help needed please

[bigboots]

hi all i am new to all this sublimation printing etc.

but how ever i have just bought some gear to start mug printing and have a issue that i can not figure out.
i have a richo 3110bn printer with sawgrass inks. all new with use by date of oct 2013. all installed with powerdriver from sawgrass.
i have 11oz mugs
and sub paper i don't no what kind as it was free with mug press.

when i print. it looks dull which i have read that's how it should be.
i press it with mug press recommended settings 180c for 160 - 180 seconds
it looks washed out with a kind of white tint. and looks speckled

any help would be good. paper/mugs???

thanks

[bms]

hi all i am new to all this sublimation printing etc.

but how ever i have just bought some gear to start mug printing and have a issue that i can not figure out.
i have a richo 3110bn printer with sawgrass inks. all new with use by date of oct 2013. all installed with powerdriver from sawgrass.
i have 11oz mugs
and sub paper i don't no what kind as it was free with mug press.

when i print. it looks dull which i have read that's how it should be.
i press it with mug press recommended settings 180c for 160 - 180 seconds
it looks washed out with a kind of white tint. and looks speckled

any help would be good. paper/mugs???

thanks

Welcome to the forum
Are you sure the mugs are sublimation mugs and are you sure your mug press is in degrees C (not F)?

[bigboots]

thanks for the fast response. i bought the mugs from signworldz from ebay as this is were my cutter was from. they say sublimation Durham bright white sublimation 11 oz.
the paper i put the smooth side down in printer they just look washed out with white dots.i will check my press now with my test meter.

ps my press was showing 180c on display at 180 seconds
my test meter shows 170c so i increased temp to 190 now it reads 180c on test meter. but seconds have got to 190 also ???

[John G]

Got to ask - why come on this forum and ask these questions when the first port of call should be signworldz, or whatever they have changed their name to.

[pisquee]

I guess that either your press is nowhere near tight enough, or you have the wrong side of the paper.

Also, just checking that you have only had the Sawgrass inks in the printer, and didn't install the original Ricoh ones first?

[John G]

Sorry if my post was a bit blunt - but i'm sure the company you bought from would be able to help you with this problem.
If I did have to guess, it would be either mugs or paper.

Cheers John

[bigboots]

Standard jordy talk used to that as born and bread in Newcastle . Anyway I would of gone to we're I got it from but got messed about from them I would rather stick pins in my eyes. The printer is new with only sawgrass inks never had original ink in it . Iv orders sawgrass paper should be here today I will post back after trying it. But still thanks for all the help and information after all that what forums are for .

[John G]

I'm using a ricoh and use xpres paper with very good results. If the paper and mugs came from sigworldz, it could be the problem.

[socialgiraffe]

Hi Bigboots

I can see that you have tested the temperature and it is at 180 degrees. So you can effectively rule out temperature as a problem (you may need to adjust this at a later date to find the perfect sweet spot but for now its fine).

There are a few things to check..

Check that you are printing on the correct side of the paper. The side to print on should be the whiter side of the paper, if using TRUPIX, which in my opinion is the best for mugs, then wet your finger and touch the paper, you need to print on the side that is slightly sticky.

Up your time to 240 seconds

Make sure the mug is tight in the press. Ideally when you close the press you should not be able to rotate the mug within the clamp. It does not need to be overly tight but enough to be tight. Another way to check is to look at the blanket when clamped closed. The blanket should curl slightly over the mug due to the pressure. I hope that makes sense!


The white dots in the print could be a number of things but most likely it is mug quality. There is a huge difference in the quality of mugs available and as a newbie it is worth you getting some from all the suppliers listed so you can see what ones are best suited to your specific machines and also your personal preference. If once you have sorted the colour issue and getting something far closer to what you are expecting and you still see white dots then purchase some mugs from somewhere else and see if they are better.

[John G]

Up your time to 240 seconds

For a Ricoh I'd say this was far to long if the press is running at the correct temp - your blacks will turn brown.