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38 a-e-mag.com • A&E FEBRUARY 2019 W ithout a doubt, one of the most exciting and successful groups of products for sublimation is drinkware. Once containing only white ceramic mugs, the sublimation drinkware category has grown to include an exciting variety of travel mugs, camp mugs, steins, water bottles, mugs with accent colors, and even color-changing mugs. From a technology point of view, almost all of these products are typical drinkware items that have been turned into sublimatable products by spraying them with a high-tech clear polyester coating. Now, a full line of polymer drinkware has been introduced that is manufactured from sublimatable polymer materials — no additional coating is needed. If you're interested in expanding your cur- rent product offerings, please take a moment to explore these new and profitable styles of polymer drinkware. You can find these products through Coastal Business Supplies, Condé, and soon a variety of other vendors. PRODUCTS Julep tumbler and Julep latte mug The Julep tumbler (no handle) and the Julep latte mug (with handle) are pint-sized tapered drinkware consisting of a stainless-steel inner core and a matte white polymer outer coating. Both are ideal for corporate, retail, and personal gift giving. The Julep tumbler and Julep latte mug can be decorated using a tapered mug press, while the tumbler has the bonus option of being decorated in a convec- tion oven using a silicone rubber tubular sleeve wrap or a plastic shrink wrap bag. Julep travel mug with lid The Julep travel mug is a 15-ounce double-walled travel mug consisting of a stainless-steel inner core and a removable matte white polymer outer shell. Once disassembled, the Julep travel mug's outer polymer shell can be decorated in a convec- tion oven using an aluminum insert and a silicone rubber sleeve wrap or a plastic shrink wrap bag. PolyMugs Available as an 11-ounce mug or 15-ounce travel mug with lid, PolyMugs are made of a specially formulated polymer that makes them safe for use at the beach, swimming pool, and any other place where breaking a ceramic or glass mug would cause a safety hazard. PolyMug's bright white glossy finish produces a brilliant color transfer that's also dishwasher safe. PolyMugs should be decorated in a mug press using an aluminum insert that is placed inside the mug to keep it from deforming. Producing PolyMugs in a convection oven is not recommended. PRODUCTION: MUG PRESSES VERSUS OVENS AND WRAPS Traditional mug presses have long been the norm for producing one sublimatable mug or stein at a time. The Geo Knight DK3 standard mug press, for example, can press an image up to 5 inches high and as close as 1/2 an inch from the handle, depending on the mug's size. Recently, the Geo Knight DK3T was introduced that can similarly press images onto a broad selection of latte mugs and tapered drinkware. Keep in mind that "as close as 1/2 an inch from the handle" means that an image cannot be pressed onto the mug's handle or the space on either side of the handle. Since traditional-style mugs have always had handles, this unimaged area is to be expected. Ovens, whether a small convection or Road to Sublimation Success: Polymer Drinkware Update By David Gross David Gross is the president of Condé Systems, Inc. For more than 25 years he has developed and built the Mobile, Alabama based company into the premier source for printers, substrates, and consumables serving the graphic art, photography, prepress, and desktop publishing industries. The Julep tumbler (no handle) and the Julep latte mug (with handle) are pint-sized tapered drinkware consisting of a stainless-steel inner core and a matte white polymer outer coating. PolyMugs are made of a specially formulated polymer that makes them safe for use at any place where breaking a ceramic or glass mug would cause a safety hazard.