Hello lads
Maybe this can be "all-we-can" thread :) As many, we went through the painful process. From faded, burn-out, ghosted, inconsistent mugs, one-side well printed, another faded, top well printed - bottom faded...
We've tried it all. So, after all, we upgraded the heat press, then we smash down SG2100 and upgraded it with 3110 and Sublisplash colors, we tried this and that...
After all, this what we know now and don't try to smart-out the system :D is :
1. If you have a shi**y mug with shi**y coating you can only draw smilies with permanent marker on it I don't want to say what we tried all because I don't wanna be sued, but some of the big boys are selling really big poo (no they're not based in the UK).
2. Maybe some have luck with some bulk market colors, for us big nooo. Sublisplash is the king (for sure, we didn't try them all, and I don't work for Subli, and I bet that Sawgrass and some other bigger names are also good :) )
3. Paper. OOOh, how paper can kill your print, colors etc. Important is that paper is thicker so can quickly absorb the color. TexPrint-R is really great, cool natural colors. TruePix can make red tones more pink with Sublisplash colors.
4. Heat Press and times. There is one thing, you have to test it. For us there is a simple recipe: put a mug in a press, wait till temperature reach 180C, then burn it for 180 seconds. Mugs used 11oz Orca or Duraglaze. For enamel mugs, time down to 150. I made a few from top to bottom designs/prints, they are without the slightest error.
5. Don't try to save, especially from the start, because your blackhole is gonna hurt Many lads here know their work and if I had read it before, I wouldn't burn few hundreds of euros :D
Now, because I'm from Southern Europe I'm looking where I can get the easiest Orca or Duraglaze blanks (11oz, 12oz, enamel, cola bottle, 12 Latte, and metal mugs). So if any of you guys know some lads from Germany, Austria I will be very happy and thankful. I know for 2 big boys from China (not BestSub), one of them is the main producer for Printful and other POD giants, but for now I'm to small for their quantities, till next year :)
All the best to all and good business,
Robert