vinyl onto mugs (?)

[AdamB]

Hi Matt, do you think the majority of the mugs on sale in the shops (large runs - not one offs) are printed this way? I knew a lot were screen printed but for some reason I thought they where printed direct on some sort of rotary machine.

I've seen a video of this john - was it not screen printing on a rotary arm that had the mug on it?

[John G]

Could well be - saw it years ago and thought all mass produced mugs were done this way. Learn something new everyday!

[Iamspace]

Hi Kris_hm,

I have actually used both vinyl (on a glass) and heat vinyl on a mug and they have been through the dishwasher a certain amount of times and are still there.

Having said that it was gold glitter vinyl on the mug and I think it is slowly turning tranparent, that could be the quality of the vinyl too though ?

I used red adhesive vinyl on a glass and it seems to have stuck even better since it has been through the dishwasher a few times. (now at least a year if not 18 months)

The glitter heat vinyl I used is a bit thick and feels a bit like that anti slip tape used on steps / stairs etc.

I now want to have a go with sublimating a mug and then some glitter heat vinyl on top.

[mbprintsolutions]

Inkjet printable waterslide decal paper can be used but not on black mugs as you cant print opaque white. These require a coat of laquer before floating off in water and can be fired in an oven at about 75 degrees.
Digital ceramic decals are produced using ceramic frit in a color laser printer, again cant be used on dark mugs due to the lack of white, and require kiln firing to between 780-800 degrees celsius.
Screen printed ceramics, either decals or direct printed onto mugs, can be used to print a white design onto a black mug, but still require a kiln firing to around 800 degrees. We print ceramics using all the process' mentioned, but minimum quantity is 72 mugs, and increase in multiples of 72 due to cost of kiln firings.
We can print using a catalysed 2 pack ink on a rotary screen printer, but even these require a low oven cure.

[r2red]

We have used Magic Touch watersilde. It needs to go through a laser printer, but it works a treat, we use it on candles too.

[sinotransfer]

Hi there,
probably very basic question
can vinyl be pressed onto ceramic mug (on the same basis like t-shirts) ??
if so, what kind of vinyl/mug
thanks

water trasnfer print maybe good choice on different (shape, material) of mugs, for it is no need to heat up.

[r2red]

I think they suggest heating it after it dries to make sure is is permanent

[smitch6]

We have used Magic Touch watersilde. It needs to go through a laser printer, but it works a treat, we use it on candles too.

is it safe when the candle burns?
as i like the sound of doing candles

[mbprintsolutions]

Hi, all on this thread,
rotary screen printing can, an very often is,used for direct printing onto ceramic mugs. More often than not this is for promotional mugs but you are limited to similar print area as with sublimation. The printing screen passes over the mug with the squeegee stationary, it is the movement of the screen that rotates the mug, although in some instances a gear an rod system is employed. This system is usually employed in conjunction with a fibre optic registration system where precise registration between colours is required. Tooling is required to be modified for each style of mug, dependent upon diameter shape etc. Single colour, and non register critical designs use the handle as a reference for register. I have a mascoprint CP12 which uses a fibre optic reader and a small DEK 65 which is a manual machine which uses handle register. A catalysed ink is fine for promotional work but not as hard wearing as kiln fired enamels, which the majority of chinaware is decorated with.
Where a more durable finish, handle decoration, inner decoration or where the shape makes direct printing impossible decals and hand decoration are used. This is a decal printed onto gummed paper with enamel and overprinted with a clear varnish, The design is floated off the paper by soaking in water and applied to the ware, similar to an Airfix model kit decal. After drying this is fired in a kiln at between 780-810 degrees celsius, the cover varnish burns away and the enamel reaches its melting point and fuses to the glaze, then is left to slowly cure,
A digital ceramic decal (kiln fired) uses the same process but is a digital cmyk process, the toners being replaced with emamel powder. The downside is that white is not used so therefore opacity is limited, the plus side is that single kiln fired items can be produced economically.

There are of course thermoplastic decals, and other processes which require lower stoving, but these are not as commonplace as the above.
Similarly, pad printing is sometimes used for certain ceramic decoration.

[Angie]

is it safe when the candle burns?
as i like the sound of doing candles

I have used the Magic Touch waterslide (amazing). I will say all of my candles have been used for gifts and not one has been lit nobody wants to spoil them. I have used some of paul's templatesas backdrops they look stunning. I currently have to do one for a 90th Birthday present, if I can I will get John to post a picture (he is more technical than me) :rolleyes: