(Yet Another) Bone China Mug Problem

[2metre Petre]

I’m a newcomer to this forum and into only my second week of dye-sub mug printing so still some way down the learning curve and this is my first thread. Sorry it’s so long.

My only experience so far has been with Orca coated 10oz “Durham” ceramic mugs from MDP (very positive) and 8oz “Balmoral” bone china mugs from DSS (very negative).

Every time a “Balmoral” mug is placed in my mug press creases are formed in the print paper extending up from the bottom of the mug by about 30mm. The sublimated ink can then travel along the crease and end up as a mark on the mug (see the attached pics). I eventually noticed that with the print tight to the mug at the top it was loose at the bottom. DSS describe the mugs as 75mm in diameter but I when I measured them with a micrometer I discovered they were typically 75mm at the bottom but 76.5mm at the top which equates to nearly 5mm difference in circumference. It appears that compressing that extra 5mm flat in the press is what is causing the creasing.

This prompts a few questions which I would like to ask the forum:

1. Is this a known issue with bone china mugs in general and is there a work-around?

2. What sort of tolerance in the diameter of a mug is considered acceptable?

3. Is there a straight sided 9oz bone china mug available without this problem that anyone could recommend?

From reading posts on this forum I understand that bone china mugs achieve less definition than ceramic ones and I can live with that but I have been asked to supply a design on bone china so need to persist with it.

For context I should say that the print was cut to the same height as the mug and I was using an ST-130 mug press with a 9oz element and Sawgrass truepix paper printed on an SG500 printer.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]7325[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]7326[/ATTACH]

[Mrteajunkie]

Only ever pressed a handful of these mugs but not had this issue myself.
Although I only use a small strip of tape on the end of the paper and not 4 strips of it.

I also only tape towards the handle not along the edge of the paper.
Any movement in the paper will have a little leeway in the press rather than being creased.


Why don’t you try pressing cold before ruining more mugs.
the paper Will crease hot or cold so perfect it cold before pressing at temp.

[UK Printed Mugs]

Issue could be wrap is not small enough. We print more 8oz bone china currently than 10oz but use different mug presses with different size elements. Bone China uses 8oz element especially for bone china (genie 3 press) whereas ceramic uses 10oz element.

[2metre Petre]

Only ever pressed a handful of these mugs but not had this issue myself.
Although I only use a small strip of tape on the end of the paper and not 4 strips of it.

I also only tape towards the handle not along the edge of the paper.
Any movement in the paper will have a little leeway in the press rather than being creased.


Why don’t you try pressing cold before ruining more mugs.
the paper Will crease hot or cold so perfect it cold before pressing at temp.

Thanks for the reply. I have only taped the wrap at the ends next to the handle and I have tried cold pressing as you suggest and the creasing occurs just the same. I have stopped further printing until I determine if the mugs themselves are a faulty batch. I have raised a complaint with DSS in an attempt to get a refund. If I tape one end of the wrap at the handle and pull it tight the wrap will (due to the conical shape of the mug) run away from the base of the mug. So either I can get the wrap tight, but skewed to the base, or level with the base, but loose and thus creased.

[2metre Petre]

Issue could be wrap is not small enough. We print more 8oz bone china currently than 10oz but use different mug presses with different size elements. Bone China uses 8oz element especially for bone china (genie 3 press) whereas ceramic uses 10oz element.

Thanks for the reply. I bought a 9oz element specifically for this "Balmoral" mug as recommended on the DSS website. If the mug was cylindrical rather than conical I don't think there would be a problem with my element/press combination.