About Personalized Items

Table of Contents

• Customized Mugs are a great and inexpensive way to create a one-of-a-kind item for yourself or others. For example, you could have a picture of your family for your coffee mug at work; or the same photo mug could make a great gift for a family member. Customized Mugs are available with a white or black background, or as morph mugs that show the photo when hot liquid is added to the mug



• Customized Boxes are lovely, unique items that are sure to be appreciated by the recipient. The boxes are made of solid wood (cherry or maple), decorated with a ceramic tile with a custom image imprinted on it. You might have a great photo from your last vacation; why not commemorate it with an item that will enhance your decor and give you enjoyment and use for years to come? Or use one of these boxes to add that extra something to a very special gift, such as a ring or a graduation check.



• Customized Cutting Boards have many uses: they can be used as cutting boards; they can be used as elegant serving trays; they can be used as trivets to protect table surfaces from hot dishes; or they can simply be displayed to enhance your kitchen decor! They are available in 4 size/shape configurations. Give one or more to your favorite cook; or make up a set for a one-of-a-kind housewarming gift.



• Customized Coasters are made of ceramic tile backed with soft neoprene; come in 2 shapes/sizes; come 4 to a set; and come with a black satin metal stand. They can be a great way to showcase a favorite photo, while being used to protect your furniture! Give a set to the in-laws, with family pictures for them to enjoy; or make some up for the wife for Mother's Day!


How Images Are Transferred

All of the items described on this page make use of dye sublimation inks. The process has several components, but it all starts with printing the image onto a transfer sheet using dye sublimation inks. The transfer image will be reversed for some items, depending on how it is to be applied. The transfer is applied to the blank item using heat and pressure, causing the ink to sublimate (turn from a solid into a vapor) and bond to the polymer-coated surface of the blank. This description is necessarily brief; there are many details to be considered. Color matching is tricky at the best of times, but becomes more so because the dye sublimation inks print out looking light, and with a purplish cast. Only after they are transferred with heat do the colors "bloom", becoming deeper and showing their true colors. So one must have a well tested method for producing true color results. Another consideration is the type of transfer paper. Some transfer papers tend to stick to some of the items; while other papers transfer bright colors beautifully, but tend to smear; and skin tones come out consistently better with one type of transfer than with the other type, regardless of substrate. Ceramic items require different times and pressures from glass items. Mugs require a special press or mug wraps to apply the transfer, heat and pressure to their cylindrical shapes