# Ceramic question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 27, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979 "2010-03-27T01:24:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979/1 "2010-03-27T01:24:45Z")

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I’d like to put an image on a mug. Hopefully many mugs. Any suggestion? I could start with a jpeg…then what?

Any help and I’ contribute my spare profits to the fight against ingorance

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979/2 "2010-03-27T22:21:51Z")

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If you want a full-color image on a mug, it’s going to cost you. If you want the mugs made for you, Google for “promotional mugs”; if you have a kiln available, you can order decals and apply them yourself. I have no idea how much skill this takes, or where the break-even point lies, but you can learn more if you Google “print ceramic onglaze decals”

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**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979/3 "2010-03-28T01:51:36Z")

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Is there a particular reason why you don’t just go with [CafePress](http://www.cafepress.com/make/custom-mugs)?

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**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979/4 "2010-03-28T03:06:33Z")

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Walmart is cheaper for [photo mugs](http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&ic=48_0&search_query=photo+mug&Find.x=0&Find.y=0&Find=Find).

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceramic-question/533979/5 "2010-03-28T04:22:35Z")

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That’s crazy. I assume from the words “many” and “profits” that she wants to sell at an outrageous price, not buy at one.

A promotions company can provide what she wants for a lot less; a shipment of 72 four-color printed white mugs for as low as $400 (including shipping). It looks like the decal route would cost the same, but I could be wrong.