Abstract: A system for tinting contact lenses includes a transfer-pad printer adapted to pick up a pattern from an inked printing block and transfer the pattern to a soaked contact lens. A plurality of lens mounts, each adapted to fixedly hold a soaked lens in a defined position on a convexly curved top surface of the lens mount, are provided with reference means on their respective top surfaces to facilitate accurate placing of a soaked lens in the defined position on each lens mount prior to the pattern transfer from the transfer pad to the lens. The radius of curvature of the convexly curved top surface of each lens mount is slightly smaller than the radius of curvature of the base curve of a soaked lens placed on the lens mount to facilitate shrinking-on of the back surface of the soaked lens onto the top surface of the lens mount.

Abstract: A method for tinting contact lenses which comprises the following steps: providing contact lenses, at least one transfer-pad printer, including a suitable ink of the desired tint, and at least one printing block carrying an iris pattern, attaching the contact lenses to lens mounts, aligning the mounted lens with the pad of the transfer-pad printer, inking the printing block, causing the pad to pick up the iris pattern from the inked block, and causing the pad to make contact with the mounted lens, thereby transferring the iris pattern as picked up from the block to the mounted contact lens. A system for tinting contact lenses is also provided.