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Decoration Guide: Customised Coffee Mugs & Glassware

This guide was written to provide you with the latest information on decoration and print options available for mugs and glassware, providing information on the requirements and processes associated with each decoration method.

Ceramic Decorating:

What is Ceramic Decorating?

• Most ceramic products (eg. Coffee mugs) have a vitreous "glass" coating or glaze over a clay or porcelain body
• The inks that we print with are in fact crushed and powdered glass that has been coloured with a pigment and mixed with an oil medium
• Using either direct screen-printing or a ceramic decal, we apply the ink to the glaze.
• We then "Fire" the product through our kilns at around 800°C for Mugs, and 600°C for glass products. At this stage the other layer or glaze softens, and so does the ink.
• When cooled, the two layers have fused, and the print becomes a part of the surface glaze

Other Print Methods:

Metallic Bright Gold and Platinum Printing

• These colours are achieved by using inks that are largely composed of precious gold or silver. When "fired" on to mugs or glassware, they never become part of the surface glaze, but lie on the exterior of the glaze. For this reason, these prints are not dishwasher resistant and we recommend hand washing only for metallic gold and silver printed mugs and glassware.
• Metallic Gold and Silver print are not microwave safe
• There are several alternatives to gold and metallic print that look very similar but use a ceramic colour, allowing them to be used in dishwashers and microwaves.

Photo Finish Printing

• Photographic images are often required in colour on coffee mugs. This method of decoration uses digital technology to print the image underneath a polymer applied outside the glaze. The mugs are therefore fired at a lower temperature than in ceramic decorating
• A bright shiny finish is created, registering brilliant true colours
• Photo Finish print allows you to incorporate the images used throughout your other forms of media (print, etc.) on promotional coffee mugs, helping to reinforce the communicated marketing message, helping achieve Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).
• Hand-wash only is recommended for Photo Finish mugs
• Samples can be provided in as little as 48 hours for Photo Finish mugs

Chameleon (Heat/Cold Sensitive Colour Changing) Printing

• The hot Chameleon print process uses technology to "hide" the print until a hot liquid is poured in to the mug, revealing the printed image. When the mug cools, the image is hidden once again. This process involves a regular ceramic print which is hidden by a special coating
• The cold chameleon is similar, but it works on glassware to reveal an image when cold liquid is poured into the glass.

Indent Orders (Overseas jobs)

• Customised shapes and glaze colours can be produced overseas whether or not they exist within our catalogue range. For a totally customized shape, lead time is usually 12 weeks from concept to delivery.
• Specific Colour glazes can be produced from a minimum of 10000 mugs
• We can co-ordinate decoration offshore for quantities from as low as 2500 pieces for most products
• All offshore jobs are only commenced after a client approves a finished pre-production sample
• Lead times:
  • Pre-Production samples take approximately 7-10 days to arrive in Australia.
  • Delivery from Artwork Approval can be as short as 6 weeks
  • Customised Coloured Packaging options are available for overseas indent orders

Artwork Requirements

• As with most promotional products, artwork is require as an EPS file in PC Format or as an Adobe Illustrator file. Corel Draw files are also accepted. Type faces should be at least 7 point high.
• For Photo Finish (Full colour photographic print) jobs, a file with a minimum of 100dpi is required

For further information on customised promotional mugs and glassware, please contact our friendly sales team. Phone: (02) 8205 1334 or e-mail: enquiries@jempp.com.au

Alternatively, You can also complete our online contact form.

(Courtesy of JEM Promotional Products ©2007)

If you have any questions relating to promotional products,, please don't hesitate in contacting us. JEM Promotional Products
Phone: (02) 8205 1334
E-mail: enquiries@jempp.com.au
Website: www.jempp.com.au

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