How to Get a Good Sublimation Print on Your Mug?

Multiple Personalized Sublimation Mugs Introduced at Once – How to Get a Good Sublimation Print on Your Mug?

The rise of customized products has brought many new options for personalized gifts. Customized mugs have become a very popular choice for personal gifts and corporate giveaways.
In this article, HomeVSS will share what you need to pay attention to when you are doing heat transfer on sublimation mugs.

Four Common Problems You May Encounter When Sublimating Mugs

Sublimation mugs are made by using transfer paper plus heat and pressure, so that the ink on the transfer paper turns into gas and bonds to the surface of the mug.
The printing steps are simple, but there are still some details you need to pay special attention to. Below are four common problems you might run into when sublimating mugs.

1. Ink on the edges of the paper

If the extra blank edges of the transfer paper are not trimmed, the paper edges may pick up ink when they pass through the printer rollers. This is usually not obvious on the paper itself, and you often only notice it after pressing, when you suddenly find random black dots or lines on the mug.That is exactly the result of not trimming the excess edges of the transfer paper.

So after you print your artwork, trim off the blank areas and check whether there is any ink on the paper edges before putting the transfer paper into the mug press. This will help you avoid print defects.

2. Uneven coloring

If the design you want to print is quite dark in color, you can add about 15–30 seconds of heating time during pressing.
This allows the image on the transfer paper to fully transfer to the mug, making the color more even.

3. Ghosting or blurry double images

If the transfer paper is not tightly attached to the surface of the mug, or if it moves during the transfer process, the design may appear blurry or have a ghosting/double-image effect.To avoid this, always make sure the transfer paper is firmly fixed before pressing.When you peel off the transfer paper while it’s still hot, do not shake the mug too much and do not peel too slowly, in order to reduce the chance of the image smudging.

4. Cracks caused by temperature shock

When printing mugs, people usually prepare a bucket of cool water and put the mug into the bucket right after high-temperature pressing to cool it down.

HomeVSS suggests putting the mug quickly and directly into the water to cool it. If you hold the mug under running tap water or lower it very slowly into the bucket, the temperature difference between hot and cold can easily cause the mug to crack.

For safety, we recommend letting the mug cool down slowly in the air when possible.
If you need to speed up production, then follow the method above and cool the mug quickly in one go to reduce the risk of the mug body cracking.

                                                                                                                                                  

How to Avoid Failed Mug Transfers?

Three Tips for Better Results

HomeVSS will now share three tips to help you avoid failed mug transfers and get a more perfect finished product.

1. Choose high resolution images and adjust the design size

Choose high resolution images so that the printed result does not look rough or grainy.
To avoid failed mug transfers, the image resolution should be at least 300 dpi. Adjust the image to a size that fits the mug, and select the exact area you want to transfer. This will help you successfully sublimate your mug.

2. Trim excess blank paper and check for stray ink

If a mug transfer fails because ink on the paper edges affects the overall print result, then during the transfer process you should first check the transfer paper after it is printed.Confirm that you have trimmed the extra paper edges, and pay attention to whether there is any remaining ink near the edges. Make sure everything looks clean before you start pressing so you get a proper print.

3. Confirm the machine settings and carefully remove the tape after transfer

Apply the transfer paper evenly and smoothly onto the surface of the mug and make sure the pressure knob is tightened properly.
You can use settings of 200°C and 180 seconds of heating time. After the high-temperature transfer is finished, gently peel off the tape at the edges, so you don’t smudge the design.

                                                                                                                                                  

What Sublimation Mugs Can You Choose?

An Introduction to Several Types of Sublimation Coffee Mugs

As the saying goes, “To do a good job, you must first sharpen your tools.”
By now you probably already understand the basic principle of mug sublimation: using heat transfer equipment with heat and pressure to transfer the image from the sublimation paper onto the mug.

HomeVSS offers a variety of sublimation coffee mugs. Below we will help you see which type of sublimation mug might be more suitable for you.

1. Ceramic 11oz Sublimation Mug

• Great for beginner / small sublimation workshops:
  Etsy, Shopify, Amazon sellers who need a stable, easy-to-print basic mug as their main product.
• Great as gifts for friends or clients:
  Schools, churches, small businesses, weddings, holiday parties and so on—anyone who wants to make logo mugs or event souvenir mugs and order 12/24/36 pieces at a time.
• Great for e-commerce gift box brands:
  Sellers who need cost-controlled blank mugs and then add spoons, coffee powder, gift boxes, etc. to create sets.

In short, 11oz (about 325 ml) is the most common coffee mug size. It sells well and is a safe choice.
The straight-sided design fits most mug presses and is easy to sublimate.
It comes in multiple classic colors (white, blue, orange, pink, etc.), so customers can match their brand colors or holiday themes.

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2. 11oz Color Changeable Sublimation Mug

• Great for sellers/creators who want “special effects” videos:
  Perfect for TikTok or Reels videos where you pour in hot water and the design appears like magic. Very good for attracting traffic.

• Great for gift shops:
  Stores specializing in birthday gifts, couple gifts, and anniversary gifts. Products with a “surprise effect” sell very well.

• Great for event planners and party supplies sellers:
  For bachelorette parties, company annual events, romantic proposals—use hidden text or images to surprise people.

In short, the mug looks like a solid color when it’s cold. When you pour in a hot drink, the design gradually appears, which is visually very strong.
It comes in black/blue/red and mixed sets, so you can design based on holidays such as Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day.

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3. 11oz Ceramic Sublimation Mug, 6 Assorted Sparkling Colors

• Great for female-focused and aesthetic brands:
  Beauty, jewelry, and stationery brands can use sparkling mugs as merch or gifts to highlight a “bling-bling, refined lifestyle” feeling.

• Great for wedding and party customization:
  Bridal gifts, bridesmaid mugs, best-friend mugs—use the sparkling surface to create a sense of ceremony.

• Great for designers and handmade creators:
  For those who want a “more premium” mug, who are okay with a slightly higher price but need visual differentiation.

In short, the mug body has a sparkling effect, and once you print a design on it, the overall look feels more “high-end”.
It’s perfect for bridal mugs, birthday queen mugs, zodiac mugs, best-friend mugs, and girly IP designs.

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4.Ceramic 11oz Sublimation Mugs, Fluoresces Colors

• Great for sports teams / school teams / clubs:
  Teams, clubs, camps, etc. that need bright, high-saturation colors for team merch.

• Great for music festivals / nightclubs / streetwear brands:
  For streetwear or EDM merch, using fluorescent colors to highlight “cool, trendy, eye-catching” vibes.

• Great for sellers targeting teenagers:
  For middle school and college customers, the more vibrant the colors, the more they tend to like them.

In short, the ultra high-saturation fluorescent colors (blue, green, orange, pink, red, yellow) are visually very impactful and extremely eye-catching on shelves or in live streams.
They’re great with “sports elements, graffiti, street lettering, neon-style illustrations.”
Small pack sizes (6 pcs / 12 pcs / 36 pcs) make it easy for customers to test products and restock.

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5. Ceramic 15oz Sublimation Coffee Mug

• Great for “heavy coffee/tea users”:
  Many people in the US and Europe prefer larger mugs, especially for office use or breakfast mugs.

• Great for medium and large companies / coffee shops / gift companies:
  Customers who want mugs that feel “more substantial and higher-priced” as corporate gifts or in-store mugs.

• Great for sellers who make high-ticket gift sets:
  For example: 15oz large mug + coffee beans/drip bags + small cookies in a gift box, which can be sold at a higher price.

In short, 15oz is about 444 ml, clearly larger than 11oz and visually looks more “worth it”.
It corresponds well to the usage scenarios of “large latte in a coffee shop” or “breakfast mug”.

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6. 15oz Color Changeable Sublimation Mug

• Great for high-budget gift customers:
  Company annual meeting prizes, VIP gift boxes, couple gifts—using a combination of “large size + color change” for a more premium gift.

• Great for coffee shops and specialty beverage brands:
  Used for collaborations or member gifts, 15oz color-changing mugs add a fun talking point.

• Great for content-driven sellers and brands:
  Very suitable for ASMR or satisfying videos showing “pour coffee → design appears” and telling brand stories.

In short, this mug combines “creative effect + large capacity”, balancing practicality and surprise.
You can especially develop it into confession mugs, parent-child mugs, Teacher’s Day mugs, and anniversary gifts.

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HomeVSS Can Meet Your Customization Needs

Please don’t be shy about contacting us. We own our factory in China and have long been supplying various kinds of mugs to overseas customers.
We not only support sublimation mugs, but can also develop different styles and specifications according to your needs.
If your order quantity is larger, we can offer more favorable prices and customized solutions. You are very welcome to reach out and discuss your ideas with us.

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Sublimation Mug Recommendations – HomeVSS

After reading the introductions to these sublimation mugs, does your choice feel clearer now?