Help! Ink spot appearing after sublimation.

[joe7906]

I have been sublimation mugs for about a year and recently I've run into a recurring problem. For reference, I use the Epson 2803 Ecotank, Hippoo ink, and Hippoo paper. I have a mug press set at 180 seconds @ 365 degrees, and use medium pressure. What is happening is often after I sublimate a design onto a mug, I remove the artwork and at first study the mug looks good. And then, in a delayed manner, black ink spots begin appearing all around the artwork. I have studied the artwork closely before pressing, even using a flashlight to look for ink splatter, but I don't find anything. I check the mug for lint beforehand and give it a good wipe down, though I haven't used alcohol wipes; usually I just wipe it down with my hands. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance.

[Justin]

Looks like overspray during the print. Are nozzles check ok?

[pisquee]

Have you tried dunking them in water to cool them off quickly after printing?

[joe7906]

I've tried running the nozzle cleaning several times. It may be overspray, but wouldn't I be able to see it when I inspect it before hand? Any idea why it appears delayed after I remove it?

[joe7906]

I've never tried that. Is that a common thing to do?

[joe7906]

Have you tried dunking them in water to cool them off quickly after printing?

"I've never tried that. Is that a common thing to do?

[joe7906]

I've tried running the nozzle cleaning several times. It may be overspray, but wouldn't I be able to see it when I inspect it before hand? Any idea why it appears delayed after I remove it?

I've tried running the nozzle cleaning several times. It may be overspray, but wouldn't I be able to see it when I inspect it before hand? Any idea why it appears delayed after I remove it?

[pisquee]

Cooling the mugs quickly will stop the inks from sublimating further. So, if you say the prints are initially fine out of thd press, but after time deteriorate, then try dunking them. Do it straight away with the transfer paper still on.

[Mrteajunkie]

I would advise a bowl of hot tap water rather than cold.
i have cracked mugs using tepid water (thermal shock)

[webtrekker]

I've tried running the nozzle cleaning several times. It may be overspray, but wouldn't I be able to see it when I inspect it before hand? Any idea why it appears delayed after I remove it?

It's often very difficult to detect these stray dots before pressing as they are usually much tinier on the paper than they are after pressing. I'd suggest getting hold of a decent magnifier (I use a 40x magnification jewellers loupe from ebay) to scan your printed artwork.