28 November, 2021

Custom Photo Mugs For High Impact Advertising

If you want to make a statement, then look at getting full colour printed mugs with a photo or image. Visually they are stunning to look at and give you great design flexibility as you have unlimited print possibilities.

So how does it work to get a full colour print onto a mug? Most are done through a sublimation process. The mugs have a special coating on the outside. The design is printed onto a special type of paper, along with a special type of ink. The paper is then taped to the, and the mug is then put into a heat press. Pressure and heat is applied. The coating on the mug becomes soft and allows the ink to be transferred from the paper to the mug. After a certain amount of time – usually a minute or two – the mug is released and put in cold water. This then hardens the coating, and the print is trapped underneath.

For smaller print runs, it is the most cost effective way to get a full colour print onto a mug. This is the process that is offered by most companies when they advertise to put your photo on a mug and will do as little as one mug. The only drawback with this process is due to the print being applied through heat, if you put the mugs into a dishwasher on high heat, it can potentially slowly erode the outer layer, allowing for the water to reach the print itself. This means the print will slowly fade with time. The way around this is to do a high fire decal. In this process, a printed decal is high fired onto the mug. This guarantees permanency, and the print will also last a lifetime. This process works well on large volume orders, but it is expensive as the decals are applied by hand, so it is a lengthy production process.

There are several factors when choosing which photo mug is right for you. Firstly the mug shape is an important one. If you get a mug with straight sides, it means we can wrap the design around the mug, giving you a much larger print area. If the mug is tapered, it looks very nice, but the print area is limited to one side. The second factor is you go with sublimation or a decal. Sublimation is the cheaper option, but it has limitations as to the print permanency, as discussed above. If this does not bother you, it is the best way to go.

Visually speaking, either method of printing, whether it be sublimation or high fire decal, will both give you a stunning result. You can pick from either standard ceramic or bone china for a more delicate look. If you are unsure what would work best for your design, we are always here to help.

The Mugs Only Team