DSF

What are the options for printing a backstamp on the underside of the mug, can this only be done in an oven or are there presses available for this

This is a question that I have been asked on a number of occasions, and I normally try to dissuade people from attempting to do it, for a number of reasons.

Firstly the additional pressing time means that each mug takes twice as long to produce - and given that the "labour cost" of producing a mug is a very considerable part of the total you need to add very considerably to your selling priice to maintain your profit margin.

Secondly the only way that I have ever heard of anyone successfully doing it was to dismantle a small flat bed "badge press" and create a small round base platen that the mug would drop over.

Thirdly although they may be some coating on the base of the mug the coater's intention is not specifically to coat the base of the mugs and therefore whether they have been coated by dipping or by spraying the likelihood is that any coating on the bottom will be, at best, uneven.

However, there is another option - we offer a sublimatable decal material which you could print and stick onto the bottom of the mug. I have had a mug with a decal applied to it in the top of our dishwasher for around a year and it has been through every time the machine has been used in that period. The decal is just starting to show signs of wear but the print is still pin-sharp. If I was a mug producer wishing to mark the bottom of the mug it is the route I would go - both in terms of cost and ease.

Agree with Graeme. There might be some over spray on the base of the mug which might take an image but they are not sprayed purposely for this. If there is enough coating then the plate presses (or plate press attachment on the combination presses) might offer a means of printing onto the base.

Thanks for the replies, Graeme I'm not sure I understand what you mean by a sublimatable decal material is this like a sticker or is it still applied using the heat press?

thanks

Yes it's a sublimation printed "vinyl sticker" material, available as precut shapes or in sheet form, we're very low on stock at present - but more due in late next week.

What's the advantage of a sublimatable sticker over and above a regular sticker printed from your laser printer? Presumably there are strong-adhesive stickers that can be fed through a regular laser printer, rather than having to spend time sublimating a sticker?

If someone is looking to experiment with printing direct to the base of a mug, it might be worth considering the mug oven method rather than adapting a plate press. With a mug oven, the entire mug (base and all) reaches the same temperature for the same period of time. If you could come up with some kind of jig to sit the mug on while heating (to keep the paper in contact with the base), then it would presumably take no longer and no more effort to do than normal printing to the side of the mug.

Just my two-penneth.

Thats true JSR but normally the bottom of the mug isn't coated so you would need a coating to do this.

JSR wrote:What's the advantage of a sublimatable sticker over and above a regular sticker printed from your laser printer? Presumably there are strong-adhesive stickers that can be fed through a regular laser printer, rather than having to spend time sublimating a sticker?

You may well be right JSR - if the printed surface of a laser printed label is "dishwasher-safe" - and I must confess I don't know if it would be. As I said I have tested the subli-printed stickers and know they will survive the dishwasher, but if a laser label will survive then it may indeed be a cheaper solution. If anyone has tried it I would be very interested to know the results!

I have an element that was supposedly deisgned for the printing of the bottom of the mugs which I can plug into one of our head units which the mug presses also operate from. It is just basically a smaller version of the plate press and it can also be attached to the clamp which will hold the mug. Although I have done it and it worked printing what I needed on the bottom I have also declined to do this ongoing for the reason Graeme mentioned..... time.

Along with get a fully coated mug which are out there, the more important bit is getting a flat even base. The majority are slightly concaved and some uneven. Overall it is a minefield. I have a padprinter that could do the job but don't offer to do that either. People think printing the base will only add pennies onto the cost but it is nearly as much work as do the body of the mug. Decals/stickers is the only option I give if they nag me about that type of branding.

have a look on here

[url="http://www.personalisedprintingportal.c ... 87&catid=1]http://www.personalisedprintingportal.c ... 87&catid=1[/url]

i think stump is the quickest and easest way to do it