[Viper Graphics]

I got mine from a different source. It could still be bad coating on yours too. Mine only happens on the bottom of the mug , even when i put it in backwards. This is with mugs from Coastal Business, Image Right paper,Cobra Inks,Mpress Mug Press @ 400° F and 180 seconds. Here is what mine looked like.

Part of the problem is that the bottom of the mug is thicker and takes a bit longer to get to the 400 f. Also the very top of the mug can be your press not getting hot enough at that outer edge or pressure as well. I keep all my designs at least a quarter inch from top and bottom and don't have those problems. I tried the all over approach many years ago when I started and decided it wasn't worth all the bad prints and adjusted fire and haven't looked back. There may be other reasons for your problems and I hope others will chime in but those were mine.

 

[Steverc]

Part of the problem is that the bottom of the mug is thicker and takes a bit longer to get to the 400 f. Also the very top of the mug can be your press not getting hot enough at that outer edge or pressure as well. I keep all my designs at least a quarter inch from top and bottom and don't have those problems. I tried the all over approach many years ago when I started and decided it wasn't worth all the bad prints and adjusted fire and haven't looked back. There may be other reasons for your problems and I hope others will chime in but those were mine.

That's exactly what I did was move it off the edge by 1/2" and it turned out perfect. Just wanted to have complete coverage. I may try more time, or just buy better quality mugs and see if that helps.

 

[poizonBarbie]

They look ok away from the edge, but didnt want to have to do that :-(

 

[poizonBarbie]

Today I tried again. Did 180 degrees for 180 seconds and it printed th the edge fine, but you can see where the black goes brown in the middle of the mug.

 

[STPG Press]

Today I tried again. Did 180 degrees for 180 seconds and it printed th the edge fine, but you can see where the black goes brown in the middle of the mug.

Where are you located? Is there a heat press supplier or even another business that does dye sub on mugs near you? Maybe a little business to business consideration to let you test your mugs in their press.

I don't know anything about who you bought your mug press from. Maybe it is bad. When I got my standard 12x15 heat press last year, I had to replace my platen after the 3rd time I powered it on. Been great ever since, but problems can occur with new equipment.

Good luck.

 

[Viper Graphics]

That's exactly what I did was move it off the edge by 1/2" and it turned out perfect. Just wanted to have complete coverage. I may try more time, or just buy better quality mugs and see if that helps.

Another option is to do a fading or distressed border that gives the illusion of taking up most of the mug. It can also hide any small blemishes. Another is just placing a thin border around your work to frame it in and doing things like this mug I found on the net, notice how the bat and the pumpkin overlap the border and seem to come out of the graphic?...appears to be taking up the space better and doesn't define the white space so much. If this were mine I would have made the pumpkin and bats just a bit more noticeable and had more bats flying off the top side to distract from the bottom....

 

[poizonBarbie]

Where are you located? Is there a heat press supplier or even another business that does dye sub on mugs near you? Maybe a little business to business consideration to let you test your mugs in their press.

I don't know anything about who you bought your mug press from. Maybe it is bad. When I got my standard 12x15 heat press last year, I had to replace my platen after the 3rd time I powered it on. Been great ever since, but problems can occur with new equipment.

Good luck.

Yeah i have a friend who prints mugs, t-shirts etc. I printed off for him the other day 2 A4 sheets with my paper (that he gave me) my ink and my printer, and he used it to sub a chopping board, but it faded around all the edges with him, and he said he had to put it back in a few times for 30 secs longer than he usually does.
But i dont think its a case of the ink not printing to the edge of the paper properly as when i used the black strips to test they were from all around the paper.

Doesnt the black turning brown mean the middle of the mug is getting too hot in the middle? I might try 180 again but for shorter times and see if it improves. I just dont want to waste any more mugs at the mo, wasted 8 originally testing on them, then i sold 8 last week and 6 of them got smashed in the post, so i put in claims but if i loose the claims ill have to either make more or refund, and im just starting this as a hobby and im on a budget when it comes to buying more materials.

 

[poizonBarbie]

Another option is to do a fading or distressed border that gives the illusion of taking up most of the mug. It can also hide any small blemishes. Another is just placing a thin border around your work to frame it in and doing things like this mug I found on the net, notice how the bat and the pumpkin overlap the border and seem to come out of the graphic?...appears to be taking up the space better and doesn't define the white space so much. If this were mine I would have made the pumpkin and bats just a bit more noticeable and had more bats flying off the top side to distract from the bottom....

Im a perfectionist tho, and i dont want to have to compromise what people ask for, i want to be able to do a full black graphic mug if asked for one :-( I dont want to be distracting from mistakes, but the border idea is an effective one to use on certain designs. But if the black border didnt print properly youd still notice it.

 

[ShirlandDesign]

Our press was name brand, the mugs Coastal, the paper Tex Print, the inks Sublijet. It began by doing edges light, then had bad spots in different odd places. Put in a new blanket and haven't thought about ti till now.

 

[poizonBarbie]

Blanket meaning what holds the mug?
If it that that's faulty then I will complain to my machine supplier as its new

 

[Viper Graphics]

Im a perfectionist tho, and i dont want to have to compromise what people ask for.

Hi Ema, I hear you and probably so does every other printer on this forum.... your new...and I'm not wanting to sound like I'm discouraging you...please, go for it, but we all have been in your shoes. Not criticizing or bashing here....but we will see if you have the same mindset in a year ) I have just certain jobs that I have to be critical on...the majority you will find you place way too much time in designing and being perfect with every print. you will learn the shortcuts, you will have to. and the customer will never know. as far as the comment about the border....never had one print bad...been printing sublimated mugs and plaques since 2006. Hope you have as good results! Good luck.
There are a lot of good people on this board and they will give good advice so keep asking the questions and experimenting.

 

[ShirlandDesign]

I will complain to my machine supplier as its new

Our press is Geo Knight. It sat on a distributors shelf for a year and a half and was out of warranty, or they would have just sent us a replacement. As it was the heating pad (I call it a blanket) was under warranty and they would cheerfully have replaced it if we had sent the press in and picked up the shipping. As it happened we were in a real time crunch and didn't have time for that so we just bought a new heating pad and got the job out. The people at Knight bent over backwards to get us up and going. Returned our calls within an hour multiple times on the same day. Their honest commitment to customer satisfaction is simply the best I've run into in over 20 years of decorating.... well nearly anything. I've been called down here for "Pimping" other companies, but I think good news should travel as quick and as far as bad reviews. God if only there were an embroidery vendor who had the same business ethics and sense. Well the Chinese will own it eventually.

p.s. IMCawards is right. When you first get going you make an art form out of blocking a screen stencil, over time you save perfection for when it pays, either literally or in your reputation.

 

[poizonBarbie]

I have crafted for yrs, and im always a perfectionist whether its a glitter glass, a crocheted blanket, a knitted cardigan, a decorated candle, just the way i am, id rather give my best every time. I just dont want to have to say to someone 'no you cant have that design cus i cant do it how you want it'.
The machine is under warranty so i might see what they have to say. In their instructions it says 180 - 200 degrees C for 200 - 300 seconds. So i tried different combinations of that and the black writing came out brown.
The customer will notice faded edges on the top and bottom of a block design

 

[Dekzion]

I print lots of mugs and the setting is 180c for 200sec. Does your press start the countdown when it climbs back up to temp or does it just fire when you shut it? on my small press I have to wait to hit the timer when it climbs back up when I'm pressing things like ceramics or else it's a fail.