DSF

Been asked to do some ceramic/camping mugs. Xpres have XP5027 which look the part and I wondered had anyone tried doing them with the usual 11oz green silicone wraps (+ in an oven) and been a winner or a failure! Also are there any other known suppliers of them you can recommend. Also been asked to do eye masks of all things - the sort you wear at night, cheapo suppliers of them we'd apply low temp vinyl decoration to them.

Thanks
Mark

When this question last came up I suggested to UK Printed Mugs to use shrinkwrap film. They had great success with that method in an oven.

With regards to eye masks, my blank supplier charges around the 40-50p for them (plus VAT & Shipping). Don;t know if that is good or bad as I have never actually purchased them

Hi thanks for the fast reply there G, so wont shrink wrap melt? Does that mean the green wrap dont work? Be interested in the eye masks supplier if you wouldnt mind inboxing me? This particular customer always asks us for things we dont do a lot of!

No, the shrink wrap is a thermo one, I get mine from Best Sub Poland, however Dye Sublimation Supplies sell it as well and are probably cheaper if you include shipping costs.

I will DM you.

Do enamel mugs in mug press if you have one but if going oven route then indeed you need shrink-wrap as green wraps won't fit and won't be tight enough. The eye masks are rubbish based on previous experience. VERY difficult to not get folds in fabric and thus you end up with lots of white lines. They are also very thin and feel cheap.

I had some sample eye masks from the Transfer Press a couple of years ago and still have them. I've never even bothered printing any because, as Ollie says, they look crap and very wrinkled around the stitched edges. Of course, since you say you are going to be using vinyl and not sublimation, then maybe you can buy better quality masks that aren't polyester.

Tricky as it's a cheap solution (as always) that the customer is looking for the eye masks not a long term more a gimmicky thing but nobody likes crappy looking results, vinyl you can press quick and low temp compared to subli so might be okay, done other random things with a degree of sucess. For the mugs no we dont have a press, not sure which one to buy if we did get one though it might make the occasionals like this easier to manage. Just have so much kit and it all takes up space in the workshop! Shrink wrap hows it applied then, I'll have to get some and bet its only sold in the 100's of metres!

Just like anything else, if your measurement guidelines are set up then the creases should not be an issue.

It is also very important to use the right press for the right job. For example, I have a tiny heat press with various platens exactly for this sort of job. I would not dream of trying to do this sort of product in a more conventional heat press as it will not work as well.

I get what you mean about kit though... There is one of me (with the occasional worker for the hi vis), I have 5 standard heat presses and 7 machines for mugs (including ovens) and then a couple of 3D machines.... but one pair of hands

Thermoshrink is sold per item and is very cheap. The postage will hurt you more than the physical item

You need a cheap hot air heat gun (from B&Q etc) to apply the film.

There is a knack to it, but three or four attempts are you are good to go.

bestsub do bag that shrinks just chatting to them onilne but they want me to buy an oven first! Seen some now on the dyesubsupplies too, Yes we are squashed for space and I keep adding kit so I can hardly move but extending over next few months which will be chaos but hoping to squeee out more space then from our arrangements.