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Promotional Ceramic and Earthenware Mugs

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Ceramic Mugs for Promotional Use

Getting the perfect corporate mugs for your marketing campaign is dependent on several factors, including the material used. These materials include ceramic, bone china, porcelain and earthenware, and there are differences between them all.

Ceramic mugs are unique for a number of reasons, such as the huge variety of print types and branding methods available which is unsurpassed by any other material. They are also fully dishwasher proof with our standard screen print method, and Duraglaze for full colour print. For an alternative product, our branded travel mugs make hot drinks available on the go. 

What makes ceramic a good choice for mugs?

  • They’re The Most Versatile Product For Printing And Creating Unique Shapes

Ceramic mugs can be decorated in different colours and designs, with a stylish finish. A quick look at Mugstore’s collection of ceramic mugs shows exactly this. The Bell, Mini Marrow, Sensi mug, Sparta, Lynmouth mug and Nuvo mug all demonstrate how these cups can take different shapes. Some like the quadra mug, have a classic matte finish, with all these ceramic mugs giving different personalisation options such as dye sublimation.

  • They Protect Your Hands From Heat

Ceramic mugs are a wonderful way to drink warm tea or coffee because they are thick enough to hold the heat of the beverage without burning your hands.

  • They’re Microwave Safe

On a busy day at the office, you might find yourself sipping less on the coffee and concentrating more on your files. Unfortunately, this causes it to get cold, necessitating a quick visit to the microwave. Well, this is a bad option if you’re using a stainless steel mug, which isn’t microwave safe and will definitely burn your fingers. A plastic cup won't also cut it, especially because not all plastics are microwave safe. Ceramic mugs, on the other hand, make the best mugs, since you can comfortably and safely reheat your coffee in the microwave.

Difference Between Earthenware, Ceramic, Bone China and Porcelain

  • Ceramic

Ceramic is a general term for any product made with natural clay, and mixed with different formulas with water and organic materials in some instances. Usually, ceramics are decorated, shaped, glazed and hardened by heat, to produce a desired product, whose quality and hardness are determined by the type of additives, composition of clays used, duration and temperature for firing. As a result of these variables, we have different types of ceramics including bone china, earthenware, fine china, porcelain, terracotta, pottery and stone ware among others.

  • Earthenware

Earthenware is the earliest type of pottery, made either of white or red clay baked at low temperature, approximately between 1000°C and 1080°C. Usually, this temperature doesn’t allow the product to be fired up to the point of vitrification, making earthenware porous. To make these products watertight, they are subsequently glazed. Most of our "ceramic" mug range is earthenware, though they can be used interchangeably.

  • Porcelain

Porcelain is slightly stronger compared to earthenware since it’s fired at 1260°C, causing it to vitrify. It comprises of, but not limited to clay, kaolin, silica, feldspar and quartz. Even without glazing, the surface is smooth, and the fineness of clay used allows the material to have intricate details. Porcelain’s most notable characteristic is its translucence, and the bell-like sound it produces when you strike it lightly - see more in the porcelain mugs section.

  • Bone China

Bone china is a type of porcelain, which is made whiter and more translucent by the addition of calcined animal bone. Unlike other forms of porcelain, bone china has a high mechanical strength and chip resistance, making it possible to produce thinner products. Mug Store specialise in quality bone china mug printing, and have clients worldwide.

So, where did mugs come from originally?

The first mugs ever were dated to about 10000BCE and were found in the Neolithic Stone Age. These cups were found in China and were made of bones. It’s also believed that wooden mugs existed in this era. About 2500 to 2000 BCE, the Late Neolithic Period, the first pottery mugs, which were made on a potter wheel, were found in China. The decorating process during this era was easy, but things began getting sophisticated with the advancement of technology. Clay mugs had thick walls which didn't fit the mouth well, prompting the development of metal processing techniques that led to thinner walled mugs.

With time, metal mugs were produced from bronze, lead, silver and gold. Again, there was a problem since these mugs couldn’t hold hot drinks, resulting in the invention of porcelain at around 600 BCE, and better ceramics for manufacturing mugs. As a result of this progression, there are currently different materials for making mugs, and different personalisation techniques. Nonetheless, each of these materials has its advantages and disadvantages. In the modern day, most promotional mugs are made from earthenware ceramic, whereas personalised water bottles are usually made from BPA free plastic.