Getting Perfect Mugs Everytime - tips?

[liannef]

Hi
I've been playing around with my adkins mug press and time and temps seem to be fine for ceramic and polymer mugs so have been tweaking the template size so as to get it as close to the handle as possible and haven't really had problems with the base of the mug but I have noticed some odd parts around the bottom which looks like its come away from the mug as the ink isn't as solid and the paper looks a little brown but the rest of the bottom is fine. Does anyone tape round the whole bottom of the mug as well as down the sides by the handle to keep it in place?

I've also noticed the odd few black dots appearing on the mugs but there is no extra ink on the paper when printed so not sure where these are coming from. After pressing you can see these dots in the paper but they weren't there before pressing? I don't put any teflon or anything over the top of the paper just tape it in place and press.

My template size is 21cm by 8cm with a 5mm not printed gap all the way round so the cut paper size is 22cm by 9cm and seems to fit nice and tight. I think I have the pressure right, not too loose and not too tight?

Hopefully this will make sense to someone?

Thanks
Lianne

[Justin]

Fairly low pressure should be fine if its an Adkins Studio press? 22cm is prob. a little ambitious, 20cm max I'd have thought. Paper browning indicates you're overcooking a little, what time and temp? No need to tape all over, just enough to hold in place

[liannef]

Hi Justin, Thanks for replying, yes it's a studio mug press. Got the sizes wrong! It's 21 by 8cm printed and 22 x 9cm with the 5mm gap all the way round. The paper browning was only in the bits that went wrong so looked like bubbles or air got in. All the rest of the ink was fully gone off the paper. Ceramics I've been doing 180 for 180 and polymer 190 for 90. Both from BMS, the RN coated European mugs and am using a Ricoh with TMT paper. Any ideas what the black dots could be from? is it ink if on the mugs and goes through the paper? I didn't get the wrong bits when taping all around the bottom though?

[Justin]

Uhm, not sure what the black dots would be. Maybe drop the time and temp down a little to avoid browning. Ricoh inks don't need quite such a high temp. to print.