Faded 3cm to handle

[windsweptgirlie]

Hi all, just wondered if I could have your expert advice.

I can not get my heat press to print without fading at least 3cm/4cm from the handle. Top and bottom is really good but no matter what temp/time/pressure I try I can not get anywhere near the handle,
I am using a Ricoh 3110DN with sawgrass ink, mugs from Coral graph and a Galaxy mug press pro.

I had hoped spending a little more than a cheap ebay press would give me better results!?
I'm not after printing right to the handle but would like to get closer than 4cm.

My best results have been temp 180c pressing time 180s using oven warmed mugs (40c-50c), overall the image is good except at the side/handle edges (top and bottom edges are fine).

I am also finding that the top bar closest to the display rotates in, I don't think that's right?

Starting to tear my hair out!

[webtrekker]

That top bar, as you say, doesn't look right at all. It looks like bad design to me. My cheapo press is much more solid than that.

I pre-warm my mugs to 110 deg C with the print already attached, but do so in a second mug press under pressure. Not sure what would happen using that method in an oven.

[willd]

We generally print to within about 18mm of the handle without problems, I think that you're about thereabouts too, I don't think that you'll get much closer with a mug press, but I'm sure that someone will be along soon with other ideas!

It looks as though the top bar is designed to turn to even out the applied pressure around the mug - it looks as though you got very high pressure set in that photo...

Using wraps in an oven of some kind is probably the way to achieve what you wish to.

[webtrekker]

If you are in control of the design process yourself, then simply don't design into areas you know you'll have difficulty making consistently good prints in. That's what I do.

If your designs are produced elsewhere, or you simply must print into these areas then yes, it's probably better to start experimenting with silicone wraps and ovens, as suggested.

[windsweptgirlie]

Thanks for your responses, I would be really happy with 18mm but the fades starts at 3.5 cm and can be as far as 4cm. I'm not after edge to edge but starting 4cm in would mean the design would start nearly at the middle of the mug! With less pressure than in the photo the print is even worse. I just don't think the edge of the press is getting hot enough?

[willd]

Thanks for your responses, I would be really happy with 18mm but the fades starts at 3.5 cm and can be as far as 4cm. I'm not after edge to edge but starting 4cm in would mean the design would start nearly at the middle of the mug! With less pressure than in the photo the print is even worse. I just don't think the edge of the press is getting hot enough?

I'd say it's either temperature or pressure, and since it looks in your photo's as though you're wringing its neck, I don't think it's pressure related. As has been noted before, it's likely that it's a combination of the handle area drawing heat away from that part of the mug, and the temperature at the ends of the blanket falling away.

As Webtrecker mentioned, pre-heating the mugs will likely help, though it's a bit of a pain...

Edited to add:-

I just noticed that you said that you pre-heat to 40-50 °C and still have issues - I missed that before.

We don't pre-heat at all, and don't have issues - we have an adkins press that we use when we have a rush job on, otherwise we use a generic chinese press, which looks much like one that BMS sell, though we bought it years ago in a job lot.

So it looks to be your press.

[windsweptgirlie]

"and since it looks in your photo's as though you're wringing its neck" haha, well at least I know I am applying enough (too much) pressure! I am preheating but only to a temperature that I can still hold them to apply the paper to them so only 50c ish.

[willd]

"and since it looks in your photo's as though you're wringing its neck" haha, well at least I know I am applying enough (too much) pressure! I am preheating but only to a temperature that I can still hold them to apply the paper to them so only 50c ish.

Webtrekker heats them to 110° C, with the paper already attached, as that's still safely below the temperature at which sublimation starts. Worth a try, though not so easy without two presses set up, and almost impossible in a production environment (without two presses, that is!).

[Reg]

Your press looks as though its touching the handle on one side so all the pressure is on the other side try slacking of a bit and use a silicon sheet to even the pressure out,if you use a silicon sheet you'll need to up the time and temp.

[webtrekker]

Is that a 10oz or an 11oz mug in the press? Just thinking that maybe it's the wrong-sized blanket.