It took me about a dozen mugs to work this out, then I could do mugs with about 99% yield. The other 1% were usually defects in the mug. I never had a bubble and I've never removed and scraped halfway as I've seen others say they must do.
I worked this out using a Stahl's Hotronix PPM http://www.boo-z.com and prints from a Fargo Primera Pro. I was using regular Dye Sub ribbons and paper, not the hybrid wax/dye transfer. For those who don't know, it is rather tricky with this printer/paper combination as the paper is really an impermeable plastic film that is very sensitive to dust during both printing and pressing. If you were going to get bubbles, this is the one that seems most liable to get them.
With this process, the shallow wrinkle in the heating element of my mug press does not show.
I don't know how much of my success is the press, and how much my process. Certainly both are involved.
My process:
Start with clean dry hands, and a recently cleaned work surface. Use a rag, not paper towels as paper towels just shed little bits of dust and fiber.
Keep a clean unused paintbrush around, about 2.5 or 3 inches wide. I started with an expensive laquer paintbrush because they are so soft, but found even a cheap China Bristle brush would work. Make sure it isn't shedding bristles, though.
Pretape the two ends of the transfer. Small pieces of masking tape are enough, you want it to be able to rotate around the taped point so about 3/4" long is great. The tape should not overlap the image.
Cut a piece of plain laser paper (not inkjet!) so it is about 1/2 to 1 inch wider than the mug. No tape.
Flick (kind of hard) the brush across an edge of your work surface, this is to get rid of any dust hanging on to it.
Take the mug out of it's plastic bag (don't touch the body of the mug!) and wipe it with the brush by sort of flicking it across it. The idea is that any dust or hair is flicked away. If you are too gentle, the dust sticks to the brush and is redeposited. Careful not to hit the mug with the metal ferrul holding the bristles. Set the mug down on a flat recently cleaned surface.
Now sort of flick the brush back and forth across an edge of your clean work surface again.
With the transfer laying on your clean surface, flick the brush across it. Look at it and if you see any dust specs that aren't moving, you can press a bit harder.
Pick up the transfer by both ends and wrap it around the mug. Holding both ends of the transfer you can sort of slide it around on the mug to line it up. While you are doing this, pay attention to how it "feels" while sliding. If there is any dust underneath, it will feel sort of gravely as it slides. If so, take it off and dust everything with the paintbrush again.
When you like how it is positioned, press down the tape on one side. Now press down from there, working your way around to the other handle. Pull tight enough so the tape does not quite give, and as your hand slides over and around just let it run over the tape on that side, sticking it down.
With the mug still sitting on the table, pick up the strip of plain paper and wrap it around everything, so that as you hold the handle you are holding the strip of paper.
Slide it down into the mug press this way, watching that you do not catch the edge of the paper and push it up.
Working quickly, close and feel how much pressure. If it is too light, back off and adjust the pressure. It should be pretty high pressure, not so much you feel you'll break the mug but it should take a little muscle to close it. I've found that there may be slight variations even within a batch of mugs so I pay attention each time I close it, but normally once is enough for one session.
Now you just wait a few minutes for it to finish- I had it worked out so that with the Fargo dye sub prints and the mugs I'd used, 2 seconds hold was perfect, 4 was too much. So I set it to 1 second hold before it beeps, time enough to reach over and take the mug out.
Now dip the mug fully, handle and all, into -warm- or hot water. DO NOT DIP IN COLD OR LUKEWARM WATER! DO NOT HOLD THE HANDLE OUT OF THE WATER! If you use cold or lukewarm water, the mug may/will crack. If you do not dip the handle, it may break at the handle. You don't have to throw it in, but don't take your time. Bathwater temp is about right. When we had it on the road, I brought a crock pot set about as low as it would go. Leave it in there for about a minute, then take out and peel. The tape will be a bit gooey, I suggest a citrus based cleaner.
I always peeled off the "Made in China" sticker on the bottom and replaced it with one of my own. I found the clear address labels (the ones they sell cheaply in ads in every Sunday paper) work great and survive the dishwasher for quite a few washes as long as you clean off all of the old sticker and make sure it is dry before sticking on yours. It won't last if you make your own on a laser printer as the toner chips off and paper ones dissolve.
Do -not- skip the extra wrap of paper. You can use one of those teflon sheets if you want to, but I like the idea of being able to put a fresh one on each time, and laser paper is about 3/10ths of a cent each.
If you would like to encourage me to continue writing tutorials of this nature, you may donate an amount of your choice via PayPal. Credit Card donations don't require a PayPal account.
Alien Steve Polymorph Digital Graphics http://www.polyphoto.com