Printed Mug

Under the Glaze or on Top of It

There are two ways to get artwork onto a ceramic mug, and they decide how you wash it. A design fired into the glaze sits under a glass-hard surface that the dishwasher and microwave cannot reach, while a print applied to the outside of the mug is the layer your sponge touches every day. The Gianneli art mugs are made the first way, which is why they are rated for both machines. The worded joke mugs carry a printed face that keeps its contrast longest when washed by hand.

• Under-glaze art. Dishwasher and microwave safe, with no surface layer to scratch.
• Printed face. Hand wash to keep the line work black rather than gray.
• Match the kitchen. A household that runs everything through the dishwasher wants the under-glaze art.

What the Dishwasher Does to a Print

Printed ceramic fades from heat and detergent, not from drinking. Hot water and strong detergent together lift the contrast little by little, so a black slogan can turn gray over a season of daily cycles while the mug itself looks fine. A rinse and a soft cloth after each use keeps the wording sharp for years, and a mug that lives on a desk rarely needs more than that.

Gloss Makes the Color Brighter

A glossy white ground makes printed color read brighter than the same art on a matte surface, because the glaze reflects light back through the image. That is why a blue abstract looks saturated on a white body, and why the white around a design matters as much as the design itself: it is the frame. Keep the white clean and the colors keep their snap, which is one more reason the soft cloth beats the scouring pad on a printed mug.

Mixing Designs on One Shelf

Printed mugs that share a body look like a set even when the designs have nothing in common. The worded mugs share one white eleven ounce shape and glaze, so a run of different jokes still lines up neatly on a hook rail, and the art mugs share a glossy white ground, so different abstracts read as a series. Buy two in different designs and the shelf looks planned rather than collected by accident, and a pair makes an easy gift for two people who share a kitchen.

Choosing Your Printed Mug

Choose by how the mug will be washed first and by what it says second. Dishwasher households should start with the under-glaze art; hand washers can pick freely, including the jokes that read best from across a desk. Whichever you choose, set it down print side out, so the design gets seen. For the line that fits the person, see the funny mug page, and for the material under the print, the ceramic mug page.