How to Place Images on Mugs

You can apply images in mugs at home.

Image mugs make thoughtful gifts or personalized party favors. While you can commission image mugs through various print-on-demand services or photo-developing shops, buying in quantity becomes expensive. Using water decals, you can create your own image mugs at home.

Things You'll Need

• Blank ceramic mug
• Water decal paper
• Color inkjet printer
• Photo editing program
• Clear acrylic sealer
• Scissors
• Bowl
• Towel
• Water

Instructions

1. Remove any stickers or price tags from your mug. Wash your mug with mild detergent to remove any dirt or sticker residue.

2. Select or create an image you wish to place on your mug.

3. Open your photo editing program and create a new document with the same dimensions as your water decal paper, usually 8 1/2-by-11 inches.

4. Scan or open your photo within the photo-editing program.

5. Select the entire photo using the program's marquee tool and copy. Paste the photo into your new document.

6. Resize the photo so it will fit comfortably on the mug you're designing.

7. Add any text, effects or clip art you wish to include on the final design.

8. Print your finished photo onto the color inkjet water decal paper. Follow the package's directions regarding printer settings.

9. Cut your image from the water decal paper.

10. Spray the image with a clear acrylic sealer. Do this in a well-ventilated area and hold the can roughly 12 inches away from the paper as you spray. Apply several thin coats to the image to secure the ink to the decal paper. Avoid spraying thick coats as thin coats dry more thoroughly.

11. Allow the acrylic sealer to dry.

12. Trim any excess paper from your image and discard.

13. Place the decal into a bowl of water for roughly five seconds. You will be able to tell when the image is ready to slide off the paper.

14. Slide the image off the backing paper and onto the mug's surface. Position the image on the mug, smoothing out any air bubbles as you position.

15. Blot the image carefully with a dry cloth and let dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Before printing onto your water decal paper, create a test print using regular paper and low ink settings. This will allow you to see if your have sized your photo correctly before using one of your water decal sheets.

• Waterslide decal paper comes in clear and white. Use the clear paper for white or light-colored mugs. The white paper will provide the opacity needed for transferring images to dark-colored mugs.

• Mugs bearing waterslide decal transfers are neither dishwasher nor microwave safe. Always hand-wash your mug and avoid placing glass items bearing waterslide decals in microwave or conventional ovens.

References

• Water-Decals.com: Frequent Questions

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese