Printed coffee mugs are extensively used as an employee gift or a corporate gift. So much so that some feel that they are done to death and they don’t want to see another one.
But guess what coffee mugs are a very good investment for people use them all the time and if you are able to give them a good one chances are you will get your return on money.
They are one of the few gifts which cost less but deliver high on results. People will always need coffee mugs and they break too. Printed coffee mugs or engraved coffee mugs either of them is a good investment.
Currently, there are many options available for printed coffee mugs and in this blog post, I have tried to outline the most common ones giving the pros and cons of each. So you can make a more informed decision. If you are ordering printed coffee mugs for the first time this will come in handy. And as always help me improve it if you have further questions. Please ask and I will be happy to answer them.
Different Methods for Printed Coffee Mugs
Method #1 Transfer Printing / Decal Printing
This is the age-old method of printing on ceramics. All ceramics that you use in your kitchen are printed using this process. The high-quality artwork is printed on special papers (called decals) through machines which are specially made for the ceramics industry. Even their ink is different. These paper prints are pasted on coffee mugs which are then put inside a kiln and baked on high temperatures. The artwork gets transferred on to the coffee mug permanently.
This is the only method to use if you have 1000 plus pieces to print. This process is not just economical it also gives you vibrant and perfect artwork which is permanent.
However, this process has its own limitation. You can only get this printing done in a factory setup and usually needs a large quantity order. Typically 2000 pcs as a minimum while some people may do it for 1000 quantity or less also. A longer timeline is required for this typically between 20 to 45 days for production.
This Singapore Airline Mug was done by us 10+ years back. Sorry, the image is not very good but it was well received.
Advantages of Decal Printing
* Lowest per piece cost for full color printed mugs.
* Permanent & Vibrant Artwork which does not fade with time or repeated washes.
Disadvantages of Decal Printing
* Large Quantity order required.
* Longer delivery timeline.
* No Personalisations is possible.
* High initial setup charges
What should you do when you want only 10 pieces with 10 different photographs and you want it tomorrow.
Sublimation printing is your answer.
Method #2 Sublimation Printing
Newly Printed Sublimation Mugs
Sublimation Printing After couple of washes.
This process is quite similar to decal printing. We need to make a paper sticker which is pasted on a coffee mug and than heat is applied so that the artwork gets transferred on the coffee mug.
The big difference is that this can be done out of garage space and needs no factory setup.
However one does need a sublimation system. A special paper to print your artwork, an inkjet printer in which sublimation ink system can be attached, a round heat press machine in which you can fix your coffee mug to transfer the artwork and a sublimation coffee mug which is a normal ceramic mug but with a special coating so that the artwork can be transferred on the coffee mug perfectly.
Sublimation printed mugs are quite popular now around the world. In fact if you have all types of products which you can print using sublimation inks.
Most coffee mugs you see online which you can be personalised with your picture is done using sublimation method.
Advantages of Sublimation printing
* Print any color artwork on even a single coffee mug. No setup cost.
* Fast Delivery: Printing one coffee mug takes just few minutes.
* Personalize every piece with a different name or different picture.
Disadvantages of Sublimation Printing
* Expensive: Sublimation mug is typically 2 to 4 times more expensive that a decal printed mug. But of course if you need only one coffee mug or few numbers than this is the only option.
* Permanency: Artwork does fade away over a period of time. Whether this time is few days, months or few years depends on many factors including quality of sublimation ink, quality of artwork, quality of transfer paper, quality of sublimation coffee mug and of course the skills of worker who is transferring the print.
While sublimation process looks quite simple one needs to be careful while selecting a vendor.
I have heard many vendors say that if you don’t wash your coffee mug than the artwork would stay for a long time. To me it sounds funny especially when we are gifting coffee mug as a promotional product. We cannot tell a customers Don’t wash our coffee mugs so that our artwork will stay longer or This looks like a coffee mug but its actually a pen stand.
Personally I am not a big fan of sublimation printed coffee mugs. We had invested in the entire system as well as many of our clients wanted it but we closed it down for I am not happy and 100% sure about the safety of the sublimation inks. Since these mugs are used for drinking the inks have to be food grade and free of any carcinogenic and lead material etc which we are always in doubt of so we stopped this line all together.
Yes all our investment has gone to waste but than again human life is precious.
Method #3 Pad Printing on Coffee Mugs
This is not a very popular method for printing on coffee mugs so I am covering it up briefly. In this method there is no heat applied for transferring the artwork. Its almost like screen printing, they use same colours just that the machines are setup in a manner that it can print on a curved surface. Just like screen printing you can print in single colours and if you have a good worker you can even get 2-3 colours.
But you can’t print a 4 color logo or a picture through this system on a coffee mug.
Hope this helps you to make more informed decisions when you buy a printed coffee mug. At Pinnacle sell engraved coffee mugs for regular requirement. Click to view our engraved coffee mugs.
