# "Spotty" or "Blotchy" Print on Dye Sub Mugs



## phoenixalpha (Nov 2, 2008)

Hiya

I posted a thread earlier about pressure problems on my new heat press... Got it solved... thank you to everyone who answered. But as ever, no good deed goes unpunished - I need more help. 

OK... using my press at 205C (400F) to print a particular image onto mugs - and they are coming out, for want of a better word - spotty or blotchy. I've uploaded some pics (see below)

Now.. the pressure is ok, just this damnable spotty/blotchyness. It only happens on colours that are deep (check the gray areas which seem fine as does the light skin tones) - anything with any kind of depth to it and the spottyness appears. I've tried several different types of print on sub paper - gloss settings, matt settings, normal settings - all give the same response. I've tried everything from 180 seconds through to 240 seconds. Tried 180C degree through to 225C to no avail.

Might not be anything but when I put the mug into the press and close the press shut on the mug the temp drops to maybe a good 40C below the specified heat then climbs back up again to the specified heat, but this takes a good 30-60 seconds. I include this in my time settings so from press close to press open is 180 seconds (or whatver it should be). Should I count from when the temperature climbs back up to the specified temperature? I'm at a complete loss here... 

Is it the paper, the mugs, the settings? I would pull my hair out if I had any left but alas none to pull.... 

I'm asking your expert advice on this one... I'm sure someone has run across this (probably) simple issue.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 27, 2009)

I've been watching your threads all day i don't think i've seen anyone aske what equipment you are using. If you don't mind telling us what mug press, paper, ink, mugs are you using. Maybe we can figure this out.


----------



## sailorpatp (Jun 19, 2008)

I use the same temp 400° but have been using 300 seconds 5 min and a lot of pressure on my first mug of the day with a cheepo press and have fine results. I can't say for sure if the setting I am using is what I am getting. Now that I get a good print every time, I don't want to fool with it. I had a lot of trouble till I tightened up the pressure.


----------



## jiarby (Feb 8, 2007)

could be bad coating (likely), or crappy paper (less likely).


----------



## martinwoods (Jul 20, 2006)

Yea I was going to say coating maybe. Where do you get your mugs?
We press ours for 120 seconds and they always look great (knock on wood)


----------



## jiarby (Feb 8, 2007)

Does the mug feel slightly rough, or maybe pitted where the spottyness is?? If so it might indicate that the coating is coming off the mug and adhering to the paper.


----------



## selzler (Apr 4, 2007)

It looks like not enough presher if I don't press hard enough it will look like your pics


----------



## clubnick (Feb 18, 2009)

It looks like you are using a high release transfer paper that is meant primarily for fabric. You need to get 1401 bond paper for hard substrates only.


----------



## phoenixalpha (Nov 2, 2008)

I eventually, after many many temper tantrums  managed to find a solution last weekend. Not only was it that the press had a low pressure area at the bottom of the press, despite what the vendor said. I tried new paper which improved things a lot, despite the original seller of the paper, promising that the paper was for sub mugs and last of all I tried new mugs, despite the original seller stating that the mugs were quality mugs and he had sold thousands of them - the mugs werent exactly straight up and down - eventually resorting to a laser guide to find out that the sides were slightly angled by two mm and they differed slightly in weight and construction from each other - the lightest being 30g heavier than the lightest one.

So the paper was wrong, the mugs were uneven and differing weights and dimensions and the press has a pressure issue at the base....

Now have a totally new paper supplier, a different mug supplier who supplies mugs that are uniform and straight and the press is the same - now happier . Mugs look fantastic and am v happy churning out good quality, very dynamic and vibrant mugs.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR INVALUABLE HELP.


----------

