Mouse Pad is Ready for Work
Now, the manufacturing is completely done and it is the time to go for the dispatch. The mouse pads are now shipped to the retailer so that you can purchase it from the store.
How Long Do Mouse Pads Last?
The working life of a mouse pad generally depends on multiple factors. All of them include how you work with this pad and what is the material of use. If you are using a soft padded fabric for gaming purposes, it won’t be able to support you for long.
In such a case, you can expect it to deliver you for a span of 1-2 years. However, if you are using a hard pad for the same, it should run for at least 4-5 years on the go.
Bottom Line
Do you want to buy a new mouse pad? Well, it’s not that difficult at all. You can find a decent ad at almost every marketplace available around you. It is efficient to get one that amazes you by nature. Choosing a mouse pad is effective and it always gives you the edge of tracking fast.
So when you are playing a game or doing other jobs, having a mouse pad is always a bigger advantage. We hope that we justified the answer for your question what are mouse pads made of. Do let us know about the material you pick and the type that suits you the most.