# Cooling Mugs



## Captainron19 (Apr 28, 2006)

Is everyone cooling mugs after pressing. I for one never did with my old print system but after pressing some mugs using my new printer (Sawgrass Setup) I noticed a little ghosting going on


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## jfisk3475 (Jan 28, 2011)

We press and remove the paper then dunk in tap water. Never ghosting.

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## Captainron19 (Apr 28, 2006)

Yeah - I guess I am back to cooling ....just always hated doing it because of the extra step (especially when doing a large order) ..... always manage to crack a mug or two


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

We have 2 box fans and sit them in front of them when the mugs are done. They cool really fast that way. We stopped dunking mugs in water almost 2 years ago due to the possibility of tiny cracks appearing after multiple real-world uses. You could see faint coffee stains filling the tiny cracks. Not all but some. That little "tink" "tink" you hear is the mug cracking, somewhere.

About 3 weeks before even getting box fans, we just sat them on a table to cool on their own and never experience ghosting. We got box fans to speed up the cooling process so we could send out as soon as possible.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

We dunk into fresh boiled water and then fill the mug with cold to cool off. never a crack or breakage. 
It's funny this should come up today, I've just done 3 mugs with just text on them for display, the first two were concerning chocolate, and as I forgot to put the kettle on, they had the wrap removed and just stood there cooling. The text was supposed to be black but it stayed dark brown even when I put cold water in them to speed up the cooling. by the time the third was on it's way out of the press the kettle had boiled so there was fresh hot water available. I cooled the third in the hot water and it immediately went black black. the first two are still dark brown (which doesn't matter due to the subject) but from now on it is always dunk in boiling water first for me.


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## jfisk3475 (Jan 28, 2011)

Dekzion said:


> We dunk into fresh boiled water and then fill the mug with cold to cool off. never a crack or breakage.
> It's funny this should come up today, I've just done 3 mugs with just text on them for display, the first two were concerning chocolate, and as I forgot to put the kettle on, they had the wrap removed and just stood there cooling. The text was supposed to be black but it stayed dark brown even when I put cold water in them to speed up the cooling. by the time the third was on it's way out of the press the kettle had boiled so there was fresh hot water available. I cooled the third in the hot water and it immediately went black black. the first two are still dark brown (which doesn't matter due to the subject) but from now on it is always dunk in boiling water first for me.


Dunking in water stops the gassing. If still hot the gas and ink escapes.

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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

I think I'll beg to differ on that one if I may. Talking Celsius, the mug is pressed at 180 and then goes into around 95-96? which is a big drop but not enough to do any damage, it is then no hotter than a decent fresh coffee and will withstand a further drop with a cold fill.
I'm pretty sure that heating up to around 95ish would not cause your transfer to start printing on the mug so going back down to it will stop it.
Anyway buddy, lets just agree to disagree, I dont mind the boiling water step and it only takes seconds anyway. plenty of time whilst the next mug is in.


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## Kevb (Apr 29, 2014)

We dunk into hot tap water with the paper still on. I used to take it off first, but read that leaving it on won't affect the print. The paper is much easier to remove this way!


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## Captainron19 (Apr 28, 2006)

Kevb said:


> We dunk into hot tap water with the paper still on. I used to take it off first, but read that leaving it on won't affect the print. The paper is much easier to remove this way!



Thats a good tip..... never thought of trying that..... Will sure take care of those burned finger tips when peeling off. Especially with the white stainless steel travel mugs. I usually use a butter knife to pry up the paper to pull it off but cannot do that with the travel mugs because it peels the coating right off so I normally use a toothpick


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## WalkingZombie (Mar 15, 2014)

Captainron19 said:


> Thats a good tip..... never thought of trying that..... Will sure take care of those burned finger tips when peeling off. Especially with the white stainless steel travel mugs. I usually use a butter knife to pry up the paper to pull it off but cannot do that with the travel mugs because it peels the coating right off so I normally use a toothpick


Create a "tab" at one end of the heat tape by folding about a half inch onto itself. Also, fold a small corner of the paper where there's no design. It will release a whole lot easier and no burned finger tips.


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## AngelicEndeavour (Aug 12, 2013)

WalkingZombie said:


> Create a "tab" at one end of the heat tape by folding about a half inch onto itself. Also, fold a small corner of the paper where there's no design. It will release a whole lot easier and no burned finger tips.


I create a tab with heat tape too! Easier to grab and pull off, than heat tape that's stuck down onto the paper real well! I'll have to remember the paper "tab" too...


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## sinGN (Oct 12, 2016)

Hi,
It is best to cool the mug by placing it in room-temperature water.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

sinGN said:


> Hi,
> It is best to cool the mug by placing it in room-temperature water.


No, that will invite cracking, the cracking may not be so obvious visually but you can usually hear the ceramic being stressed if you use room temperature water. The water needs to be much much warmer.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

WalkingZombie said:


> We have 2 box fans and sit them in front of them when the mugs are done. They cool really fast that way. We stopped dunking mugs in water almost 2 years ago due to the possibility of tiny cracks appearing after multiple real-world uses. You could see faint coffee stains filling the tiny cracks. Not all but some. That little "tink" "tink" you hear is the mug cracking, somewhere.
> 
> About 3 weeks before even getting box fans, we just sat them on a table to cool on their own and never experience ghosting. We got box fans to speed up the cooling process so we could send out as soon as possible.


To your point, Cactus used to make a metal heat sink table/stand with a box fan setup to assist the heat dissipation.

The stand had a metal plate on it and fans to help cool the plate. 

I think if you placed a cheap sheet of copper underneath the mugs it would further assist your device, I think you could use the craft copper that you can find at Hobby Lobby or maybe needs to be thicker.

The bottom of the mug has the most mass so pulling heat away from there should accelerate cooling further.


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

Just in case Ron hasn't caught my other postings, and although I do like the tech approach to cooling with a heatsink box, as that would be more theatre for the customers, I dunk mine into freshly boiled water and then just fill them with cold from the tap and let them sit for a minute. the colours stay crisp, the blacks are black and the cup is full gloss with no crazing.
I also don't use tabs of any kind, I hold the handle in my left hand and slide my right hand thumb nail under the bottom corner and rip the wrap straight off. (haven't bit my nails since keeping Ferrets as a teenager)


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

Dekzion said:


> Just in case Ron hasn't caught my other postings, and although I do like the tech approach to cooling with a heatsink box, as that would be more theatre for the customers, I dunk mine into freshly boiled water and then just fill them with cold from the tap and let them sit for a minute. the colours stay crisp, the blacks are black and the cup is full gloss with no crazing.
> I also don't use tabs of any kind, I hold the handle in my left hand and slide my right hand thumb nail under the bottom corner and rip the wrap straight off. (haven't bit my nails since keeping Ferrets as a teenager)


Live retail it's a good idea to not keep your customers tied up waiting. 

I think the heatsink box is best fitted to someone who can work "offline" so to speak.

I haven't worked "online" in a while, all my stuff now is "offline".

Online in my context means print on demand while a customer is waiting ... live retail.


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## sinGN (Oct 12, 2016)

Hi,

thank you mgparrish, you are right its better to cool by placing it in much warm water.thank you so much.


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

sinGN said:


> Hi,
> 
> thank you mgparrish, you are right its better to cool by placing it in much warm water.thank you so much.



Confession, I have cracked a few.


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## tshirtsrus (Jun 6, 2007)

Hi all,

I used to cool them with water many years ago, now I use a shop blower fan, I just lay them on one of their sides so the air enters to the opening, they do cool very quickly, no containers with water, drying with towels, no crack, no hassles. 

Ruben


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## Dekzion (May 18, 2015)

Very brave Mike. I've never cracked a ceramic but learnt first time not to get a glass mug anywhere near water of any temperature. they go off like a windscreen breaking!


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## UCDISPLAY (Mar 19, 2016)

box fan does best job, please see attached image of my set up


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