Faded mug bottoms

[Tracy B]

Hi, I am new to mug printing and have done only 7 so far. Of all the 7 I have done the print is excellent on all 3 sides except the bottom where its faded. I realize by watching tons of YouTube videos and reading this forum that its because the base is thicker. Would this work, put a flat griddle on the hob on low and put the mugs on it to warm the base. Then press as usual. Thanks

[Justin]

Yes, the thicker base causes this issue. A quick pre-warm can help. Also could depend on type of press you're using and pressure etc. so worth checking everything.

Many users find that leaving a small gap, say 5mm, top and bottom works well on mugs when done in presses.

[Tracy B]

Yes, the thicker base causes this issue. A quick pre-warm can help. Also could depend on type of press you're using and pressure etc. so worth checking everything.

Many users find that leaving a small gap, say 5mm, top and bottom works well on mugs when done in presses.

Thank you for the help, I am going to try the hot plate trick I come up with ! as my press is right next to the hob on the worktop, will let you know how it goes
I am loving the results so far and have done many designs in readyness for my next pressing.

[webtrekker]

All good advice, but can I just add that the brand of mugs you use may also influence the results.

All mugs taper towards the bottom to enable them to be removed from their moulds (it's called the 'draft angle' for those technophobes amongst you). This can be virtually negligible in good quality mugs, but quite noticeable in cheaper, lesser-known brands. This taper can also be a cause of faded prints at the bottom of the mug.

[Fletcher]

A little trick i try is putting hot water in the bottom of the mug to warm it up.

[webtrekker]

To be honest, the best solution I found was to use a halogen oven with silicone wraps instead of a mug press. You're looking at £30-£60 for an oven that will do the job and wraps at around £5 each from ebay.

[Pixelpusher]

Sadly Im still finding the halogen oven very hit & miss, sometimes the results are excellent another time, im wasting mugs to the point im going to setup a knock down stall at the fun fair where you get 3 balls to throw out mugs and plates to smash them ha ha, id make more money with the latter

Someone must know the common problems? Ive tried loads of different options that its has to be one of my products, the printer is working fine, so it could be my inks (from ink experts) my paper also from ink experts or the mugs themselves.

[webtrekker]

It's not the printer, inks or paper that causes fading on the bottom, so you can forget about these.

Fading, in my experience, is caused by any (or all) of these 3 things:

1. Poor quality mugs, with tapered bottoms or 'barreling.'

2. A poor quality press, with uneven heating and/or pressure across the whole of the blanket.

3. Heat-sink issues caused by thick mug bases and handles.

An oven should eliminate points 2 and 3, so if it doesn't then I'd suspect the mugs themselves. What brand and style of mugs are you using?

Having said this, I've recently given up on selling mugs myself due to inconsistent results. Maybe some customers aren't as picky as mine, but I'm sure other members must be having the same issues as me, so is it a case of customers being more tolerant, or do you have a high reject rate?

[Pixelpusher]

Thanks for the reply webtrekker my issue is not faded bottoms, but just general quality problems, im using an halogen oven and green wraps, and the settings that work best for me, when it works is 190c at 9 mins for one mug, im not brave enough to put any more in at once for fear of wasting 2 at a time.

So as said sometimes the print is great, sometimes it very bad and a trashed mug, my most common problem is ghosting on the text or image, and my blacks being faded.... I did a text mug yesterday and most of the text was ok but one word in the middle of the mug was a light faded black while the other text was nice and dark, when I peeled the paper off the mug the word on the mug that was faded, the ink was still showing on the printed paper, like it had not transferred to the mug, while all the other print did.

Most of my prints are just simple black prints, I don't actually sell the mugs I make, most of them are for a charity that sell the mugs at their events, some or for my fishing club, so my customers are not being picky. I just want them to look right.

Any other simple steps or issues I could be missing?

Sorry the mugs that im using are signzworld 11oz double coated orca mugs.

[webtrekker]

Just a thought here...

Are you using a thermometer inside your oven, or are you relying on the dial to set the temperature. The actual temperature of my oven differs from that shown on the dial.

My normal procedure is to wait until the THERMOMETER temperature reaches 180 C then pop in a mug for 9 minutes (timed using my phone). Once cooked, I remove the mug and remove the wrap immediately and allow to air-cool. I've also had nice, sharp prints by dunking the mug in fairly hot water (to avoid hairline cracks) with the paper print still attached, then remove the paper while still under water.