How sometimes you want to present an original gift that will stand out from the general number of presents and will serve its owner for a long time. Now it is not easy to make a good, unusual gift, since in the modern world with the introduction of new technologies there are many ideas for various gifts. One of them is a chameleon mug.
This is an unusual and interesting gift that the hero of the day will be very happy about. A practical and irreplaceable thing will always find a place in any home, and the originality of the execution will distinguish it from ordinary and ordinary dishes. A gift that allows you to remember the giver even when looking at it. The hero of the day will remember it all the time - this can be beneficial for a person who wants to leave pleasant memories of himself.
Content
- What is a chameleon mug
- Features of heat-sensitive mugs
- How chameleon mugs are made
- Differences in the method of applying the pattern
- Advantages of chameleon cups
- Is a heat sensitive mug harmful?
- What materials are used to make chameleon mugs?
- What colors are mugs and cups available?
- Variety of chameleon mug designs
- Choosing a Quality Mug
- How to Properly Care for a Heat-Sensitive Mug
- VIDEO: Heat-sensitive chameleon mugs.
What is a chameleon mug
But how does such a gift differ from other things? It looks ordinary and at first glance is no different from its "relatives". But everything changes if you pour hot water into it, namely - a picture or an inscription appears on the outside of this dish. Such a print looks unusual and non-standard.
But why does this effect occur, and what is a chameleon mug? It's all about a special coating that reacts to an increase in temperature in the middle of the mug and highlights the hidden image. This process is very interesting, since the image does not appear immediately, but as the ceramic heats up, it slowly appears and gradually disappears - when the hot liquid cools down or is drunk.
The appearance of this container for liquid is unremarkable. It can be of a normal color: white, red, black, blue. But when an elevated temperature occurs, changes occur and a picture superimposed by a special technology appears, which can be individual for a certain person. And how unusually can you make a declaration of love or tell about your sincere feelings in this way? This way of expressing your experiences will be the most unexpected and pleasant.
Features of heat-sensitive mugs
Why does the image appear when heated and how is it done? The image is under a layer of heat-sensitive paint, which becomes transparent when the temperature of the ceramic increases, and then the image becomes visible in all its details. When using a special technological process for applying the image, it can be slightly visible or completely hidden when viewed visually.
The features of such a thing include its unusualness and uniqueness, individuality, the ability to choose an image or make an application of your own picture, photograph. This is a surprise that appears when heated, and the attention given to the hero of the day when ordering an original gift with a special creative approach.
How chameleon mugs are made
When applying paint, two main technologies can be used: decal and sublimation. The first method involves silk-screen printing and the following process of making a hidden pattern occurs:
- A special thermal paint is applied to the stencil where the image is located.
- Additional varnish coating is possible.
- The template with the image is dried.
- Attach to the surface of the cup.
- They are fired in a special oven at 500 degrees Celsius.
- At elevated temperatures in the oven, the varnish neutralizes itself, “soldering” the image to the place where it should be.
This paint can be applied not only to the front surface of the product, but also to the handle and bottom. For the drawing, it is diluted with epoxy resin, other types and colors of paint, and individual fragments of the image are drawn. Then the entire surface of the drawing is varnished and dried. This type of process is quite labor-intensive, but the result exceeds all expectations and when heated, the drawing becomes bright, well-drawn.
During sublimation, the image in mirror projection is applied to a stencil, which is then applied to the surface of the ceramic product. It is in turn placed in special equipment for this process and when the required temperature and time are set, a special technology is launched. During this process, the image is embossed under the top layer of paint, the images and contours become barely visible, but appear brighter when the container is heated from the inside.
Differences in the method of applying the pattern
When using thermal decal, the image is invisible under a layer of external paint, and you can also use products with corrugated surfaces, since this method partially involves manual labor. You need to choose a sufficiently bright picture so that when developed, it looks impressive. This method of application is quite labor-intensive, which affects its price.
Important! Using a thermal decal reveals the image not only at high temperatures, but also when the mug cools.
With sublimation, the design can be visually visible, so the ideal option would be dark-colored cups of a standard shape with special paint applied in advance.
Advantages of chameleon cups
An original unusual gift can be given for any holiday: birthday, Valentine's Day, March 8, New Year, a memorable date or just for no reason to make a pleasant surprise to a friend, relatives or significant other. The image can contain any drawing, photo or words of wishes. You can write a special wish in an unusual design or choose an existing drawing - in any case, such a gift will not be ordinary and will leave only pleasant, positive emotions after its presentation.
Worth paying attention! Such a surprise can be useful as hidden advertising or a print of a certain organization. If you give such mugs for a professional holiday to all employees with the logo of the company where they work - this will be an expression of attention from the management and a profitable commercial move.
If such an unusual product with symbols applied to it is presented to business partners or made as a gift during the company's promotions, then you can be sure that the advertising of this company will be promoted in a new unusual direction.
Is a heat sensitive mug harmful?
The following points can be noted about the harmfulness of a thermo mug. When making a hidden image, a layer of special paint is applied to the outer part, which does not affect the quality of the liquid inside. Therefore, it is not the product used to paint the mug that may be harmful, but the material from which it is made.
When painting the surface of this container, no complex chemical compounds are used that can harm the owner of such a thing, but well-tested materials. They do not emit toxic substances during thermal processing and can in no way be harmful to humans. During testing, these products were heated to high temperatures and cooled, but they did not show the release of harmful substances that could harm human health.
What materials are used to make chameleon mugs?
The same materials are used in the production of such products as in the production of ordinary cups.
They can be:
- plastic;
- ceramic;
- glass;
- made of stainless steel.
Plastic tableware is distinguished by its cheapness and this is where its advantages when used in the manufacture of this container end. It is quite unreliable, short-lived and does not hold temperature. It is not resistant to mechanical damage and can be harmful to human health during use, so its use as a material for making tableware is undesirable.
Ceramics are a common and high-quality material for the production of tableware. They are unreliable on the road, but very convenient for home use due to their ease of cleaning under running water, and are able to retain heat for a long time. The disadvantages include their fragility when dropped and hit on a hard surface.
Glass and stainless steel may be suitable for making regular thermo mugs, but for chameleons, ceramics remains the most suitable material. It is more practical and convenient for applying a hidden image and is widely used for this purpose.
What colors are mugs and cups available?
Any range of colors and shades can be used to produce such gift products. The most popular are heat-sensitive mugs in blue and black. This coloring is ideal for applying a pattern using the sublimation method, since with this method the image can be slightly distinguishable, and the dark shades of the cup surface will hide it.
Also popular colors are: red, white, gray, blue, pink and orange. When ordering individually, you can show your imagination and order bright and unusual shades that the customer likes, you can also combine several colors on one surface.
Variety of chameleon mug designs
For an order for a birthday or anniversary, such a gift with a photo of the birthday boy or a memorable inscription with wishes of health and happiness will look original. Such a surprise will suit any celebration and will become a unique and special gift.
For Valentine's Day, it is ideal to give a mug with a heart print, the words "I LOVE YOU", kisses and other attributes of such a holiday. For the New Year, you can present a product with Santa Claus and Snow Maiden, a Christmas tree, a snowman, a star, fireworks, and for March 8, a drawing with bouquets of flowers with a corresponding inscription will be relevant. A real bouquet of flowers will wither and be forgotten, but the one depicted on such a surprise will delight the eye for a long time.
For a colleague or friend, a gift with an image of an owl and the starry sky, constellations would be ideal. A strict Apple logo or a print with the company's symbols would be suitable for employees at corporate parties. Thermosensitive mugs with an image of a unicorn or other mythical character will bring good luck. Funny and cheerful inscriptions, for example, "charge to the fullest", "Ruslan is on fire" and so on, will look unusual.
Such gifts can be given not only to adults, but will also delight children. Pictures with characters from cartoons and children's films will delight the little ones. For example, a child is sick and does not want to drink hot milk with honey - a chameleon mug will help mom in the form of a game to make her drink from such a magical object. For girls, you can buy dishes with the image of fairies and Barbie, and for boys - with Harry Potter or robots.
A large assortment of such attributes with images of the walking dead, batteries or bulbs that light up, "charge" when a hidden picture appears, and you can also give a cup with striptease elements to a friend. For an individual order, you can fully turn on your imagination or bring a ready-made picture from the Internet. Statements and quotes from famous people will look very stylish.
Choosing a Quality Mug
When purchasing such a product, you need to consider the following:
- What material is it made of?
- Check for chips or other damage.
- Is the image applied well?
- Find out if it is resistant to temperature changes.
There is no need to rush, but it is necessary to examine the purchase carefully, so as not to buy a low-quality thing. You can ask to test this product and pour hot water into it to make sure that the drawing is clearly visible, clear and matches the description.
How to Properly Care for a Heat-Sensitive Mug
With proper care and operation, such a product will last a long time and will please the owner with its appearance for many years. It is afraid of impacts on a hard surface or other rough mechanical damage.
Basic requirements for the care of this item of tableware:
- For washing, use only gentle detergents that do not contain cleaning grains or abrasives.
- Do not use metal or other hard brushes or sponges for cleaning.
- Dishwasher safe.
- The image will not be affected by the rays in the microwave oven.
- You can pour boiling water.
- If yellow plaque or scale forms inside, you can rinse it with a soda solution.
Such a gift will be the most original and unusual, and the individual approach to choosing an image will melt any heart. The most important thing is attention to the birthday boy, and not giving a standard and uninteresting gift. It will bring joy and will find its use in the kitchen, and will not gather dust on the shelf for souvenirs.
