Mug Printing Using Normal Ink and Inkjet Printer

[swimwivsquid]

There's an Asda (Wal-Mart) standing on the site where the Timex factory used to be in Dundee! I guess people stopped going back to be shafted!

...

No I seem to remember that Timex got brassed off with constant striking and said enough is enough and pulled out.....

[Matt Quinn]

No I seem to remember that Timex got brassed off with constant striking and said enough is enough and pulled out.....

Well whatever... That was certainly one element; the reality is there were shennanigans on both sides. And I'm not even sure they were making wristwatches any more when it finally all keeled over; it was all such a mess. But that's not the point. (And we're really not particularly here to 'do' politics)

- That point is basically that you can only fool some of the people all of the time. If your product is basically crap then folks will only tolerate so much before moving on. And once moved on they rarely come back.

They were doing 'photomugs' and plates back in the 80's - Some of the labs offered the service, and the end-product was pretty poor; often not able to stand handling let alone use. That was a 'varnished' transfer.

As a process dyesub has major advantages for short-medium runs on a number of substrates. And the set-up costs need not be particularly onerous. Other methods do exist - but in the cost-band are nowhere near as effective or efficient; certainly not for practical items.

- Panels for one-off and short run electronics for instance. I recently 'subbed' a small batch for some vehicle power supplies we're deploying across my company. The previous batch had been done with waterslide and two-pack and we just used them up...

We have both more or less side by side- After a few weeks use the waterslide ones are beginning to chip (as they do!)... The dyesub ones are 100% The poly coating on the aluminium we're using is basically powder coat AFAIK like you'd find on a vehicle chassis or something; very tough, and with the text actually now a part of the coating.

Mugs? Well it seems some of the coatings are able to stand YEARS of dishwashing. And in general you'll break the mug before you chip the image - so it's a way of producing really usable ( as opposed to purely decorative) personalised items..

But like any credible industrial process it requires a little investment.

[socialgiraffe]

A point very well made Mr Quinn

[GoldRapt]

Matt,
did you or your partner identify any suppliers of these firable glazes please?

My partner used to teach ceramics - she's the one who first caused us to look at Dye Sub...

AFAIK most professional/credible 'waterslide' processes for ceramics use vitrifyable colourants... Glazes in effect. These require firing.

Basically the transfer is a carrier for coloured glazes that are then fired onto the item; this is basically a very old process; and if you have older souvenir ceramics around the house you may well have obvious examples of the process used on the surface of certain articles... Typically glass

Ideally it's done under a full clear glaze which makes it more resiliant... Just like hand-painted china.