# mug printing problems?



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

hi all

i am having major problems printing mugs

i am using a Ricoh SG3110DN to print

and a magic touch HTP 616 to press the mugs

here is a list of problems i am having

mugs cracking whilst pressing (although this has not happened today)

the picture on 1 side of mug is perfect on the other it may be discoloured

the bottom of the mug is sometimes fading with faint lines through the image

and then 10 in a row will come out perfect

the results are so inconsistent. i never do anything different with the settings but at this rate maybe 1 in 3 is coming out fine

it is driving me mad now. i have gone through 2 boxes of mugs which i allowed for getting to grips with printing mugs having never done it before

after going through 2 boxes i have come to the conclusion that i am none the wiser due to the inconsistency

any help or tips would be great as at a rate of 1/2 in 3 mugs coming out fine i will never make any money 

as we speak i have just done one and it has come out perfect. did nothing different to what i have just done with the last one that came out all faded?


----------



## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

I would guess two possibilities - first would be checking to see how fast your press is recovering after a press meaning is the temp dropping from pressing the mug and needs time to recover?

Second you read so much about coating and the lack of consistancy on mugs and such. Could you be doing everything right and it is the mugs that are the issue?

Just a couple thoughts before the mug presses are able to respond.


----------



## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

minority1 said:


> hi all
> 
> i am having major problems printing mugs
> 
> ...


I just looked at your mug press, no offense but looks like something out of a 1950's sci-fi movie. 

TMT is mostly a OEM laser toner supplier, that press is also used for toner "glazing" which no one in the photo novelty business does anymore. Might be OK for OEM toner, but doubt it can work consistant sublimating.

Unless you are doing live retail or events and need to hand a customer a mug quickly while they wait I would look into using a small toaster oven and "wraps", much better in terms of consistancy. 

I suspect your heating is not temperature stable so you could try and get a hot plate to pre-heat the mugs before they go into the press.


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

thank you for your quick responses 

think i have sorted out the problem.

i have been printing onto a template and putting 3 on a piece of A4 paper, but when i was cutting them, i was cutting them the same hight as the mug, taping them down and pressing

untill.....i had a piece cut short ( or so i thought ). it was cut to the same size as the template (which is obviously smaller than the hight of the mug) so i thought id give it a try......perfect.

i had 2 mugs left so i cut another 2 to the size of the template and they were perfect too. in fact the best i have done to date

so it would seem it has taken me 2 cases (72 in total ) to accidentley find the problem. i had been cutting the paper too long it would seem.

in defence of the mug press, if it has results like these last 3 i will be very happy indeed. with a price tag of £695 + vat new i would expect it to be the dogs b*llocks ?


----------



## GordonM (May 21, 2012)

You mentioned that you might do 10 mugs in a row and they come out fine, so the last three may not be a good indicator that you've solved all of the problems.

Some of the things you mention are more likely to be from the press, not the paper. It very much sounds like there's uneven pressure and/or temperature. Unless you're buying really cheap mugs, they should not crack as long as you're not over doing the press pressure.

The problem with cutting the paper smaller than the mug is that slight imperfections in alignment can show up. So many people print outside the template area, and cut the paper *slightly* larger. This allows the design to "bleed" beyond the top and bottom of the mug. To get this to work correctly, you may wish to add a piece of regular bond paper between the transfer and press. This helps prevent the transfer paper from drying out and cracking, which can result in some of the other problems you're having.

Next time you get some mugs, don't waste one mug per transfer. Create tests that only cover 1/2 or even 1/3 of the mug. Or just the top half or bottom half. You can run most tests that way with fewer mugs. I use this technique to create about four test strips per mug for judging time, temperature, and pressure for any new mug I get. Better than wasting four separate mugs!


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

great information guys. thank you ver much

i guess will have to wait and see what tomorrow brngs


----------



## jfisk3475 (Jan 28, 2011)

I use an older model press. I warm mugs in oven 12 @ a time. faster recovery time this way.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using T-Shirt Forums


----------



## minority1 (Nov 23, 2011)

ok guys, i have ended up ditching the 616 press and purchased a JML halogen oven which should arrive tomorrow

can anybody recommend settings please
ie. temp & time for 1 mug, 2 mugs, 3 mugs, 4mugs?

many thanks in advance for any info/tips


----------

