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Issues Printing, loads of them
hi, some of you may know i am doing a art course at Loughborough Uni, today i decided to show some other students how to sub mugs, oh dear i wish i hadn’t. firstly i may add i have printed about a 100 mugs in the past, varying degrees of success. My main problem seems to be when closing the press i get creases in the paper, i have tried lessening the pressure, that failed to work when i got ink bleeds at the top of the mug, through creases. I am currently doing 180 seconds at 200c but thats a new setting, i was on 200 seconds at 215c
so as i say i am on 180sec/200c i have had some success with that. I also seem to get some blurring at the bottom of the mug in certain places, not ever mug just some. Have tried warming the mugs up, this also gave me some success.
can anyone give me anymore advice, because after todays embarrassment i could live abroad…lol
Emily
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46 Replies
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are you trimming off any excess paper?
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Hi Gordon, yes to a degree, but am leaving a little on sides for the heat tape because i found that the tape left marks, but i think i see what you mean because i have left a slither above the print and below.
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I am really new to ‘sublim’, but have not done anything much with my set-up as it is quite complicated, i.e., huge learning curve, but I have to say, that for ALL my mistakes (and they have been many) I have never had any heat-tape marks, so you must be doing something wrong man!
Lorraine
mod-edit
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I am really new to ‘sublim’, but have not done anything much with my set-up as it is quite complicated, i.e., huge learning curve, but I have to say, that for ALL my mistakes (and they have been many) I have never had any heat-tape marks, so you must be doing something wrong man!
Lorraine
yes must admit the heat tape issue was in the early days, on the sides, so i leave a bit on there, i have no issues on the sides, a slight tapering off of the ink quality but thats only on a full ink print, my issues are top and bottom
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I was referring to the top and bottom of the paper.
Some brands of heat tape can leave marks, particularly if they are heated for too long. -
hi yes, i think thats why i had tape marks, an issue i sorted out pretty early on thanks to help i found on here.
yes gordon, i think you’ve hit the nail on the head, a paper border left at the top and bottom, then the crease pours paint upwards and leaves a paint mark. i had it three times today, annoying really. I have a guillotine so maybe i should try and cut the image to within a millimetre of it’s life
will give it a try on monday
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As most of my work is top to bottom designs, I cut off the excess when it is on the mug.
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Check the heat jacket inside your press Emily – does it have any signs of creasing? Our old one did exactly the same and I binned it but other people have got round the issue by using a silicon sheet in between the jacket and the mug. You’ll have to up your temp and dwelling time a bit to compensate though.
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I think Marks putting you on the right track here Emily, what makes your mugpress? If it’s a ebay one it could just be down to poor quality machinery 😕
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ok well, the mug machine is a XMTG 3000, if memory serves me, it has some weird setting as well, like when i press the heat set button…. you see the temp, but you also see a
-y-
and YO38
what those two mean i am unsure
. I got a perfect mug out of it as i was going home yesterday after reading on here, although i am at a loss really, must of wasted about 15 of the Uni’s mugs…lol, plus the embarrassment of my student friends seeing that i didn’t know what i was talking about, oops
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also is it better to let the printed paper dry completely or can you use it after a few minutes??
Emily
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Who did you buy your press from xpres, novachrome, ebay? I’m sure the numbers you are quoting are just part numbers from the digital displays.
The paper can normally be used within minutes of being printed, I would guess most of my mugs are in the heat press within 3-4 minutes from being printed, it would probably be quicker If I could ever find a pair of scissors in here 🙄
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hi Neil, well i don’t know to be honest where they got the press from, someone said Everest if that means anything?
what paper are you using then because this paper i’ve got is Trupix Sublimation Paper
thanks Neil
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by the way all the paper was bought by myself and the mugs when printed don’t belong to me.
the cheapest Truepix i have found is £13.44 for 100 A4 sheets
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I bought my paper direct from a manufacturer in boxes of 1000 sheets @ £22 per box (min 5 box order) I’ve never tried the paper you are using but I know a few members here swear by the xpres paper
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don’t think i can afford £110 order , lol will look at that paper though, is there anywhere i can buy a 100 sheets?
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http://www.xpres.co.uk/shoppingcart/aca … ories.html
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Hi Neil just tried to order, they wanted £18 for 100 sheets, thats a bit too much for me, i’m a student!! lol
i may have to go on Ebay but then i don’t want rubbish prints
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£18 😮 …….that’s a lot of alcohol at the uni bar! 😉
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exactly …lol 😛
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I always use True Pix
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expensive though isn’t it?? whats the cheapest?
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There was a reasonable thread on sub paper on another forum many months ago comparing the likes of trupix, texprint etc. One seemed to be better than the other for garments, the other better for ceramics etc. I think the clue might have been in the name – texture maybe for texprint although the last batch of paper I’ve had from Subli Supplies was texprint and works lovely on mugs. It might cost more Emily but I’m inclined to stick to the branded stuff for best results.
Have a look on the toolbar for dye sub suppliers and compare their prices on paper but don’t forget to factor in the shipping which is usually courier and higher priced than a bedroom industry on ebay. As with most things you do get what you pay for with dye sub supplies.
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maybe, if trying to fault find, looking for cheapest consumables isnt the way forward.
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must admit finding the cheapest maybe isn’t the way to go, but whats a girl to do..lol
maybe my mug machine is at fault, i mean i turn it on from cold, could that have a bearing, should i let it warm up first??
Emily
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Yes
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wha about settings, the machine used to fly up to the temp and stay there, now it creeps up slowly to 200c @ 180 seconds
does that sound right?
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How long does it take to heat up to 200 degrees?
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about 60 seconds and then it creeps back down to about 170 and a green light comes on, then it creeps back up
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Did you buy it new or used?
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it’s new, not mine though, Uni’s
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I don’t think your warm up time is particularly excessive, sounds fine. I only use Xpres paper £10 for 100 sheets+postage etc.
I spent many years using the best equipment and ‘getting things right’ now I’m experimenting with cheaper systems and getting some very good results.I found with mugs the biggest factor I had was with the actual mug itself. I ran tests on all manufacturers mugs and whilst most were fine, I have stuck with Listawood for straightness, overall quality and dish wash durability.
Justin 🙂
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well one issue i did have is with slight tapering of the mug, which meant i couldn’t get the image / paper on straight, it left a gap at the bottom, which mean’t blurry parts.
do people here get a blurred image on the sides also?
i print with an image of 225 mm wide and 88 high, is this too big on a 11oz mug??
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i just got this from a website
► Ceramic Mugs
Temperature: Phoenix Mug Press: 360ºF; Idle 300ºF; Other mug presses without an Idle: 400ºF / Time: 240 seconds /
Pressure: light
Tips: Print transfer and attach to the mug using a heat resistant tape. Wrap the mug with pellon (recommended) or plain
white paper. Place the mug in the press for 4 minutes. Remove the mug from the press and remove the transfer
immediately. Place the mug in room temperature water to cool and to stop the sublimation process.
Additional notes: It is important to recognize what your specific mugs “safe area” is. It is suggested that you make a test
mug to define an area that you can depend on for quality results. For example, an average mug may take an image up to
1/2 inch of the top and bottom and no closer than 1 inch of the handles horizontally.whats the equivelent of 360 fahreinheit
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182 degrees Celsius.
What mugs are you using? -
Hi Emily,
I reckon at 225mm wide you are possibly ask to much of the heat press. The closer you get to the edges the more likely you are to get less controlled heat and then a faded image in that area. Reduce the size down to 190/200mm and find out what level your press can cope with.
If the paper is wrapped tight around the mug and taped securely and the heat element looks in good condition then you shouldn’t be getting creases. You mention the mug is slightly tapered. To what extent? They shouldn’t be that bad and you often find a taper at the base, bottom 3/5mm. This area can get a flaming effect if this is the case. There are ways to make life easier and one is to leave a border of a couple of mm top and bottom from the height of the mug. Also, trim the paper to the height of the mug as well. If you use A4 there is no need to trim the sides.
Good luck,
Andrew
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i’m at Uni, their mugs, don’t know where they get these from..lol they look alright though, nice and white if that help…lol
going to print some later if i get time.
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i spoke too soon, and i have been told it’s because of the pressure i am using on the mugs, firstly the blurring is because the paper isn’t going around the mug properly because some of the mugs i am using are tappered a little, they arn’t supposed to be but they are. The blurring is at the bottom or the paper is getting creased because the press is too tight, causing the blurring or for ink spots to appear around the rim of the design. maybe i should do a full over lapped print?? would that help?? i can’t explain the press though, some mugs you need to be tighter than others.
Emily
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quote ADW:Hi Emily,
I reckon at 225mm wide you are possibly ask to much of the heat press. The closer you get to the edges the more likely you are to get less controlled heat and then a faded image in that area. Reduce the size down to 190/200mm and find out what level your press can cope with.
If the paper is wrapped tight around the mug and taped securely and the heat element looks in good condition then you shouldn’t be getting creases. You mention the mug is slightly tapered. To what extent? They shouldn’t be that bad and you often find a taper at the base, bottom 3/5mm. This area can get a flaming effect if this is the case. There are ways to make life easier and one is to leave a border of a couple of mm top and bottom from the height of the mug. Also, trim the paper to the height of the mug as well. If you use A4 there is no need to trim the sides.
Good luck,
Andrew
Andrew i think your post may have the answer for me. the flamming effect is exactly what i am getting. going to try some various sizes. I am also thinking of setting up my own mug press at home as these make fantastic gifts for friends and family
Emily
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Emily – is your dye sub paper singed at all after pressing? And if so is it singed in the area where you’re getting blurring? If so, there’s your answer. At least it was with my current press. Turns out the temp reading was way off and I dropped it 30 degrees. No more singing, no more blurring.
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does anyone know if there is a hydaulic mug press or something that measures how tight you have a press??
also, what is this Sheet to go round the mug once it’s in the press?? i have used a teflon sheet but it doesn’t really help much to be honest
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This sounds like it’s getting more technical than it needs to be. A push on the lever with a little bit of force is enough to gauge your pressure. As long as the mug is snug inside the heat jacket that should be enough. If you’re getting blow out due to inadequate pressure you’ll see it on the design. If it’s not that it’ll be cheap mugs that aren’t straight but usually you’ll see creasing on the paper afterwards.
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The sheet is a sheet of plain paper wrapped around the mug to prevent ink getting onto the press and then getting onto your next mug, usually called a blowout sheet.
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yep got creasing, going to try today to drop the tempreture, trouble is i think i have budgied up this press, hope they don’t blame me. thing is it’s got some settings i’m not too sure on on
like it’s got a
YO setting, example YO38
and a CO setting, which goes up to 22 i think
CO22
what are those?
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There are only 2 settings to worry about really. Time and temp. I wouldn’t fiddle with anything else but I haven’t seen a press with the controls you mention. 200c for temp and 170 secs time as a starting point. This should be fine. We have got our mugs in for less on our better presses (120) so personally I wouldn’t go more than 170 although some on here might.
Blurring can be for a few reasons so you need to work out which one is your problem. To much heat can do this through either being to hot or long. Dodgy mugs will give an uneven print which will distort/blur in places, commonly top and bottom due to being barrel shaped. You can have quite a straight mug but the last 5/6mm at the bottom of the base can often quickly taper which then can create flaming.
Pressure shouldn’t be a big issue really. When you close the press you should be able to do it with one finger and feel the pressure on the last inch of the handle closing. If you have to push really hard with the finger it is to tight. If you don’t feel much pressure for the last inch it is probably not tight enough.
Figuring out your real problem is the key rather than jumping back and forth on set up. It does sound like your mugs aren’t that good but if this is due to being tapered then you should at least have a decent print on the middle section.
Good luck,
Andrew
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Hi
I find Trupix is the best paper personally, and I have a couple of mug presses – an expensive one, and a Chinese jobbie.
I prefer the Chinese one funny enough.
I use a temp of 190C for 3 mins and a reasonable firm pressure – I have a cut to size teflon sheet that goes around the mug – can’t remember the last misprint.
Best not to print completely top to bottom (depends on the taper ofc ) but I usually leave about 1cm to cater for this .
Another point – how do you cool your mugs down? Definately dont put them in a bucket of water too soon and certainly not with the paper still on (I know people who have done that in the past and had problems).
I have a cooling rack to cool mine down and dont use water to cool until they have been on the rack for a few mins – this avoids cracking too.
Hope some of this helps – once you get the knack you will find it very easy.
Best regards
Martin
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