# Sublimating mug .. Black comes out brown...



## Albie1

Hello I'm new to sublimation.. I have a gx7000 with sawgrass inks and powerdriver.. I'm using Photoshop cs4. I made an image with writing in black .. I checked the rgb and it's 0.0.0 on the black.. It printed through the print driver using ceramic... intense ... Color sure.. Then in Photoshop for color management it's set to document.. Printer manages color.. The mug is wrapped with the trupix paper then I use a piece of regular paper to cover this then the mug wrap is applied finger tight the with a screwdriver with lowest clutch setting I finish the tightening.. Mug goes in a conventional oven 400 degrees for about 18 minutes... Mug came out and I removed the wrap and the black ink is like brown... Not black at all... I double checked the rgb in photoshop and it's 0.0.0 and the cmyk is 60.50.50.88.

Any help what's going on... Thanks guys... Albie


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## jemmyell

Hi,

"Printer manages color" is definitely wrong. You need to talk to your vendor about setting up color managenment with the power driver.

-James


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## Joto Paper

I am assuming you are using the Power Driver? Is there any other things you notice about the image? Are all blacks turning brown or it is just in one area or just edges? Also is the edge of your text blurry?


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## Joto Paper

Here is the link to sawgrass' photoshop print settings.
[media]http://sawgrassink.indigofiles.com/product_documentation/sublijet/SJR-GX7000-PSG-PhotoShop-CS5.pdf[/media]

From what I read, sounds like you have done it right.

Another reason that blacks turn brown is due to overheating the mug.


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## Albie1

This is the only black in the image.. The text wasn't really blurry..


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## Joto Paper

Nozzle checks were performed before printing and the pattern was perfect?


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## Albie1

I'm thinking it was in the oven too long... The transfer paper was really burnt....


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## Joto Paper

Yeah 18 minutes seems quite long even for a conventional oven.


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## dcdesigns

I use mug presses but have experienced this condition before in production runs when a lot of black is involved on certain mug prints. More often it occurs with the harder coated mugs that need more cooking. Black tends to sublimate at a slightly lower temp then the others inks from my experience when i was using artainum with epson printers. So that color overheats and oversublimates to a brownish red in heavily saturated black areas especialy in areas away from the handle and bottom where there is more ceramic weight to distribute/absorb heat. It's fine line trying to saturate these areas for deep saturation if you have a lot of black to deal with and have to find the best overall setting. When i first experienced it I thought more heat but the solution is less heat if all the others colors are OK. If you lower your temp and perhaps your dwell time you will probably remove the problem and get a better result. Ink formulas have changed over the years and you might want to go down 10 to 25 degrees for mugs and try it again. Your oven may be running too hot to begin with. If it's a nice deep black on paper before sublimating it should look that way after the process if the settings are correct. You just have more control of these things using heat presses. Have not experienced this condition yet using the gx7000/SG inks yet. Old inks way out of date perhaps might come into play with this condition if you can't improve it with less heat/dwell tinkering, but I'm, assuming yours are not expired. Dave dcdesigns.net


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## Conde_David

I agree. Lower your time this is a common issue.


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## Albie1

i went 12 min its getting better im ar 10 on this run


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## selanac

We use Canvass Wraps and cure for 15 minutes. We also print about an 1/8" or more from the top and bottom. We tape really well too.


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## Albie1

It's gotta be the mugs, pressure or time I did a iPhone case and the black nailed it... it was black no brown or orange..... 400 deg with heat press so it's not paper or printer or ink.... Any new suggestions???


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## selanac

My first couple of mugs came out that way. I really don't remember what we did. 

I know we tighten the wraps using a tork drill (4). Taped the edges better with heat tape. Cut the paper so it didn't go all the way to the top or bottom. Pre-heated the oven, and cured at 400 F. Cured for 15 minutes. We used Conde White Mugs made in Taiwan. 

Someone suggested using a cover sheet but that made matters worse.


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## Albie1

yea my paper is wide... im using the smart driver small hand screw driver. 

whats seems to get me is when i put it in for 20 min.. the paper that came off after was really charred and brown and the black area had alot of blled through to the back of the paper... the 10 im ones the paper was more white had some black but also some ares of black was like orange on the mug like a rusty orange... also the 20 min mugs werent crisp... with nice edge deffinition... the printer is 4 days old and i did a nozzel check and its perfect... im puzzled but its not the printer its my tecnique


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## selanac

Where did you get the mugs? I wonder if you could cut the paper into 3 or 4 inch squares and reuse the same mug while you get the time down. I know mugs can be expensive. The shipping kills you. 

I'm not saying you can use the same mug for each test. Just wondering if that's possible. Anyways, try 15 minutes of cure time. 

You do have the Wraps right? If you have a Heat Press the time should be like 3 minutes.


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## Albie1

i got them from conde there the china mugs... i didnt know the difference till after i bought them....


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## selanac

Don't know the quality of those mugs, but the rep suggested we use Taiwan or USA for dishwasher and microwave safe mugs. 

I know china's cheaper, but we like the ones we got.


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## Albie1

Selanac. Were in nj u from? Im from nj also . Lived in Elizabeth for all my life and just moved to Woodbridge in July...


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## selanac

We're in Toms River


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