The preparation for mugs will be the same regardless of the size of the mug you're using.

To begin we need to make sure the mugs are really clean. I like to use a lint roller and go over the whole mug really well.

We want to make sure we're getting under the handle. To do this you'll need to remove a sheet from the lint roller and clean it really well.

You can also use a lint-free cloth with something like rubbing alcohol. You do want to make sure the mug is completely dry before adding the sublimation print.

I cannot stress enough the importance of having a clean surface before sublimating.

Now that we have a clean mug it's time to add our sublimation print. If your design has a right side up you'll need to make sure you add your print the correct way.

You want to make sure your print is straight on the mug. A great way to do this is to set your mug on the table and use the table as a guide while you wrap it around.

Your print should at least touch under the handle. It may overlap slightly which is okay.

Use Heat-Resistant tape to hold the sublimation print in place. Take time to make sure everything is lined up, you'll want the curves around the handle to be the same distance away on each side so it looks uniform after applying.

You want your print to be as tight as you can possibly get it. Even though we're using shrink wrap having the print tight at this point will only help you.

It is important to make sure you don't get tape under your sublimation print. I like to add the tape to one side of the flap, pull it tight, and then tape it to the other side.

With the middle section of the sublimation wrap taped I like to add a piece of tape to each end to hold it all together nice and tight.

That should be all the tape required to hold the wrap in place because we'll be using shrink wrap to hold everything into place.

Next we need to add shrink wrap. Because we're sublimating these in an oven to get under the handle we need to add pressure. These shrink wrap sleeves fit just about any mug, at least up to a 15oz mug.

You'll want to slide the mug into the wrap. It'll seem wide and long but that's okay because we're going to use heat to shrink it.

With the mug inside the the sleeve feel for the handle. I am going to cut a small slit in the sleeve to get the handle through. I like to start small and then make it bigger as needed until the handle just barely fits through.

With the handle outside the sleeve we need to fit the sleeve around the mug including under the handle so the sublimation print has pressure applied evenly everywhere.

The area under the handle will try to pull away when heat is applied and we want to prevent that as much as possible

I like to use heat-resistant tape to pull the sleeve closed under the handle and overlap it as much as possible. I apply a healthy amount of tape under the handle and then as close to the handle on both sides as I can get it to prevent the slit from growing when heat is applied.

Before we place the mug into the oven for sublimation we need to apply heat to the shrink wrap sleeve to shrink it tight around the print.

With a heat-resistant glove on you hand hold the handle of the mug and using a heat gun start on the side of the mug furthest away from the handle.

You don't want to hold the heat gun in one place for any length of time, it can burn through the shrink wrap and make holes and we don't want to do that.

Keep moving the heat gun back and forth over the shrink wrap until it is tight on the mug. We want to have as few wrinkles as possible.

The area under the handle we want to be careful with. We want it tight but we don't want to hold the heat gun over that cut area for too long because it can pull apart. There may be a few wrinkles in that area, don't worry about that we just want to get it as tight as possible.

Now that we have the shrink wrap sleeve on the mug it's time to put them in the oven. I am using a PYD Life Sublimation oven set at 393 degrees for seven minutes.

Place the sublimation mugs in the oven and hit the button to start. With the PYD Life oven it will not start the timer until it has reached the full temperature.

If you're using a dedicated air fryer or convection oven you'll want to make sure you're oven is up to temperature before you start the timer.

Once the timer goes off, remove the mugs from the oven and place them on a heat resistant mat. They will be very hot.

I highly recommend removing the shrink wrap while it's hot because it will remove much, much easier. If for some reason your shrink wrap cools before you can get it off it will likely be frustrating.

It will come off but it will be more difficult so be patient and give yourself time to get it all off your project.

You may notice that the shrink wrap has started to pull away under the handle. I found with these mugs that was okay.

You can remove the sublimation print hot or you can wait for it to cool down some. I am not very patient so I usually use my heat resistant gloves and just peel it off.

You may need to use something metal to get under the tape. As long as you don't scratch through your sublimation print you should be fine. The tape is actually also easier to remove when it's hot.