Questions, questions

[chonz]

Hi all.

I've been using PoD to print and post my mugs for me, but I'm looking to do it myself so I can cut down on the delivery time and ensure the quality.

I thought I'd ask some questions in a single post as this might help others in the same boat as me.

So with that being said.......

1. Mug presses

Will either of these be good to start with? Is one better than the other?

https://signzworld.co.uk/shop/color-kin ... s-machine/
https://signzworld.co.uk/shop/double-tw ... -printing/

2. Printers

What's a good quality printer for mug subs?

3. Ink

Are there any recommendations for sublimation ink for bright images and longevity?

4. Paper

There seem to be a zillion choices for paper.
Is there one which stands out from the others?

5. Mugs

I've received various printed mugs over the years as presents, some of which were probably printed by the people here.
I noticed that some are heavier than others. I prefer the heavier ones. Are these the 11oz ones as opposed to the 10oz ones?

Quality is the main concern, so does anyone have a recommendation for good, heavy mugs which are consistent and without dimples?

Can the mug presses linked above also print on 15oz mugs?


Thanks in advance for your replies.
I live near Xpres if that helps.....

[Justin]

I was just about to say you're down the road from Xpres. Certainly worth heading over there for a chat.

What quantity of mugs are you printing and type of designs?

[chonz]

I was just about to say you're down the road from Xpres. Certainly worth heading over there for a chat.

What quantity of mugs are you printing and type of designs?

I've only been doing this for two months, and sell on Etsy without any promotion, so I get very little traffic, but about 1 in 4 people who click on a mug seem to buy one, so it's only a couple of mugs per day (I only have a dozen mug designs for sale but have another 500 or so I will list), but if I can produce myself, then I can take my own pics of the mugs without relying on mock-ups, and get them out the door the same day.
Designs are either single colour (black) or many colours.
Also, I got burned by the PoD company because they took on too many orders over BFCM, so production times spiked in December to about two weeks for mugs and three weeks+ for tees.....

I'm in touch with Xpres on a different matter (t-shirt printing). Have heard good things about them.
Looking at their website, it seems that in terms of mug presses, they cater to those who are already established, as their cheapest press is £445+VAT.

So, my idea is to concentrate on the quality of the product (sharp, bright images which don't fade), plus cheap-ish machinery, then if all goes well, upgrade to the more expensive, better quality machinery later on.

Having skimmed through the forum, there seem to be loads of recommendations for this paper or that mug and so on, so I was hoping to get things condensed into a single thread so that my brain doesn't explode.
The learning curve for printing mugs and tees and what-not is a steep one, but an interesting one.

[Justin]

Just wondered about quantities as we use presses and an oven, the latter being superb if you have enough work to justify it.

I think I know the PoD company you're referring to We also offer a fulfilment service but postage on mugs is very expensive.

Yes, the Xpres Studio press is more expensive but is pretty much the best you'll find. We have 2 of these and they're excellent. You could start with a cheaper machine, there are some decent ones but if I were you and you can stretch go straight for the Xpres. If you're already talking about upgrading at some stage it will save you money medium/longer term anyway.

Have a look at Ink Experts website for printers and inks, Inktec Sublinova is superb. Tried, tested and far cheaper. Sawgrass inks are very good but you are paying a premium for these. Again we use both inksets depending on printers so can recommend both.

If you join the forum as a Premium Members (£10) we can get you some great discounts so take a quick look at this.

For me I only use Trupix paper for sublimation, again you could go cheaper but for what you'll save I wouldn't bother.

[chonz]

Just wondered about quantities as we use presses and an oven, the latter being superb if you have enough work to justify it.

I've read about the ovens on here. If all went well, then that would be the next step I suppose.
Then there's this beauty: https://www.xpres.co.uk/p-10111-schulze ... press.aspx

I think I know the PoD company you're referring to

Yeah, I thought that some people on here would either have direct experience of what happened in December, or would have heard about it.
It wasn't fun. It didn't affect me too much (apart from having to close my shop over Christmas due to not being able to tell customers even a ball park of when they'd receive their items), but for those who had established businesses, it cost them a lot of money. Entire advertising campaigns wasted, etc. Some of them jumped ship to other PoDs.

Yes, the Xpres Studio press is more expensive but is pretty much the best you'll find. We have 2 of these and they're excellent. You could start with a cheaper machine, there are some decent ones but if I were you and you can stretch go straight for the Xpres. If you're already talking about upgrading at some stage it will save you money medium/longer term anyway.

I might well take your advice here.
Are you talking about the single or twin press?

Have a look at Ink Experts website for printers and inks, Inktec Sublinova is superb. Tried, tested and far cheaper. Sawgrass inks are very good but you are paying a premium for these. Again we use both inksets depending on printers so can recommend both.

If you join the forum as a Premium Members (£10) we can get you some great discounts so take a quick look at this.

For me I only use Trupix paper for sublimation, again you could go cheaper but for what you'll save I wouldn't bother.

Good advice, so I'll check that out.
I do plan on signing up as a member, and also to ask similar questions about heat transfers onto light tees.
For dark tees, since I'm not about to drop £13000 on a machine without the established capacity to feed it, I'll bulk order some darks from Shirt Monkey or whoever. Hopefully, heat transfers will take care of light garments for a bit or even forever.

Are Xpres good for mug blanks? Given that they are only a 20 minute drive, I hope so. Drive to Xpres > swift pint at Trent Lock > feed the swans > drive home.

[Justin]

We used to live just up the road from Trent Lock, funnily enough we're moving back in a few months or I'd have been happy to help in the meantime

[GoonerGary]

Yeah, I thought that some people on here would either have direct experience of what happened in December, or would have heard about it.
It wasn't fun. It didn't affect me too much (apart from having to close my shop over Christmas due to not being able to tell customers even a ball park of when they'd receive their items), but for those who had established businesses, it cost them a lot of money. Entire advertising campaigns wasted, etc. Some of them jumped ship to other PoDs.

Which print on demand company did that?

[chonz]

We used to live just up the road from Trent Lock, funnily enough we're moving back in a few months or I'd have been happy to help in the meantime

Oh god, you're not from Mong Eaton are you?

Trent Lock to Shetland is an unusual one, but then I suppose that anywhere to Shetland is unusual.

[chonz]

Which print on demand company did that?

I'll message you with the info to spare their blushes...

[Justin]

Mong Eaton??? Lol. Yes we lived there, born in Chilwell though Yep, Shetland is unusual to say the least!