All-In-One Guide to Decorating Mugs

So, you want to make mugs? Whether you're crafting custom cups for your cousin’s cat-themed birthday party or starting a small business empire one latte at a time, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create mugs that are as strong as your morning coffee.

And don’t worry—I’m not just going to rattle off a bunch of product links (though we have those too). This guide spills the beans on all things mug-decorating: printers, papers, presses, blanks, and pro tips. Think of this as your one-stop-sip for mug-making musts.

First, Let’s Talk Mug Blanks

A blank mug is like an empty canvas...but one that holds cocoa.

Coastal has more mugs than your local Waffle House. Whether you want sleek and professional or wild and glittery, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also got black, white, colored, metallic, glittery, and more.

Mug Options:

Ceramic mugs are perfect for cozy mornings at home or the office—they offer a classic look and are great for full-color designs using sublimation or DTF transfers. Travel mugs, on the other hand, are ideal for customers on the go. They’re typically made of stainless steel or insulated plastic, keeping drinks hot or cold longer and offering more durability. Whether your customers prefer the charm of ceramic or the practicality of travel mugs, both options can be customized to suit any style or brand.

• Ceramic Mugs – Classic. Reliable. Dishwasher’s BFF.
  Shop Ceramic Mugs
• Travel Mugs – For those on-the-go sippers who need caffeine with a side of convenience.

Printer Options: Your Mug’s Best Friend

Before your mug gets its glow-up, it needs some help from a printer. Depending on your style, budget, and desired results, here are your main options:

Sublimation Printing

The go-to method for mugs. Sublimation infuses the design into the mug’s coating. That means no peeling, cracking, or fading. It’s like a tattoo, but for mugs (and less painful).

Perfect for:

• Bright, vibrant designs
• Ceramic mugs with a poly-coating
• Long-lasting, high quality results

Sublimation Printer Options:

• Sawgrass Sublimation Printers  – User-friendly and perfect for beginners

• Epson Small Format  Sublimation Printers  – Great for small to medium run orders
• Epson also offers the F170 — while it's not available through Coastal, it's another reliable choice for beginners exploring sublimation. Coastal does sell all supplies for the Epson F170!

• Large Format Sublimation Printers – Perfect for expanding your business and large scale operations!

DTF (Direct-to-Film) Printing

DTF has been taking the garment world by storm, but guess what—it works on mugs too!

Perfect for:

• Non-sublimation mugs (like metal or certain plastics)
• Photorealistic transfers
• Printing on dark surfaces

DTF Printer Options:

• Traditional DTF Printers

• Crio Powderless DTF+ Printers  

Mug Presses: Where the Mug Makeover Happens

You can’t just hug a design onto a mug. You need heat—and lots of it. A reliable mug press is crucial to bring your design to life. A mug press is what turns your printed design into a permanent piece of drinkware art.

There are several styles of mug presses to match your setup, budget, and production volume:

• Manual Single-Station Presses: Great for beginners and hobbyists. These allow you to control time, temperature, and pressure with a few simple dials. They’re perfect for standard 11oz or 15oz mugs and offer a lot of control for one-off or small batch jobs. 

• Multi-Station Presses: Need to press five mugs at once? These are your go-to. They boost productivity for small businesses and reduce waiting time during bulk orders—especially handy during the holidays or for event merch.

• Adjustable & Interchangeable Element Presses: Some presses offer swappable heating elements or flexible wraps that let you work with a range of mug sizes and shapes—latte mugs, tumblers, steins, or even shot glasses. Check out of 4-in-1 press which offers the flexibility of pressing 11oz/15oz mugs, steins, tumblers, and latte mugs!

• Heat Transfer Ovens: You can use silicone wraps in an oven to bake on designs, large-scale mug decorators will use conveyor belt ovens to apply transfers, but small desktop ovens will also work if you are on a budget. Do note that you should not use your personal oven or an oven you prepare food in to sublimate or heat transfer mugs because it can be harmful.

Shop Mug Presses
Click here for Coastal’s mug press lineup

Explore Sublimation Silicone Wraps

Sublimation Silicone Wraps

Pro Tip: Make sure your mug press fits your blanks. Skinny tumblers need different attachments than classic coffee mugs. Don't force it—mugs are sensitive souls.

Paper Talk: Don’t Skip This Step

Not all paper is created equal. The paper you use can make or break your design (literally—ask anyone who’s peeled up a half-baked transfer).

Sublimation Paper

Sublimation paper is specifically coated to hold dye sublimation ink and release it cleanly under heat. For mugs, use high-release, non-tacky sublimation paper—tacky paper is better for fabric and can cause uneven transfers on hard surfaces.

• Choose mug-sized sheets to avoid trimming large sheets every time. This speeds up production and keeps things tidy.
• Good sublimation paper minimizes ink bleeding, helps produce sharper details, and preserves those vibrant colors you’re after.
  Shop Mug-Sized Sublimation Paper
• Choose Sublimation Rolls for large format printing and production runs.

DTF Film

Traditional DTF paper is not used for mugs; you must use UV DTF for mugs. UV DTF is specifically made to stick to non-porous, rigid surfaces like glass, plastic, metal, and ceramic mugs. Prints your design before it’s transferred to your mug with heat.
Shop DTF Film

Powderless DTF+ Paper

Used with Crio Powderless DTF+ Printers. No powder. No shaking. No Maintenance. The best mug papers are hard surface papers. Forever Multi-Trans Pro and TheMagicTouch CPM 6.2 paper.
Shop Heat Transfer Paper

Mug Decorating Supplies

Don't forget your thermal tape, and thermal tape dispenser! Coastal sells a clear thermal tape that is essential in the mug making industry. 

SHOP THERMAL TAPE

PRO TIP: When taping your transfer to your mug, make sure that you do not overlap the tape and your image - this will cause a faded result in that area. 

ANOTHER PRO TIP!: When taping your transfer to your mug, place tape on each side of the outer handle and create a tab with the tape to easily remove once pressing has finished!

Don’t Forget the Finishing Touches

Once your mug looks gorgeous, it deserves the VIP treatment:

• Packaging boxes
• Bubble wrap (and yes, you can pop a few for fun)
• Custom stickers or tags

It’s all about the experience—make it feel like opening a present.

Decorating mugs is a fun, creative, and profitable way to personalize drinkware for any occasion. Whether you're using sublimation, vinyl, waterslide decals, or a DTF transfer, the key is choosing the right materials and following each step carefully for the best results. With the right tools and a bit of practice, you can turn blank mugs into eye-catching, customized pieces that make perfect gifts, promotional items, or additions to your product line. Now that you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to start experimenting with your own designs and techniques—happy decorating!