New to mug sublimation - advice needed

[Allan]

Hello,

I am new to sublimation and after pressing several test mugs I need some advice. I haven't been able to get consistent results out of the mug press and don't know whether to blame it because it was just a cheap model from ebay.

My set up is:

Ricox GX7000
mug press from ebay

It took me a while to get the colour right in Photoshop but after several mugs I finally was happy with the colours of the images on the mug. So no problem with colour profiles or printer at the moment.

I was having problems with the images fading on the edges a bit but I understand that, sometimes it's due to not placing the mug quite right, I also figured out that the mug press places more pressure on the left side of the mug so I place it slightly more towards the right side of the handle to counteract it.

Main problem is the intensity of the image (I don't know how to describe it best). I started with 140s at 170 C. Some images had lighter stripes in them, especially in the darker areas, where you can see that not all the ink from the print has gone onto the mug. I thought it was due to not leaving the mug in long enough for all the ink to sublimate onto the mug, so I increased the time, first to 150s, then 180s and finaly to 190s. 2 mugs at 190s came out quite nice and I was reasonably happy with them, but thought another 20s might help. So the next day I pressed a mug with the same image for 210s but it came out really fuzzy, as if there were white dots where the colour should have been solid and not very sharp. So I reverted back to 190s where I thought the mugs came out nicely, but when I pressed the mug at 190s it had the lighter stripes in again, the same as another mug which I pressed only for 150s. Also only one part of the mug was affected (the centre part opposite the handle), the rest of the mug was fine. On other mugs the stripes could appear in different places. I am really confused now, and can't figure out what to do next.

I dip the mugs into hot water after pressing, it does seem to make the images sharper.

When I first brought the mug press it was really tight, I couldn't even close it with a mug inside it. I loosened it a bit, but still was having problems closing it with a mug in, so I loosened it a bit more. Now I would like to experiment with adding a bit more pressure but I can't tighten the press for some reason.

Can anybody please advise what could be the problem? Is the problem with the lighter stripes in the dark areas of the image common? Any help is appreciated because I need to be able to produce consistent results. I know it is easy to blame the press but at the moment it feels like I'm doing everything right and just can't get the results out of the press.

Thanks in advance, Allan

[cardman]

hi m8 have u got a pic available of a mug that is faded so can see the results ?

I leave mine in for 180s full pressure and i still sometimes get faded around the edges

[accdave]

Standard questions first, which mug press, mugs, paper and ink ?

[John G]

Start at 180 / 180 and work downwards, especially for a Ricoh printer as the blacks don't like to be overcooked.

Are you using the powerdriver - you shouldn't have to adjust anything in photoshop - the colours should be spot on.
What mugs and paper are you using?
What press?
Photo's may help.

I keep away from top bottom and handle.

Cheers John

[Allan]

Thank you for your reply, much appreciated.

Paper is Signal Transfer Paper for Dye Sublimation Printing 120g
Mug press is http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120836712912
Ink is from BMS

I've attached photos:

1) 210s at 170 C - white bits appearing in solid colour not very sharp image

2) 190s at 170 C but also on mugs at 150s and shorter - faded lines across parts of image

Thank you in advance for any input, would love to get my pressing right.

[John G]

Doesn't look good at all - are you using powerdriver and printing on right side of paper.
I've never used signal paper so don't know if its any good - where are mug from.

[Allan]

Thank you very much for your reply.

Mugs are from BMS too - European Mug.
I don't use powerdriver at the moment, I colour correct in Photoshop.

I don't think it is to do with the printer at this stage because I was able to produce two mugs that I was reasonably happy with colour-wise and sharpness-wise. (I'm not sure what standard they should be at as I haven't really seen a sublimated mug pressed in another press. The ones I ordered from Jessops in the past didn't look that good to be honest). What worries me is that I wasn't able to reproduce that result on another lot of mugs the next day under the same settings.

The pictures are a bit blurred as a photograph because they are close ups of a particular part of the mug, they don't stretch over the full mug.

What concerns me are the faded lines across the second picture, most visible in the boy's hair, because that was on most of the mugs I pressed, sometimes more visible like here, sometimes almost invisible but still there because I can see it on what's left of the template.

Also, what happens to the images when you leave them in too long - is there any general rule what happens?

Thank you for your help.

[John G]

I can't see the reason why you don't want to use powerdriver - its free, and this is what makes the printer use the right mix, or profile, for the ink.

Setting up in PS - every photo would be different and therefore your results wouldn't be the same.

If you leave sublijet-R gel inks cooking too long, the blacks go off or browny - no need to go over 180 seconds/180 temp - BMS recommend a lot less.

[Ian M]

Allan,

I use Signal Inkjet Dye Sub Paper & always get great results with it. So, I think we can rule out the paper.

Your mug does need to be fairly tight in the press to get good results. You do really need to be using the Power Driver on your printer as this will do all the work for you as far as colours etc.

As for times & temps you should be using might be a good idea just to call BMS for their advice regarding these & your problem.

[Paul]

welcome on forum ;)