Producing Mugs choice between Sublimation or Digital colour laser

[AlanD]

And some say that they are dishwasher safe, when they are not!

Exactly my point, at least the likes of Listawood and BMS put their money where their mouth is and state a number of wash cycles, as a user you can only assume that the higher the number the more durable you would expect the product to be. It is a pitty other suppliers do not do the same. If they have proper test results - publish them and I would have thought ORCA coating would have something apart from a bland 'dishwasher safe'

[logobear]

orca is 500 dishwash cycles isn't it?

[James990]

The company I bought a load of just before Christmass were adamant that they were dishwasher safe and said I must be doing something I shouldn't be doing with them when I complained. They would not even consider looking at one, when I offered to send it back at my own expense. Mind you I was able to get my money back, because I paid via PayPal!

[AlanD]

orca is 500 dishwash cycles isn't it?

Don't know, never been able to see anything in writing, compare that with Listawood specification for Duraglaze, widely advertised as dishwasher safe for 2000 washes, it would infer that the Duraglaze mug is potentially 4 times more durable than an Orca coated mug and if the price is about the same - why buy Orca?
I know there are other criteria for buying choice but its handy to have a benchmark so you can compare like for like and choose your product for your market.

[Hillman]

Thanks for the advice, Ive taken delivery of a sub set up from Listawood taking advantage of the discount for forum members. I haven't produced anything yet! still playing with images in Gimp and Coredraw.
I've searched on here and read some interesting threads about the robustness of mugs that are dish washed and also their squareness for printing, all very interesting.

[AlanD]

If you have the Corel suite you will have PhotoPaint and that is probably easier to use tham Gimp and also inter-acts with CorelDraw better.
You are where I was this time last year with sublimation, bit of a learning curve but very satisfying when it comes good.

[Andrew]

Orca were tested by a member on here a couple of years back and were basically as good as Duraglaze. I also know that back when this was carried out that Duraglaze is actually the RN coating. I believe Coralgraph mugs were right up there and even held up better although I did get the impression this was more luck than judgement. Rhino was a bizarre scenario when I checked into them as it was tested for 1 wash only. It didn't fade so passed their test.

Many mug coatings will last a long time on eco wash. The hotter washes is where the trouble can start and this can even mean the likes of RN and Orca.

[pisquee]

We've used Rhino coated mugs for years now, and still have some in use in our own kitchen (along with many given to friends and family as presents) and ours are still looking as good as when first printed, and we've certainly not had any negative comments from friends, family or customers on the prints fading or peeling off.
I did post on here once, after I found that there is a recognised test procedure for what is "dishwasher safe" with an IEC number, if you do a search I'm sure I copy/pasted what the testing was - how many washes etc. I obviously don't know if all the mug companies/sellers are adhering to this system when declaring their produce to be "dishwasher safe though"

[AlanD]

If there is a recognised IEC test precedure wouldn't it be good if suppliers just put on their advertising ' these mugs have been tested to the recognised ICE XYZ procedure and are dishwasher proof to ****** diswasher cycles' Same benchmark and everybody knows where they stand. At the moment it seems they have their own testing (bar a couple) whatever that may be. 1 wash or boiling for half an hour is not a test, it is fudge and worthless against a recognised test.
I would like to hear some supplier comments and let us know what their test procedure is, I suspect it may not be very scientific - I am expecting a long silence.

[Andrew]

We've used Rhino coated mugs for years now, and still have some in use in our own kitchen (along with many given to friends and family as presents) and ours are still looking as good as when first printed, and we've certainly not had any negative comments from friends, family or customers on the prints fading or peeling off.
I did post on here once, after I found that there is a recognised test procedure for what is "dishwasher safe" with an IEC number, if you do a search I'm sure I copy/pasted what the testing was - how many washes etc. I obviously don't know if all the mug companies/sellers are adhering to this system when declaring their produce to be "dishwasher safe though"

Rhino is okay as a coating and never really had a problem with it. I know Raja use it out in Thailand and they are a very good factory. Just when I requested info on the coating the test consisted of 1 single wash. Print stayed on with no change so classed as dishwasher safer.

I know Listawood make the 2000 claim for their printed customers not the blanks side as they upped the level after Keramikos claimed the same level. It is hard to know what the truth is as so many claims are made and you know someone has to be making it up. The satin sub mug for instance, Listawood claim they have the patent whilst Xpres and others sell the same thing. Same with the Heat Reveal mug where a manufacturer claims they have a patent but everyone else supplies them. There is certainly too much rubbish claimed as it is not really a governed industry. You are basically free to claim what you want with little comeback. Independent printers are safer carrying out their own research........... or ask on forums where the bias doesn't hold up.