Hello!
I recently ordered this glass cup on amazon and I’m wondering how they printed the design on the glass?
I have a bunch of blank glasses and I think it would be fun to try printing some designs of my own on them.
Does anyone know how this could be accomplished? And might we have the proper equipment here at DMS?
Thanks!
@Team_Creative_Arts
Is this a dye sublimation function?
I don’t think so. Usually color-on-glass is either an enamel, or a heavy-duty plastic sticker. You might get something similar by etching glass on the laser and then painting it with acrylic paint. It wouldn’t be dish-washer safe, but that’s minor.
For that matter, there are enamels for glass. To get that bright of a color, you’d need the expensive ones, though.
Possibly glass-fusing decals that are fired onto the glass.
Here’s an example:
Yeah, if one were mass-producing glasses, you could get those decals printed in anything you wanted.
The place I linked also does custom decals. It looked kinda interesting.
Hmm. That does make some sense. The glass decals are probably made the same way one makes ceramic decals, and you can use the right printer to get ceramic decals. Totally CNC-able…
Easy method and the Space already has the equipment
For small batch production it could be UV printing on the glass. To dye sub on a glass like that, it has to be coated for dye sub, and the result will be translucent.
Thanks a lot! I never knew this kind of process even existed but it looks really cool and the custom decals are pretty affordable! IF i was to try this method, would I be able to use the DMS kiln? or is it reserved just for ceramics?
Thanks!
Glassworks has their own kilns. We’d like you to be checked off before you use them, but that could be arranged.
We don’t have UV printing at DMS… do we? Also do you know what the best way to get certified on the
dye sub equipment? I looked on the events page and there were no classes listed that i could see
No, we do not have a UV printer at DMS.
As for Dye Sub, I’ll be putting another class up in early January.
I looked at dtf printers (don’t google dtf without printers after it) and unless you are going into mass production with proper ventilation it’s easier just to buy them.
@CaryF300 I’m about !/2;
I would looooove to see a direct to substrate UV printer (large) at DMS. I’d pitch four figures at it.
My research into UV printers make me think that they would be a VERY poor choice to have at DMS. They’re very maintenance intensive, require daily use to prevent clogging, and have major smell/ventilation issues.
That’s too bad. I didn’t know they were such a pain in the butt. It would be so cool to have! But the last thing we need is another easy to break machine 
I can see possibly testing the waters with a desktop sized one that can go 8x10ish, but immediately getting a large format one would be ill advised, IMO.
The GPX Expo that’s coming to Irving in early March usually has several vendors with UV printers, so that might be something to go see.
