I made my first mug yesterday. OK I made a few mistakes. First I learned when using plain paper to provide a barrier between the press and the transfer to make sure I use paper without any print on it (I didn't think anything not on transfer paper would transfer--wrong transferred just fine... actually transferred better than the transfer did).
I used 400 degrees and pressed for 7 minutes (sublimation ink & paper from bestblanks & a generic mug heat press) and cooled it in water after I was done. The image was fuzzy, and parts of the transfer on the mug are rough and tacky and not smooth like the rest of the mug transfer. I used the spray tac stuff to stick the transfer to the mug rather than tape. Oddly the transfer paper had a shiny spot where the mug had a rough spot. Maybe didn't transfer completely?
So was the heat too high? Too low? Time too long? Too short? I'm going to buy some mugs to practice on until I get this down right, but some advice would certainly help. What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance for your expertise.
I should also mention scorching on the paper and transfer paper. Is this normal? It really stunk and I will admit I was waiting for a small fire to start before it was finished.
hmmm, sounds like you have a Chinese press, like the one I bought.
Your temperature is correct. Most ceramic mugs can be done 400deg for 6 minutes and they come out fine.
My press is good, but the temperature isn't exact to the temperature on the display. I melted a Polysub mug pretty badly when I first tried one, that was when I realized the temp isn't correct, and may fluctuate too much. I now set it at 260 on the display, for some reason my mug attachment is the only one that I have to do this too. The other attachments have the right temp.
Get you a temp gun so you can check it. The paper shouldn't scorch at 400 degrees.
As for the fuzziness, sounds like a pressure issue, increase your pressure.
Since you are using spray, the transfer may fall of as you are taking it out of the press. That is a good thing! The heat was applied evenly and evaporated the sticky spray. If it doesn't or if you use heat tape, take the mug out of the press and pull up the paper slowly to check that it sublimated well, if you get to a point where you see that it didn't transfer well..replace the paper back and repress with either more time or pressure, depending on what it looks like.
Your fuzziness is caused by ink migration, that is usually not enough pressure, because the pressure is used to force the gas into the substrate as it heats up. Ink Migration happens when the gas can drift, due to lack of pressure.
As for the stinking part...lol...mine still stinks. It's the press itself, don't know what causes it,maybe it's something they put in the rubber but it will stink...some people have simply left there press on at a high temp for along time so it can burn all the stink off, lol.
Thanks. I do have a Chinese press. Not sure how to increase pressure, but will look it over for a way. I watched the temp gauge change from 400 to 310 to 417 and it was smoking away (I'm assuming this is when the paper started scorching). I found out that the rough surface was actually tacky, I can't get it off. Maybe I used too much spray or something. I'm ordering some practice blanks so before I tackle my first professional job, I will (hopefully) know what I'm doing. Thanks again for your insight. I'm glad I didn't use my last blank mug to make the same mess. Pressure... OK I'm sure there's a way. Thanks.
I would try less time first. 7 minutes is a very long time. Even a mug press that uses a heat conductive rubber liner like the DK3 only takes 4.5 minutes.
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I have tried 4.5 mins before and the image wasn't sublimated well enough. The colors didn't pop like the should. I did it at 6 mins as is suggested and it looks fine.
But...you can always try it I guess...good luck.
If you look on top, my press has a little knob on top of the swing arm. You can turn that and it adds pressure. Not the best pressure system but it is enough I suppose, lol. For 400 what can I say, all attachments and shipping included, lol.
There seem to be a few issues at play here...
1) temperature: check the press manual to see if the temperature readings are in Fairenheight o Celsius. If F then temperature should be 400, but if C you need to set it at 205C.
2) paper: if you are using a high release paper you will get a cludy image. This is due to the fact that this type of paper has a barrier coating that prevents the ink from penetrating it. This coating also prevents the vapors from going through it so it can only escape throug the edges (sides) creating that cloudy effect. The best paper for mugs is inkjet coated bond paper (like trupix), this paper although it uses more ink, will allow the vapors to go trough it during the transfer for nice smooth photo finish on the mug.
3)patchy transfers: those usually are due to uneven heat distribution. The reason you need to use longer transfer times on mugs and tiles is that you need to heat the whole item to 400F for all the ink to transfer at the same rate. If the mug has colder spots it will actg just like if the press has a colder spot by taking in less color. The opposite is also true... if you heat too long the ink will start "gassing out" and come back out of the mug. Solutions: get yourself a heat gun ($20-$40 on the net) and take temp readings on the heat press to make sure it heats up evenly across the whole surface. Make sure that the press "hugs" the mug all around, if the mug press is not cylindrical and one spot has a dent or doesnt have the same contact pressure as the rest, that area will not transfer as well as the rest. Make sure that you are using the right ammount of time for the specific mugs you are purchasing. Try to check the mug for uneven coating, a lot of the cheaper mugs are not coated properly, uneven coatings will obviously yeld uneven transfers.
Finally a note on qualty set ups: I notice on this forum that a lo t of people focus a lot on the quality of the printer or the ink and paper they are using and then purchase a cheap heat press. The heat press is the most important tool in dye sublimation as it is the press that actually generates the color and transfer! A bad heat press will always result in poor quality transfers and a lot of waste. Uneven pressure, uneven heat, clamshels that don't open smoothly, constant het fluctuations and temperature gauges that provide inaccurate information are all cause for waste and inefficent work not to mention frustration, so my recommendation is that you need a heat press that is top quality and half of your problems will dissapear!
Then get yourself some good ink and the right paper for the job, finally buy the cheapest Epson printer that is large enough to do the job (All Epsons are great printers so even the cheapets one will print beautifull images, although I would avoid the ones that are designed for dye based inks like "durabrite" as these will clog more easily).
I too own a Chinese made mug press. Mine is a standalone unit, rather than a combo press add on. I bake my mugs at 200 degrees centigrade for three and a half minutes. They come out perfect everytime.
I always use heat tape and apply VERY firm pressure to the press. Enough to grip it securely without going the extremes of using two hands to close it.!! Its just a question of sacrificing a few mugs for practice, to see what works best for you. All part of a learning curve we have to go through.
I don't have an issue with using Chinese made equipment. It isn't as well made as presses in the West would be, but it's a lot more affordable for us smaller businesses.
make sure you use a good paper, i've found that epson presentation paper matte works very well and you can get it a staples, save on shipping. also check temp 7 minutes dose seem long we go 3.5 minutes and put in room temp water. good luck
What did I do wrong? 
First I learned when using plain paper to provide a barrier between the press and the transfer to make sure I use paper without any print on it (I didn't think anything not on transfer paper would transfer--wrong transferred just fine... actually transferred better than the transfer did).
