DSF

How long should i let my printed designs sit before i handle them to heat press them? Using Sawgrass Ricoh ink and the paper that came bundled with my mug press. One side appears a bit shinier and slightly sticky-ish..i assume this is the side i print on?

Yes, you need to be printing on the sticky side. It depends on the paper, and the amount of ink your printer is laying down as to how long (if at all) you need to leave the paper to dry before usage. You will soon find out if the ink isn't dry yet- so a little trial and error will help you work it out.
My only warning would be that paper that is bundled with kit/packages doesn't have the best reputation for quality, and it may not work well with the Sawgrass ICCs to give you the optimum colours.

Thanks for that. Ordering some paper tomorrow, not really sure where to get it from or what to get yet. The joys of a new toy.

I use xpres paper through a ricoh printer and mine are dry and ready to use - as they come out of the printer, no drying time needed.

xpres were my first stop as i already use them for my garment vinyl, just couldn't decide between there own paper and the trupix that they sell. I'm guessing there are also cheaper suppliers of the same quality of paper out there somewhere.

We use InkTec's paper (and inks) and do have to leave it to dry somewhat, which could be down to me having things set to lay down lots of ink for getting a good print over into fabrics. We have used Coldenhove's papers which were usable instantly with this amount of ink, but as the InkTec paper was so much cheaper we switched over.

My settings could also be causing extended drying times.. i am using quality priority on the Ricoh, might try it on speed priority.

Trupix and Xpres samples have arrived and been tried. Trupix looked a bit better. Both were dry pretty much instantly from the printer.

I live in the tropics and had a problem with paper sticking to the mugs when I took them out of the press on some days. I discovered a hair dryer is a really handy thing to have lying around near the printer. Now I use it for a few seconds even on non humid days.