Mug printing issues - staining tape help?!

Hi all,

I'm new here and first time ever posting on a forum so apologies if I get anything wrong! Long post but bear with me!

I really need help. I decided to launch my own business selling prints etc and mugs.

Whenever I press a mug the tape I use is burning a stain onto the mug surface. It is a thin brown line where the tape has been sat. It is DEFINITELY the tape burning, not the paper edge.

I have tried pressing at all different temperatures (with the advice of my suppliers, different sublimation companies etc.) with no avail. If i lower the temperature too far the image obviously doesn't sublimate though it does fix the staining issue.
I have since tried *3* different mug presses, 4 different tapes (2 blue with a red tab, one blue with a blue tab, and one amber tape that supposedly could handle up to 300 degrees C).

Now to clarify, my paper DOES NOT burn and the image sublimates beautifully.

For info, though:

I'm using a Sawgrass SG500 printer with Truepix paper.
My mugs are Orca mugs bought from MDP supplies.
My current mug press is a Z Zelus multipress but previous I've used were Freesub Dual press and SeeprintX. All resulted in the same issue.

My thought was that maybe it was the mugs but my supplier advised me to try it on a random sublimated mug I had in my house so I used an old Mr Men mug and put the tape on it and put it in the press and the same result.

I can only assume its the tape but how?? Ive used 4 different ones from 4 different companies and one of them was recommended to me by a friend who sublimates hundreds of mugs a week!

Please, if anyone can offer me some advice I'd be so grateful, I've gone through so many mugs and paper trying to resolve this and feel so disheartened.

Nicole

Can you post a picture of the brown mark?

I have had the same in the past but it was the cheap Chinese tape bought on eBay (never again)

I have the tape from mdp (blue 66m) no issues except it doesn't fit my tape dispenser.
Gold tape from inkexperts no issuesI did also buy 20 rolls from somewhere else but can remember for the life of me where and these were fine too.

The eBay stuff left a residue behind which does come off if you apply a little wd40 when he mug is cold and then wash thoroughly clean.

If your mugs don't clean off it may be something else?

What temperature are you pressing at?

Have you tried just placing some tape on a blank mug with no wrap and pressing it? If there are no marks then it could be caused by the print 'gassing out'.