Is my design unprintable?!!

[melridd]

I'm designing some mugs etc. for our website and I've designed a mug that includes a grid like graph paper and I've measured everything to the last millimeter and trimmed it very carefully but it just doesn't seem to want to translate well to finished mugs and I'm wondering if the slight taper on the mugs (which will of course be variable from batch to batch) is meaning I'm trying to achieve the unachievable!

Apologies for the rubbish dark photos, I've took quick shots on my phone in my office which has poor evening light. I'm really pleased with the print finish and have worked round the colour matching by Spotting Colurs via the Power Driver. I'm looking for advice regarding the alignment.

vB_ID:3364

20150331_203320.jpg (77.09 KiB) Viewed 28 times

vB_ID:3364

20150331_203320.jpg (77.09 KiB) Viewed 28 times

The spacing between the top of the mug and where the grid starts isn't even with the bottom of the grid and the bottom of the mug and the spacing between the handles looks squint! Also, I'm going to have to ditch the last square of the grid because it's just within the limits of the "safe print area" and a tiny bit faded on the bottom left corner. That leaves a 1.5cm gap between handle and design on these tiny dinky durham mugs which I feel is a bit limiting.

My husband thinks I'm being super picky but I know my target market will expect a super finish and notice any tiny mis-alignment and I want to iron out the teething problems before we launch.

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with grid designs? I know I could ditch the grid and stick with just the "formula" but I think it adds to the design. If we can make the technology to print lovely glossy sublimation designs, hopefully we can design technology to print them straight too! Any tips most appreciated!

Many thanks, Melanie

[ArferMo]

Actually that grid is a good way to show the distortions in a mug.

If all the mugs are distorted the same you could use the distort feature in photoshop bit like the reverse of doing a late mug to correct the errors.

To be honest mugs vary so much from batch to batch that you are on a bit of a looser. Nice design though.

[Paul]

To be honest mugs vary so much from batch to batch that you are on a bit of a looser. Nice design though.

+1

btw
Just wait when you want to print perfect circle

[AlanD]

Agree with ArferMo, a grid will show any out of square issues and it is a nice design. You may have to reach a compromise on the design but from the photos I wouldn't have said they were that bad and reducing the size will make any problem less noticeable. Your customer may not be as picky as you think as they will look at the design as a whole

[mr-gobby]

Now that's a real mug shot
Nice design too.
I see your point but I don't think it detracts.
Mark

[melridd]

+1

btw
Just wait when you want to print perfect circle

On no, I had a Venn diagram design, using 3 interlinking circles in mind!

[ArferMo]

I know.... change the print to look like a sheet of paper that has been screwed up then straightened out again that way it will disguise any mug distortion, use the photoshop "screw-it-up" plug in it's a freeby.