Sublimation on Mugs/ Transforming Mugs with Stunning Designs

From personalized gifts and company branding to promotional items, people are choosing sublimation printing to sublimate and present different items around the globe. Especially in the West, Sublimation on the mugs is the most popular and common method.
In this article, I will walk you through the process of sublimation on mugs, the necessary equipment, and the steps involved in creating vibrant and long-lasting designs.

Sublimation on Mugs (Introduction)

What is sublimation printing on mugs? Sublimation on mugs specifies a sublimation printing method in which we create a design and then transfer it to the mug using heat and sublimation inks. The method produces high-resolution pictures permanently put into the mug’s ceramic. We can use different sublimation techniques to create super vibrant prints on the mug.

What is Sublimation Printing?

In the sublimation printing process, sublimation ink changes from a solid to a gas state without passing through a liquid state. When heat and pressure are applied to the object, the ink goes into the particles of the object, and this process enables the ink to become a part of the surface rather than sitting on top of it.

How sublimation printing works

Before going further, Let me explain how to do sublimation printing. In this process, we need a sublimation printer to transfer your selected design to a sublimation paper. This design is printed onto the mug by applying heat and pressure with a heat press machine. If you don’t have a sublimation printer, you can use sublimation wraps to design your mug, but in this way, you cannot print your customized favorite pictures on the mugs.

Sublimation Inks

Sublimation inks are special inks specifically designed for sublimation printing to sublimate only on polymer coating surfaces, as you can not use these inks with any ordinary blank. So for mug sublimation, you must have a sublimation-friendly mug but not an ordinary one. Aqueous sublimation inks and Solvent sublimation inks are two types of inks that are used in large-format printers. The versatility of these inks allows them to work for different printing purposes, even in textile printing.

Types of Mugs

Most people commonly consider ceramic mugs to sublimate their favourite designs on these types because ceramic resists high temperatures other than any type. However, Stainless steel and glass having polymer coating are also suitable for sublimation printing. Always consider the shape and size of the mugs, as different types require different mug press attachments.

Sizes of Mugs

• To do sublimation printing on mugs, the design measurement could differ according to different mug sizes. An A4 size sublimation paper has enough space to create three images on it easily. The regular mug size is usually 10 oz, measuring 20 x 8 cm; for an 11 oz mug, the measurement is 20 x 9.5 cm.

Mug Sublimation Methods

Some methods can be used to sublimate the mugs.

• Mug sublimation with Cricut mug press.
• Mug sublimation in an oven
• Using a heat press machine with different sizes of attachments.

Material to sublimate a mug

1. A Polymer coated Mug
2. Designing software
3. Sublimation Printer
4. Sublimation paper
5. Sublimation ink
6. A heat press machine for mug
7. Heat resistant Gloves
8. Heat resistant tape
9. A scissors

How to sublimate a mug?

Mug Preparation:

First, clean the mug with warm water, remove any dirt or oil, and let it dry for complete ink absorption, resulting in a great picture on the mug. Avoid any offensive material to clean the mug.

Design creation:

Create your favourite design with any designing software tool. My favourite designing software is Adobe Illustrator, so I used the same to design the image to get nearly exact image results. Make sure the design is mirror-flipped before printing in a sublimation printer for the exact image placement.

Print the design:

I used a Sawgrass sg-500 Sublimation printer to print the design on sublimation paper. A-SUB Sublimation paper is my favourite paper to take prints for my projects, so I used the same to sublimate the mug. Adjust the printer settings according to the sublimation transfer paper for the best results. This printer prints vibrant and sharp colour Hd quality prints to not only sublimate a mug, but also it’s a great printer for t-shirt sublimation.

Wrap sublimation paper design: 

Before wrapping the sublimation paper around the mug, cut the sublimation paper to the size of the blank so the area of the design sits well over it. Now wrap the sublimation paper design around the mug and fix it well with heat-resistant tape so that the paper wrapped around the mug does not move from its place.

Time and temperature for mug sublimation

Place the mug into the pre-heated heat press machine, and the time and temperature for mug sublimation should be 385 to 400 degrees for 180 seconds. This is an ideal time and temperature to do the job excellently. A heat press machine is specifically designed for mug sublimation, and these machines have attachments that securely hold the mug in place and distribute heat and pressure evenly.

Some Important Tips

After sublimating your mug:

1. Let it cool, and unwrap the mug. If you see excess ink or small imperfections on the mug’s surface, use a piece of a soft cloth and very carefully remove it.
2. Always keep in mind special care instructions whenever you wash the mug.
3. Please do not put the mug in the microwave heat often, and do not soak it in the water for a long time; avoid harsh material when washing because doing so may cause the sublimation coating and ink to come off.

FAQS

How long does sublimation last on mugs?

Anything takes time to get off. Sublimation on mugs can last many years, but fading over time is normal. Daily Dishwashing with mild liquid or Putting the mug in the microwave occasionally will not affect the sublimation coating.

FAQS