Mugs Scratching Off

[folly]

hiya could you help im printing at 200c 180sec but the mugs are scratching off not with my finger nail but with pin completely off can you help me please??

thankyou


PS

I am using sublimation INK/PAPER/MUGS and a heat press

[Justin]

We need to know what ink and paper you're using but possibly more importantly, where did you source the mugs?

Why are you scratching them with a pin??? Are you cooling them down before this act of vandalism?

[folly]

photo plus paper 100 sheets £8.99 /48 White Coated 11oz mugs (£39.99) / unbranded sublimation ink (33.99)


all ebay

lol i saw a white mark on one of my mugs so i thought i would test it fully..i scratched it and it completely rubbed off

thankyou

[Justin]

OK, not the best combination of products imo. Unbranded sublimation ink is something we can'd discuss on the forum due to Sawgrass patents (Quick search will give you loads of information on this)

I'm guessing your mugs are off eBay or similar? Not from a recognised supplier? is the paper specifically for sublimation or just photo paper? Some photo paper will work to a degree but nowhere near as well as a dedicated paper which can cost about the same.

My advice is go back to basics. It's more than likely the mugs and a poor coating but if you're serious about getting into Sublimation you really need to be looking at a supported printer and inks to get you on the right track.

[folly]

i have a Epson WF-3010DW

can i name the ebay name i brought them from?

i am changing inks and mugs this time around

silly question but have ever tried to scratch a mug? because i've just tried a mug i brought before doing them myself and the one does the same..?

can you recommend a ink/mug supplier?


thankyou

[Justin]

Take a look at our list of UK suppliers here.....http://www.dyesubforum.co.uk/vbforum/sh ... -Suppliers

Can't say I've ever taken a pin to a mug but I'm guessing that would damage most!

With regards to inks you really need to be looking at Sawgrass approved at this stage. You might be able to make your own way later on but for the time being you're giving yourself a huge headache. Take a look at the Ricoh 3110 if A4 is big enough for you. Several of our listed suppliers sell this printer and if you joing the DSF as a premium member some will give you a 10% discount as well

[folly]

I guess it would lol


but if anyone has or is willing to try that please let me know the results

thankyou for your advise Justin iv'e taken it onboard

Cheers

[pisquee]

to print on mugs with the sublimation process they are coated in a polymer plastic - this what you are printing into, not the ceramic itself. decent mugs have a coating that won't scratch off under normal use for a mug, and will withstand a dishwasher, but a pin isn't normal usage and would damage most things, so I'm not sure what it proves as a test.

[rossdv8]

I started with ebay mugs, and all I can say is even the cheap 'budget' Chinese mugs I got when I stopped using ebay and changed to a reputable supplier have been a godsend.
They heat faster and more evenly and I don;t lose half a carton or more because of blemishes and holes in the coating. Or so much sand and weeds baked into the coating that I feel guilty even giving them away.

Likewise, avoiding ebay sublimation tee shirts is a good idea. My only foray into ebay for sub shirts was when my local supplier stopped selling the white ones I use. The XL shirts I got off ebay had a neck size that could strangle a chicken.

Shirts from a reputable supplier were not as good quality as the shirts I had been buying, but at least I didn't have to cut the neck band out of them.

ebay is great for end user stuff, but not always consistent as a supplier for your manufacturing. And ebay sellers rarely do samples.

[pisquee]

Ebay is just a marketplace - there are reputable suppliers using it, being on there is not a indication of quality of product or the supplier themselves.