An original gift idea
for colleagues and friends

A customized coffee mug with a name, logo, picture, or message touches others on a personal level

By Destiny Ricks

November 30, 2021

Presents time is here again, and mugs are a great way to show appreciation for your team. Everyone needs a coffee mug and you will not have to go through the awkward process of asking for everyone’s shirt size. Mugs are less expensive than other novelty items and they will often last longer than an article of clothing.

So you have decided to get coffee mugs for everyone in a club you belong to or for the people who work in your office, but you do not want to get a boring white or black cup. You know people will want to be able to distinguish their cups from those of their co-workers or teammates. If a bunch of people work in the same office, it is probably a good idea to make sure they can tell which mug is theirs.

Mugs are a great way to show appreciation for a team and are less expensive than other novelty items.

A free mug is a great way to welcome people to your team. If you are shopping for a company, you can always put their logo on a mug. If you are shopping for a club, you can put the name of the club on the cup or a quote, word, or phrase that only you and the other people in the club would understand. You can find more examples here.

How it works

When you visit an on-demand printer’s website, you can upload the image or photo that you want and select the mug you would like it to appear on. You can select a different colour for each person who will be given a cup, or they can pick out the colour they want.

If you would rather that your mug has a clever saying on it, you will find a tool on the website where you can type in the lettering in the font of your choice.

On-demand printing will let you design the exact product you want and save you money. If you are not into mugs, you can put your design or phrase on one of many articles of clothing or novelty items.

Where to order your customized mugs

There are several places a person can buy customized mugs. You can go to a local printer, present them with the design you want on the mug, and wait for the order to be returned. If you are ordering a large number of mugs, they may give you a discounted price. However, they may charge more if you order the mugs in a variety of colours.

‘If you are buying mugs for your team at work, you’ll need more as you hire new employees.’

On-demand printing

One problem that can arise when you make a bulk order of mugs is the extra expense you will incur if you end up needing extra cups. If you are buying mugs for your team at work, you’ll need more as you hire new employees. A company that sells items in bulk may not be able to accommodate you or will charge you more money than you should really have to pay for each cup.

Fortunately, you can design custom mugs on the internet and have them sent out to you as you need them. There are several different companies that will allow you to design your own mugs online and have them sent out to you on an on-demand basis. This way, you will not have to order any more mugs than you need, and you can order additional items if you need them.

Direct screen printing

The possibilities for the perfect mug are endless. If you are operating with a low budget, direct screen printing is the way to go. It is a more traditional method of printing where the ink is pushed through a mesh stencil onto the product. Direct screen printing is best for simple and smaller images and is a great method to use when overlapping colours in a design.

Transfer printing

Transfer printing, also called litho printing, is a go-to technique to print logos and images on a coffee mug. Through this method, the image is transferred to a printing plate, which is covered in water and oil-based ink, before applying the ink by hand to a mug. This is a time-consuming technique, but it’s ultimately worth it because it can be used with various colours.

‘The possibilities for the perfect mug are endless with custom colours and design.’

Digital printing

Digital printing is a fast and easy way to put your design onto a mug. With digital printing, you can create many types of logos onto one sheet of coated paper, which is then used to transfer the picture to another plate. Digital printing is not only a very easy method to design your custom mug, it’s also very flexible. With digital printing, you’ll get full-colour and high-quality images that will last on your mug for you or a loved one to enjoy.

Dye-sublimation printing

If you want vibrant images for your mug, dye sublimation printing may be your go-to method. Dye-sublimation printing uses heat to transfer your design directly onto the coffee mug. Because this method uses heat, it allows your design to become permanently embedded on the mug. This creates a long-lasting, premium-quality mug.

Pad printing

Pad printing is a printing method used for watches, pens, tags, and it can even be used for your favourite coffee mug. Through pad printing, your design is placed onto an etched plate and pad then transferred onto the product. This is a flexible method of printing that allows for various colours and image sizes.

Image: Pixabay

Destiny Ricks worked in a diverse range of organizations before joining On The Map, including small business startups and large corporations. Ricks specializes in content writing and editing, as well as marketing and social media. Her varied background in copywriting and editing provided the perfect foundation for her current role as Content Director with On The Map.