Gift Mugs make great coffee Mug Gifts

Search our FAQs Ask a Question FAQs Printer Friendly Version
Sublimation     List of Categories






  • How does Sublimation work?

    Although the term SUBLIMATION sounds a little daunting, sublimation, as a process, is less intimidating:

    It is the method of applying an image onto specially prepared items of ceramics, cloth, metals, and plastics using three primary ingredients: special sublimation inks/pigments, heat and pressure.

    Sublimation inks are unique in their ability to convert from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid form (just like dry ice). The conversion is initiated by heat and controlled with pressure.

    So what does that mean: It means beautiful colors and high definition images on your ceramic coffee mugs, wall tiles, murals  and steins.

    And to preserve the beauty and vibrancy of the sublimation images on your coffee mugs, it is best to hand wash them just as you would hand wash your best porcelain and China as well as your finest glassware. Never leave them in direct sunlight, as for example on a window sill.

    For these reasons, companies like Hallmark, Kodak and Fargo have chosen sublimation-decorated ceramic coffee mugs, steins, decorative wall tiles and mosaic murals exclusively.

    To top


  • What is the difference between sublimation-decorated Gift Mugs and traditional ceramic decal decorations?

    For ages there has been only one way to decorate ceramic coffee mugs: with vitrifiable, ceramic decals or by hand painting directly on the mugs.

    In the age of computers, there emerged another alternative: sublimation printing. Both methods still use the principles of "transfers" in that the design is printed on paper and then transferred onto the coffee mug and fixed onto it with heat and pressure.

    Sublimation-decorated coffee mugs can be produced efficiently for short production runs and in FULL COLOR, as all colors are imprinted onto the "transfer" paper in one printing process.

    With ceramic decals each and every color has to be printed individually and in sequence, mostly with screen printing. A different printing screen or plate has to be made for each color and each color has to be registered on top of the one below until all colors are printed. This is a rather expensive undertaking if only a few decorations are required but is more efficient for large printings of the same decoration. Of course, FULL COLOR mug decorations are hardly possible with the screen-printing process even today.

    We here at mug lovers paradise - personalized custom photomugs used to produce ceramic decorations with both methods. In fact, we started decorating ceramic wares with ceramic decals back in 1983 and have been producing ceramic decorations ever since for our full-color coffee mugs and wall tiles and murals - but today we use the sublimation process exclusively.

    To top


  • Good Morning, Do you sell your sport bottles "BLANK" I would like to do my own sublimation. Thank You, Mary C. Breedlove Breedlove's Print & Novelty Shop

    We can sell our "blank" sports bottles for the same price as decorated ones.

    To top

Was this page helpful?    


Copyright © 1998-2005 Gift Mugs by Bitmark, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Users of this web site accept and agree to be bound and
abide by the terms of this Web Site's
Company Policies as well as our FAQ pages.
Read our Privacy Statement

Home