Engraver's Pad. A cushion on which work to be engraved is placed. Original engraver's pads were only made of leather and filled with sand. Modern ones are also made of felt and the material inside is ceramic aggregate and/or crushed hardened plaster. It must be firm, yet give somewhat in use. Engraver's pads were ideal for flat engraving of copper plates, and could be made any size to suit plates of any size. The engraver could shift position to facilitate his engraving. While die engravers could place a die on a pad, they learned a vise was better to hold steady the die. But the vise in the shape of a sphere did not work well on a flat cushion pad, so they devised one in the shape of a donut, called a leather ring pad, or for a smoother motion, a felt ring pad. See engraver’s ball, engraver’s block.