<p>In profile bending of tubes, FE-simulations have shown that the contact between tool (die) and metal tube manifests a unique contact pressure pattern at the tool surface. In this study, practical sensors are employed to determine the pressure transmission from tube onto tool surface. The physical measurements provided by sensors showed high agreement with the FE-simulation. It is demonstrated that the pressure exerted by the tube is not transmitted uniformly throughout the tool surface rather it is localized towards centre and fringes. This investigation opens up the possibility to design tools (forming dies) using topology optimization. The topology optimized geometry of a tool results in substantial material savings within the tool geometry. This research paper demonstrates that the identification of pressure pattern on the tool surface provides the basis to design tools with bare essential material within the tool geometry, hence stepping forward towards cost effective manufacturing of tools.</p>