When it comes to promotional coffee mugs or coffee mugs as a corporate gift, there are really only two methods I can personally vouch for… if you care about quality and longevity:
Decal printing: the age-old process where your artwork is printed on a special decal, applied to the mug, and then fired in a kiln. The result? Vibrant colours that are permanently fused into the glaze. They will never fade, peel, or wash off. The catch is, it’s only cost-effective when you’re making large quantities. The least one can do is 1,000 mugs but ideally any good company will pick up only if the quantity is 5000 plus. Ofcourse this takes time 30-45 days at the minimum.
Engraved Coffee Mugs: perfect for smaller quantities or when you want a timeless, understated, premium look fast. Here the design is carved directly into the mug by removing the top layer of colour, revealing the ceramic underneath. No inks, no fading, just pure craftsmanship. You can even make one engraved coffee mug. Turn around is relatively fast. Ideally we can make over 300-500 engraved coffee mug in a day. But we always say we need about 7-10 days since there are lot of other orders which are always in pipeline
Most printed mugs you see today, however, are not decal printed, they’re made using sublimation printing. Sublimation is cheap, quick solution developed most 25 plus years back. It does work for small runs, but the colours fade, scratches, and the print can start to look tired after repeated washing. (I’ll be writing a detailed post on sublimation mugs and their safety soon, and will link it here.)
So, for me, the choice is clear: if you’re doing large quantities and you have time, go for decal printing. For small batches or something personal, choose engraving. Anything in between often compromises on quality and more importantly on safety.
Did you know over 15 years ago, we even invested in the full sublimation setup, inks, printer and heat press machine to transfer the print on the coffee mug. But my heart never agreed to sell sublimation mug. We didn’t even sell a single mug and discarded the entire system. Why? Because there’s no reliable way to check the coating quality of sublimation mugs or the safety of sublimation inks. They don’t fall under any food-grade regulations in India, most are imported from China, and to me, it’s simple, if inks can fade away over time, they are also likely leaching into what you’re drinking from these sublimation mugs. Every sip means a chance of that ink or harmful cheminals from the coating entering our body. And that’s not something we’re willing to risk for our customers. So we discarded the whole system.
Why Engraving Feels Different
Engraving on a coffee mug is done one piece at a time, a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. Little wonder it costs more than commonly available printed mugs that can be produced in batches of hundreds at once.
When we engrave on a coffee mug, we carefully remove the top layer of colour to reveal the bare white ceramic underneath. The result is crisp, permanent, and elegant. Engraving works best on dark-coloured mugs, where the contrast between the surface colour and the white engraving makes your design truly pop.
Common Questions We Get About Engraved Coffee Mugs
Over the past 25 years of making engraved coffee mugs, we’ve been asked just about every question you can imagine. Some people want to know about durability, others are curious about safety, and a few simply wonder if they can put them in the dishwasher. We love these questions because they give us a chance to explain the thought, care, and craftsmanship that goes into every mug we make. Here are some of the most common ones and our answers.
1. Are engraved mugs safe?
Absolutely. We’ve been making them for over 25 years and never had a single safety complaint. No chemicals are added in the process, the exposed porcelain or ceramic is already food-grade, and since the engraved area is far from the rim, it never comes into contact with your mouth. That means it’s not just striking to look at, it’s also completely safe to use every day.
2. Are engraved mugs dishwasher safe?
Yes! No problem at all.
3. Does the artwork fade over time?
No. The engraving is permanent. The only way to lose it is to break the mug.
4. Can you fill colour in the engraving?
Technically, yes. Practically, we don’t recommend it if you’re drinking from the mug, as the colour will fade with repeated washing. For desk accessories like pen stands, we can fill the engraving with beautiful colours that last. Also the colors we use for color filling are not food grade so we do not recommend the colors being added to the coffee mugs.
Why Our Clients Choose Engraving Over Printing
Engraved mugs have a premium feel in hand, a subtle yet lasting look, and a quality that makes people want to keep using them. And when a mug stays in use for years, so does your brand.
Whether you need 5 mugs for your core team or 500 for a client event, our engraved coffee mugs are made to last, in both quality and in memory.
Talk to us how we can make engraved mugs for your team.
