DSF

Hi All, I'm completing new to Sublimation. I spent 23 years as a Typesetter in the printing industry, so know a thing or two about Litho and typesetting and I'm after a few tips.

I've got a mug press, a Ricoh printer using the cheap and brilliant Chinese ink. I'm doing my artwork in Photoshop and my first couple of prints have come out well. I'm only printing one side of the mug so am getting 6 out of an A4 sheet. My most time consuming and fiddly part has been trying to get the transfer paper stuck onto the mug in the right position and straight. I'm using an image area of 75mm square. My first mug was a bit crooked, second one much better but it took me trial and error and I think it was a bit of a fluke that it cam out OK.

I'm after some tips here, how do you get the artwork straight and in the correct position on the mug? I'm using the sublimation tape obviously.

Hope you can help.

Thanks in advance

Paul

if you are cutting it straight then lining it up should be easy although fiddly as you are using such small bits of paper, personally i would print 3 per sheet with the image where i wanted it on the mug and then wrap it around the mug and tape, that way it would be lined up, the time involved vs cost of the paper would work out ok, i would imagine you are using cheaper paper anyway ??

First of all print your design on normal paper if it covers the parts of the mug you want. I use photo shop so if you do't you can use the same principle in your programme. Then I use the paint bucket to fill it in ( the mug template) I get three mugs on a A4, layer it then put the template on a A4 sheet. as the template filled in it will be easy to space them. I get another layer and over the temple as it is filled with one colour I then use the pencil in red and draw straight lines to show the top and bottom of the template do that to all three with a small gap between them.. I then remove the mug template and you will have guide lines (the one in red ) to show you where to place the three mugs on the A4 template and then save and name, when you use this cut near the red line . Next free transform the colour in the mug template it will show where the middles is and use the measuring lines to mark it. This way you'll know where the centre of the design should go. Using the measuring lines put how how high and how far you can go to the handle as you would have printed on a normal printer the mug template how high and far will go. This way you'll know the boundaries of where to print. Save the mug template when you are happy. I used very thin paper when working out how much room I had so I could see the design on the paper and where it went on the mug, I've probable not put it as clear as I should but if I haven't please ask I won't be offended.

like i said jenny i think the trouble is they are getting 6 single images to a sheet, so have no paper left to use around the mug as a guide

Thanks Guys, Jenny, I was a bit confused, but my Photoshop skills are good as I spent decades in the print industry, so am well used to using it. I am currently only printing in one side, mug handle to the right and am using a commercially bought printed mug as a guide for positioning. My image starts to the left of the handle, 25mm. So for simplicity, if I measure from handle to handle and top to bottom, make a template box to that size, then position within that. When printed I cut out to the exact template size, then it should in theory be straight and in the correct position.

You can buy pre-cut mug paper i fiund this very easy to use and saves so much time. We got some free sample at a show but still have to buy the packs of 500 but will be doing as soon as i run out of A4.

I've tried a template I made up myself which wraps completely from handle to handle. It has fine lines top and bottom to which I cut to get a straight edge. So far my tests have been quite successful. One of them had a very slight black line at the top which ended up on the lip of the mug, which was annoying, but although still a bit fiddly, I'm getting the hang of it. I do like the idea of pre-cut paper though. Although presumably it would be just as easy to cut down my own? I saw some pre-cut paper on Ebay, but it seemed quite expensive. Print Imp, can you point me to the paper you use?