Polymer Mugs Printing Advice

[liannef]

Hi
I have an Adkins studio mug press and haven't got around to using it yet and have bought some polymer mugs which I would like to have a go at printing on and don't want to mess them up as I only have 6. I have the puck and have bought them from BMS.

On the bms website it says 190 for 90 secs but everyone seems to suggest 180 for 180 secs, anyone care to share their time and temps for polymer mugs? I have a Ricoh and am using Sawgrass inks and TMT paper.

Do I need to heat up the mug and puck first or just put it in when it's reached the temperature? If I have to heat up first then do I do this with or without the transfer paper on?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Lianne

[JMugs]

I do not preheat the mug or the puck for polymer mugs.
Temp and time are dependent on your press / printer / ink / paper/ humidity etc so trial and error.

Janners.

[Justin]

Not got around to trying these so would be good to see your results posted

[liannef]

Hi Janners
Can I ask what size template you use for your polymer mugs please? I got mine from BMS and they are 9cm high and about 22 or 23cm all the way round with about 5mm gap either side of the handle. If my template is too big then is there a nice neat line up to where the transfer takes or does it go all blurry and wrong? is this another trilal and error of how big you can go without it going wrong?
Thanks
Lianne

[JMugs]

I would have thought the limit on the print area is related to the press. The whole of the mug is printable as there is no coating, it is the polymer that the mug is made from which takes the image.
Never really thought about it, I just use my standard template for mugs, which is one I made up myself to suit my images. Probably not the most helpful response but it is really all I can say.

Janners

[rossdv8]

Wear nice thick gloves when you handle the aluminium puck thingy. Rips the skin off fingertips really quickly...

One of the nicest things about Poly mugs is that the paper is really easy to place. Because the mugs are all straight sided. I just stand the things on end and the paper sits perfectly in position waiting to be taped.

[liannef]

I had a go yesterday and 190 for 90 secs seems to work fine, did notice some marks in places which I thought were the mug but think I will try reducing the pressure next time as these could be marks from the wrap.

Yes glad I bought some heat resistant gloves off ebay! and need to reduce my full print template down a little for perfect printing down the sides and had to use more tape the second time as I noticed that it started to come undone when in the press.

Going to have a go at ceramic mugs next as they are pretty much the same size so can use the same templates.

[JMugs]

I forgot the heat tape bit, yep it comes unstuck!

[liannef]

Anyone use the Longforte Polymer mugs as they say they are dishwasher safe but the ones I got from BMS aren't?

[rossdv8]

I'm rather curious about the dishwasher safe and polymer mugs thing. I should have thought polymer mugs were about as safe in a dish washer as polyester shirts are in a hot washing machine and a clothes dryer. I demonstrate my polymer mugs to people like building site workers (lunch mugs) using a ball pein hammer. And cleaning them with a steel wool scouring pad. Then I take a pocket knife and carve off a little of the image area to show what happens with real abuse.

I'm not saying polymer mugs are 100% dishwasher safe, I'm just wondering how they might not be?