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Tutorial: Sublimation on Mugs – 2 Ways

Filed Under: Sublimation

We started with an introduction to sublimation, then a tutorial for sublimation on apparel, and today I’m showing you how to do sublimation on mugs.

Supplies Needed:

  • Sublimation printer and ink
  • Transfer paper
  • Blank sublimation mugs
  • Heat resistant tape
  • Mug heat press or mug wraps
  • Looking for my suggestions on where to buy sublimation supplies? Jump ahead to the last post in the series.

Method 1: Sublimation with a Mug Press

Step 1) Create a design and print it on your sublimation printer (don’t forget to mirror!).

Step 2) Line up your design and tape into place with heat resistant tape.

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Step 3) Set up your mug press machine and load mug into your mug press. The actual operation of mug presses vary – follow the instructions that came with yours. (I bought this one. A quick note about buying a mug press: read, read, read. Some mug presses only work with certain sized mugs.)

Step 4) Press mug with firm pressure according to transfer paper and mug recommendations. I used 380/385 degrees for 185 seconds. When pressing, you’ll want to make sure that the handle of the mug isn’t touching the metal edges – that’s too much pressure.

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Step 5) Using pot holders or gloves, remove the mug and transfer paper immediately. (These gloves worked much better than a pot holder – get 2.)

Step 6) Place the mug in warm water or place it in front of a fan to cool it off and prevent bleeding. Final product:

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

That’s it! It’s pretty simple to use the mug press, but time consuming because each mug has to press for so long.

Method 2: Sublimation with Mug Wraps

Step 1) Create a design and print it on your sublimation printer.

Step 2) Line up your design and tape into place with heat resistant tape.

Step 3) Slightly dampen the transfer paper. I used a towel and it worked well.

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Step 4) Carefully place the mug wrap around the mug. Be careful not to wrinkle the transfer paper, and clamp it closed. You can find the mug wraps at this link.

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Step 5) Bake in oven (not a toaster oven or microwave!) according to the settings that came with your transfer paper. I baked for 14 minutes at 425 degrees. Final product:

Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Both mugs are washable, can withstand scrubbing, and are dishwasher and microwave safe. If you plan to sell mugs, I’d highly recommend you choose sublimation over vinyl.

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Tutorial: How to Sublimate Mugs - Two ways - A great intro for Silhouette Cameo and Cricut crafters - by cuttingforbusiness.com

Related Posts

  • Tutorial: Sublimation for Keychains & Luggage TagsTutorial: Sublimation for Keychains & Luggage Tags
  • Tutorial: How to Use Sublimation MarkersTutorial: How to Use Sublimation Markers
  • Sublimation Roundup for Silhouette & Cricut OwnersSublimation Roundup for Silhouette & Cricut Owners
  • Tutorial: How to Use Unisub Sublimation Templates in Silhouette StudioTutorial: How to Use Unisub Sublimation Templates in Silhouette Studio
  • Tutorial: How to Make Photo Jewelry using Silhouette Studio & SublimationTutorial: How to Make Photo Jewelry using Silhouette Studio & Sublimation
  • Use Silhouette Studio to Create Home Decor and Jewelry with SublimationUse Silhouette Studio to Create Home Decor and Jewelry with Sublimation

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« Tutorial: How to do Sublimation on Tee Shirts or Apparel
Where to Buy Sublimation Printers, Supplies, and Blanks »

Comments

  1. April says

    June 8, 2016 at 11:35 am

    I’m considering purchasing the press you have. Question, without the tapering attachment, how does it work on tapered cups?

    2nd question, I have a Epson workforce 7610 and Jet opaque II and Jet Pro SS paper that I use on shirts. Will all of these work for sublimation on mugs.

    3rd question, do you have to have a special king of mug material? It won’t work on just any mug?

    4th and final question. where do you get your mugs?

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Christine says

      June 9, 2016 at 2:29 pm

      Hi April! No, my press is not compatible with tapered mugs as-is. Yes, you need specially coated mugs – a regular mug won’t work. Last, my supplier can be found in this post: https://cuttingforbusiness.com/2016/06/09/buy-sublimation-printers-supplies-blanks/

      Reply
  2. April says

    June 10, 2016 at 6:39 am

    Sorry it’s me again. Did you answer question 2 about my printer and paper?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      June 11, 2016 at 8:07 pm

      Hi April, I’m sorry – I must have missed it. If your Workforce has liquid sublimation ink in it or you’ve added a continuous sublimation ink supply, it should work fine. I believe that the papers you listed are iron on inkjet papers – not sublimation papers. Might want to double check with the manufacturer.

      Reply
  3. Michelle T. says

    July 13, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    Do you feel that it is worth the investment if you are planning on making mugs as a regular part of your business? Or do you feel that Laser Slide Paper or Vinyl work just a well? Do you feel that the sublimation is a better seller then the other methods? Can you do he same designs that you would with the other methods?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      July 14, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      I absolutely think that sublimation is a better alternative to vinyl on mugs/cups. I have heard so many disappointed buyers when they realize that the letters aren’t permanent with normal use. I’ve never really used the slide paper for an extended period of time to know how that would hold up over time. Yes, you can use the same designs with sublimation. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Elizabeth Cummins says

    November 4, 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Hi, I was wondering if you knew if a mug wrap would work with htv ? I realize it’s not as permanent as sublimation however these will be used as gifts and I don’t want to spend a bunch of money on stuff that wont be used that often. I hope that makes sense and doesn’t make me sound cheap 🙂

    Reply
    • Christine says

      November 8, 2016 at 9:35 am

      Hi Elizabeth! I do not know, I have never tried using the wrap and HTV.

      Reply
    • Dawn Williams says

      April 22, 2017 at 1:43 am

      Hi yes it does work but only on mugs treated with a sublimation coating the htv will not stick to a normal mug I know I have tried.
      Hope this helps.
      Dawn

      Reply
  5. katrina coleman says

    November 28, 2016 at 10:47 am

    Hey Christine Where can I find a sublimation mug?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      November 28, 2016 at 11:38 am

      Hello! Follow through the sublimation series to the last post: https://cuttingforbusiness.com/2016/06/09/buy-sublimation-printers-supplies-blanks/

      Reply
  6. alexa says

    January 9, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    Hi I just recently have thought about making my own mugs and I am struggling with how to make the images. Do you have a blog post that goes into detail regarding that!?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Christine says

      January 9, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      Hello! No, I don’t have a blog post to create images. You would create them the same way you create other designs for shirts or decals. Head over to Etsy, Creative Market, or The Hungry JPEG. They have lots of bundle packs of ready made images you could use.

      Reply
  7. Jenna says

    April 4, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    What a great tutorial ! Hands down the best one:)

    Reply
    • Christine says

      April 5, 2017 at 12:29 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  8. QuiltShop Gal says

    April 11, 2017 at 11:23 am

    I don’t want to invest in sublimation equipment, but your series on this topic is excellent and certainly appropriate for someone that wants to pursue this market niche. Speaking of which, I’m now inspired to “purchase” some mugs vs use regular vinyl. Do you take orders for custom sublimation mugs, or have someone to recommend?

    QuiltShopGal
    http://www.quiltshopgal.com

    Reply
    • Christine says

      April 11, 2017 at 11:26 am

      No, I don’t have any recommendations off the top of my head. I’d head to Etsy – here’s a good link of custom sublimation listings for you: http://tidd.ly/34faff1

      Reply
  9. Sara says

    May 16, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    I am interested in trying this. My question is I have a canon selphy which is a dye sub printer. Can i use the paper that this comes with to print and tape to the mug or is there special paper/transfer paper that this needs to go on? I am unsure why i need special transfer tape if this is printed. I guess I am just confused. Thanks for any help you can give me!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      May 17, 2017 at 7:38 am

      You’d need heat transfer paper. No transfer tape, but heat resistant tape that doesn’t melt is helpful is align the design.

      Reply
  10. Sandy Terry says

    July 29, 2017 at 11:34 am

    my heat press is not transfering on to the cup would you know why. I have ink, sublimation paper and the correct mugs. I have my press at 400 for 100 sec. Do you think I just need it on longer

    Reply
    • Christine says

      July 31, 2017 at 9:01 am

      If nothing is transferring at all, I’d check two things: 1) Make sure you have good pressure 2) Make sure you printed on the correct paper side.

      Reply
  11. Edward says

    September 8, 2017 at 8:55 am

    So which mug will have more lasting print? The one done with the heat press or the one wrapped and baked?

    Reply
    • Christine says

      September 17, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      Both seemed to have lasted and worn the same.

      Reply
  12. Lisa Woolfork says

    September 22, 2017 at 8:44 am

    This is very detailed and informative. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      September 22, 2017 at 11:30 am

      My pleasure!

      Reply
  13. charbel says

    September 30, 2017 at 1:51 am

    hello,
    can you give the temperature in celcus or fahnerhait and time to transfer mug by using heat machine press .
    i must put the mug before reaching the temperature or to reach the temperature and then put the mug .

    Reply
    • Christine says

      October 2, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Hello! It will vary depending on the heat transfer paper that you use. Refer to the instructions included with your paper.

      Reply
  14. Dana says

    October 16, 2017 at 1:36 pm

    Love this series on sublimation! I want to get into it for making cheer bows but love the mugs 🙂

    Have you done an article on sublimation printers and their ink? I just noticed you mentioned something about “a continuous sublimation ink supply” on one of your replies… I would love to read more on what printer to purchase as well as this ink you mentioned.

    I have the Epson WF-7610 sitting in my amazon cart as well as something I thought was an adapter ink kit but now looking at it, its a continuous ink supply system. That being said… I have no clue! A few people on FB recommended that printer but I would love to read your opinions on printers 🙂

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christine says

      October 16, 2017 at 9:54 pm

      I actually don’t recommend one printer over another, because I just don’t have the time (or money) to try out a lot of sublimation printers. I don’t think I could write an inclusive article without using at least 10 printers or so. However, I do recommend the team at Coastal Business Supply. Feel free to reach out to them, they have tried them all. 🙂

      Reply
  15. Claire Hall says

    August 27, 2018 at 8:01 pm

    Hi Christine, Thank you so much for this article you wrote to share with us all x I dyslexic & it’s the first article out of many that I’ve been able to fully understand & follow as well as capturing my eye & re-booting my Brain cogs lol Can I ask can I do designs on wine Glasses ? Etc also ?
    Thanks for reading this Claire H x

    Reply
    • Christine says

      September 24, 2018 at 8:54 am

      Yes, you can sublimate on glass blanks that have been coated and prepared for sublimation.

      Reply
  16. David M Terry says

    September 14, 2018 at 3:32 pm

    Hi Christine,
    When you say oven, do you mean my kitchen oven? Will my kitchen oven work?
    Cheers,
    David

    Reply
    • Christine says

      September 24, 2018 at 8:31 am

      Correct.

      Reply
  17. Alyssa says

    July 19, 2019 at 11:54 am

    I am interested in the mug press that you provided the link for as it says it accommodates larger mugs, unlike other presses I’ve looked at. Just wanting to make sure this is accurate and have you pressed using the larger 15oz mugs?

    Thank you for the detailed easy directions!

    Reply
    • Christine, Cutting for Business says

      August 25, 2019 at 2:53 pm

      It will fit a 15 ounce mug, but not a tapered mug. I think there is an attachment for tapered mugs you can buy, but I don’t have experience with them.

      Reply
  18. SHARON ZAMBITO says

    October 12, 2019 at 2:27 am

    is it safe to do this in my kitchen convection oven?

    Reply
    • Christine, Cutting for Business says

      October 15, 2019 at 2:39 pm

      Yes! I used my kitchen convection oven.

      Reply
  19. Ayinde kolawole says

    February 6, 2020 at 2:07 am

    How this can work with iron

    Reply
    • Christine, Cutting for Business says

      February 13, 2020 at 9:59 am

      Sublimation cannot be done with an iron.

      Reply
  20. Jim says

    July 2, 2020 at 11:42 pm

    Hello, I am wondering if the inside of sublimated mugs are sprayed with a coating and able to be printed on. and would it be safe to drink from? Basically I want to buy blank, sublimated mugs and design the insides. Some people have said that I have to make sure the inside is sprayed/coated and I’m just wondering if I can assume sublimated mugs are coated all over, or just the outside. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Christine, Cutting for Business says

      August 31, 2020 at 12:50 pm

      Depends on the manufacturer.

      Reply

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