China Mugs

[GoonerGary]

I'm considering doing mugs again. I had been fed up with poor quality mugs since the demise of Tams Durham and was bored looking at durham styled mugs, so think I might look new styles.

I'll buy the xpres studio mug press with the thicker blanket.

So, does anyone have any experiences with these mugs? How straight are the edges? Is there a press which can cope with less than perfect edges? Any other mugs which stand out?

XP5014 Porcelain Mug 68mm
http://www.xpres.co.uk/p-7857-porcelain ... aspx?p=192

Duraglaze Fine China CanMug
http://www.listawood.com/item.php?id=PH ... DYE&pgnum=

'Windsor' Sublimation Bone China
http://www.novachrome.co.uk/printable-i ... a-mug.html

Thanks

[Justin]

Where have you been getting your mugs from? Have you tried Xpres, Raja or BMS mugs?

[jennywren]

I generally buy from coralgraph and I find the good, I've also had mugs fro Bms and they are also good, Bms mugs are bubble wrapped, Ever time I need mugs Raja have sold out of the mugs that I wanted as I heard that they are good, I use Coralgraph because they are reasonable and postage is free over £50. I have used Xpress one but never went back for more.

[GoonerGary]

Coralgraph don't do the nice china mugs and I've yet to try xpres.

The last time I pressed a mug was two years ago and without naming names, I was suffering from pin holes in the coating which drove me mad...and they were supposed to be the highest quality on the market. Alternatively, the listawoods were 'all shaped' but obviously my information is old.

[GoonerGary]

Raja rang me up today after a web enquiry and they seem like nice people.

Before I buy extra heat blankets etc, are the china mugs up to standard and can you get a decent full wrap print out of them? Or do people just buy durham mugs for a good reason?

[pisquee]

the nicer design of mugs, like the china mugs, print just as well as the Durham style mugs, but a standard chunky Durham type mug is an easier more common sell, so easier to stock. We have done the nicer design mugs in the past, but it is the chunky mugs that sell quicker.

[John G]

Is it possible to do a full wrap on a china mug/cup?

[RogerC]

Is it possible to do a full wrap on a china mug/cup?

The maximum image size is determined by the coverage of the heat mat.....I presume.

[Andrew]

Is it possible to do a full wrap on a china mug/cup?

I would say no John. The standard Durham/Cambridge style can go full top to bottom from a decent supplier but I haven't yet had a China mug that will do the same. China is far more lightweight so doesn't hold it's shape as well as earthenware style so tapers at the base and a slightly more barrel shape tends to be the norm. BMS China mugs are a bit heavy than some others so are actually a bit straighter than most. Balmoral shape tends to give a better print area as well due to no lip at top. The Can procelein mug from Xpres does a good job as these aren't as lightweight as China and also don't have a lip. Another thing to consider is that many of these mugs will give a different print finish. They are often more muted on colours but this can make watercolours look more effective for example.

[GoonerGary]

Thanks for the reply Andrew, The canmug from xpres/ raja would probably be my favoured style. I will compare it to Listawood's canmug assuming it's not the same ceramic.