Custom Decorated Ceramic Coffee Mugs

How to prepare digitized art files for optimum results.

 

Since many of our customers solicit information on how best to prepare their digital art files so as to assure an adequate reproduction of them on ceramic coffee mugs, we outline some of the factors that greatly influence the final reproduction of digitized art files on ceramic coffee mugs.

There are basically two ways to decorate ceramic mugs:

  1. Sublimation Decorations - the decorations we use; and

  2. Vitrifiable Pigment Decorations

    and two file formats

  1. Raster or Bitmap art; and

  2. Vector art.

 

For both processes the starting point is a digital art file that lends itself for the best possible reproduction on coffee mugs. To obtain optimum reproductions, these guidelines should be observed:

  • The resolution of any raster or bitmap art should be at least 300 PPI's (pixels per inch);

  • Almost any raster/bitmap file-format is acceptable (such as for example: .psd, .bmp, .png, .cpt, .pcx, .gif, .jpg, .tga, etc.) but we prefer the .tif file-format.

  • Any art send to us should be in the same physical dimensions as they are to appear on the mugs. The max. area that can be decorated on one side of an 11-oz coffee mugs is: 3" x 3". For other decorations, please consult here.

  • The colors should all be created with the RGB color model;

  • All art files so created should be send to us either in the .tif format or the PhotoShop format (.psd). Remember we are PC based;

  • All digitized art should be compressed before e-mailing it to us as an attachment (details here);

  • The physical size of the art should be the same as the one to appear on the finished mugs. That is, no higher than 3" (7.6 cm) for our 11-oz white-glazed ceramic coffee mugs, and 3½" (8.9 cm) for our 15-oz white-glazed ceramic coffee mugs;

  • Fonts should, if at all possible, not be part of a raster/bitmap file as the original vector fonts will be transformed into raster/bitmap format and will be reproduced with a "stair-step" appearance. Hence, fonts should be incorporated into a bitmap/raster file within a vector program, such as CorelDraw and/or Adobe Illustrator;

  • If you use very unusual fonts which we might not have in our fonts library, you will have to send them to us in addition to your digital art files;

  • For all vector drawings only RGB colors should be used and have to be send in their original format, that is either in the:
    - CorelDraw (.cdr) format or the
    - Adobe Illustrator format (.ai).

  • Of course and as always, digital files should only be send compressed with file compressors such as: WinZip, PKzip for PC-based applications, and with Stuff-It for Macs. More details on compressing files can be found here.

  • All digital art work send to us will be used AS IS, that is, the way you prepare it. Hence it is in your own interest to follow our suggestions as much as possible. We cannot be responsible for the quality of your digital art and the way it reproduces on our mugs. In case of doubts, a sample mug decoration should be ordered from us before the start of the production run.

These are only some vital ingredients of a digitized art file that permit the acceptable reproduction of it onto ceramic coffee mugs.

Due to the limitations of the color calibration process with respect to any digital input- as well as output-device some limitations on any reproductive decoration process have to be expected; only the most scrupulously prepared digital art can be reproduced in an adequate manner. Color shifts and similar "impurities" have to be accepted as we cannot be 100% color-correct.

Should you have any questions or observation, please contact us.

Thank you for considering Mugnum as your custom decorated and personalized ceramic mug provider.