Top 13 Best Sublimation Printers For Beginners In 2022
Are you starting your customized apparel or accessories printing business and looking for a Sublimation Printer? But, worried about which Sublimation printer to use while maintaining the quality of the print? Don’t worry we have got you covered. We have enlisted below the best sublimation printers you can choose according to your use.
You can now print any design of your choice by yourself with these printers. Sublimation printers work in a simple way all you need to do is, print the design on a special paper called sublimation paper and then transfer it on the cloth, card, or any accessory of your choice by heat transfer method. Our team has many of them and gathered the Best Sublimation Printers in 2022 which will satisfy your needs with a bonus at the end.
Design
Product
Features
Price
Best Sublimation Printer For Heat Transfer 2022
If you are looking for a printer with HD quality printing then Epson Expression XP-15000 is the right choice. It comes with a compact size, clean and minimalistic look yet the high-quality resolution of printing. This is a photo printer but can be used as a sublimation printer as well. We used it and found it works well for both, HD Photo prints and Sublimation prints for clothes and other accessories.
No matter whether you want to create big or small-size photos or prints it works well for all. The print quality is sharp and non-blurry which is a good add-on. It has highly professional results and is the finest dye-sublimation printer for beginners in 2022 as it is super easy to set up and use which is a significant factor to consider if you are not too familiar with these kinds of printers.
We used the printer and it seems to be a little on the slower side but this is not going to affect your work. You can think of it whether you want your design to print with high speed or high quality. Obviously, you would choose quality over speed. Am I right?
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Resolution: 5760×1440
Page size supported: From 4”x6” up to 13”x19”
Cartridges: 6 colors, individual cartridges (only Epson cartridges no third party cartridge supported)
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi and Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
If you are convenient to ignore its high cartridge expense and slow speed then this is the printer for you. It has a lot of benefits to be considered like the wireless connectivity options, the six different ink cartridges together print a high-resolution design maintaining its charm. Also, you won’t face any size issues normally as its size range is good enough 13 inches x 19 inches.
Best Sublimation Ink Printer Value For Money
EcoTank ET-2720 is one of the most affordable options for sublimation printing. It is highly cost-saving because of its super tank which once filled with ink can last up to 2 years. EcoTank ET-2720 is developed to be user-friendly and innovative.
Although it is quite slow but creates vivid imagery. It handles workload easily and has excellent paper handling which helps you to get easy methodology. You can claim 2 years warranty if you will directly buy it from the company.
It is one of the good options to get started with. Although the company claims easy setup and fast connectivity we tested that it lacks it. You might find difficulties at an initial stage but if you consult the company representatives within warranty time you can easily get it set up.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Resolution: 5760×1440 DPI
Page size supported: 8.5” x 14”
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet
Compatible devices: Smartphones/ tablets/ PCs
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
It has almost the same features as another Epson EcoTank having model ET-15000 – but the major difference is that ET-2720 is much cheaper than ET-15000. Also, there is a difference in setup. When we set up ET-2720, we found some difficulties in its connection to Wi-Fi. Also, we printed a number of designs to check the efficiency and we found it pretty slow.
Best Sublimation Printer For Beginners
Epson’s EcoTank series is worth consideration. Epson EcoTank ET-15000 uses less ink and provides maximum performance without any compromise on the quality of printing design. Its ink tank is big enough to last up to 2 years as it consumes 90% less ink than other sublimation printers. It has a very low running cost as it is efficient in ink usage. You will be free from the hustle of changing ink cartridges more often.
Meanwhile, its efficiency in ink usage doesn’t affect its image quality. You will get the same vibrant and sharp images. You can even use it as a regular printer for printing your documents, scanning, faxing, etc. But, once you convert the printer to a sublimation printer you can’t reverse the procedure. The conversion from normal InkJet to Sublimation printing is permanent.
It is also one of the economical and most selling super tank printers. It supports wide-format printing up to 13” x 19”. Borderless printing can also be done that is up to 11”x17”.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Page size supported: 11” x 17” (borderless)
Compatible Devices: Laptops and PCs
Recommended use: Office, Home
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
All in all, this printer provides high productivity with less cost. Its cartridge-free system is best for you if you either forget to change cartridges or are too lazy to do it. It is suitable for all-purpose use but, we recommend using it mostly for office or home purposes.
Printer For Beginners
Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is among the most cost-effective and the best sublimation printer we’ve ever evaluated. It can handle huge workloads which makes it a good choice for vast quantities of paper. This printer has a good speed, with black-only text papers printing at 16 ppm and color prints at 7 ppm. We printed a high-quality photo with it and it took almost 89 seconds.
Since you’re looking for a good all-in-one sublimation printer, look no farther than the Epson EcoTank ET-4760. The scanner also has a dynamic color range and works very well. On either side, if you use it for general printing, it will work nicely.
Being one of the items of the EcoTank series it is highly cost and ink-saving yet gives amazing results and quality printing. It is professional and has premium productivity. You can also avail the feature of fax. The colors and resolution in the result are remarkably amazing.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Compatible Devices: Laptops and PCs
Recommended use: Office, Home
Page size supported: from 3.5″ x 5″ to A4, half letter, etc.
Connectivity Technology: USB
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Best Features of ET-4760 include inexpensive printing expenditures, which are lower than most of its competitors. The ink tank used in this printer is neither expensive nor too short to run out of ink most often. Just like other EcoTank series items it also saves a huge amount of ink producing zero cartridge waste.
Best Sublimation Inkjet Printer
Epson Workforce WF-7710 is another masterpiece of Epson. It is cost-saving, uses less ink, and can handle medium to high workloads. It also has a touchscreen interface for the ease of users. It is also cost-effective and worth buying in the price range it generally comes in.
It can easily balance in home-based average and professional high workloads. It is an excellent option for those who don’t want to spend a lot of money and time on changing cartridges. As compared to its previous models it is four times efficient. It supports double-sided printing saving time and energy too.
It can easily be connected with wired or wireless technology. Furthermore, you can print directly from your smartphones as well. All you will need is to connect the printer to your phone with the help of the user manual and you are good to go.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Compatible devices: PC, Smartphones, Laptops
Recommended use: Office/ Home
Page size supported: from 4”x 6” to 13”x19”
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi and Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Compared to the other few options of Epson mentioned above you may find it a bit costly but it is also a one-time investment and you would hardly have to spend money on its maintenance. It is one of the best options for high workloads so you can choose it if it matches your requirements.
Professional Sublimation Printer
Epson WF-7210 can help you print your designs on various fabrics and accessories. The colors are accurate and vibrant. It supports both Windows and Mac OS device connections. You can also use plain sheets or glossy paper as well. You may feel it is a little heavier but, it has a lot of good features as well.
It works on wireless connections and can be compatible with all your devices. You may require some extra software installations to your device but if you are fine with it you can choose it as your best option. You can use this for dye sublimation and get good results. Epson is well known for manufacturing dye-sublimation printers.
It has an Auto-Duplex feature that is automatic double-sided printing. It also has two separate trays with a maximum of 500 printing sheet spaces. We have also tried it for borderless prints and works quite well. It does not support prints on transparent sheets which may bother you but for limited designs only.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Page size supported: up to 13”x19”
Special feature: Auto Duplex (double side print)
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi
Recommended use of the device: Office, Home
Print output: color
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
You may find a lot of features exactly similar to other Workforce models but has an additional feature of saving power up to 80% to that of laser printers. This one feature satisfied us to drop other options. Its performance was almost the same as other ones but we found it better. We highly recommend this model if you want to go for an economical option and good performance.
The Best Sublimation Printer For T-Shirts
This is the one and only printer designed especially while considering the requirements of sublimation printing. It has many premium features like fast speed, innovative design, high performance, and a lot more. It is a bit heavier but this doesn’t let you ignore its performance.
Most of the other brands use conversion technology that is you can use it as a general printer but can change it to a sublimation printer by changing its cartridges but once changed; they cannot be reverted to general printing. Sawgrass on the other hand is specially designed for sublimation printing only which makes it unique among all.
These printers are more expensive than most compatible printers on the market, but they are well worth the extra money if you need a printer for professional use. After testing several Sawgrass models we found SG500 the best option among all. It has a high speed of printing and amazing vibrant print results.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Sublimation printing
Compatible devices: PC, Smartphones, Laptops
Page size supported: 8.5”x14”
Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet
Printer Output: Color
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 has been specifically built for sublimation printing on sublimation paper stock. According to our experience of use, it is the best solution for professional concerns of sublimation printing.
Best Sublimation Printer For Mug Printing
Canon Selphy CP-1300 is amazing, compact, and comes in a neat design. It is the most compact printer we have tested till now. Canon generally produces world-famous cameras and photography gadgets yet its printer is also world-class. Its compatibility does not affect its performance and it is as efficient as other printers.
We ordered it online and it was delivered within 5-6 days. It supports fats connectivity with smartphones, USB, and SD cards also. To connect it to your phone you need to download an application called Canon Print. The application is also available for both Android and iOS. The print accuracy was great and high quality just as we expected.
Another wonderful feature of Canon CO-1300 is water resistance. Its prints are vibrant and water-resistant at the same time. Also, it has an intuitive touch screen that enables easy and quick navigation. You will need to connect your device and printer to the same internet network otherwise the application would not detect the printer.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Recommended Use of the device: Home
Page size supported: Cards and postcards sizes, 4”x6”
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, USB, SD card
Compatible devices: Smartphones, PCs, Laptops, etc.
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
Canon CP-1300 supports only a limited size of sheets. This makes it not a good option for bigger designs. It comes in a portable and highly compact size and design. If your requirements are not big enough then this is the perfect printer for you. The brand didn’t compromise on the photo quality.
Best Entry Level Sublimation Printer
Epson Artisan 1430 is the best option for you if you don’t have any issues and are ready to pay for high-quality prints. It has ultra-high resolution and quality imagery. It has many excellent features at once. It is a wide format and borderless image supporting printer. It gave us an excellent output which we then printed on a shirt and it looked amazing.
You may feel its cost is high but the cost is worth its performance. It is time-efficient and can handle a high workload easily without any unnecessary and miscellaneous issues. It does not have a touch screen so if you are the person who is always looking for touchscreens you might face difficulty in navigation. But this is not a big issue you won’t face any difficulty in printing just because of this.
This printer enables you to take out wide-format images with excellent quality and the best color accuracy at your home. It gives Ultra HD results to your print. It is wireless yet easy to connect and set up. You will require to download its driver but you won’t find any difficulty in its setup.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Page size supported: 13”x19”
Print Media: paper, glossy sheets, CDs/DVDs, etc.
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, wireless networks, mobile
Compatible devices: Smartphones, PCs, Laptops, etc.
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
We highly recommend this Epson Artisan 1430 for highly professional work if you do not have any issues related to the budget. it gives high definition and high-resolution prints. Unlike Epson’s other printers its speed is good enough that it leaves behind all the other models of Epson when it comes to print speed.
Dye Best Sublimation Printer For Beginners
Epson Workforce WF-7720 supports a lot of options including two-sided printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. For a high-quality printing experience, we recommend using Epson’s genuine inks as third-party cartridges are not supported. It is among the good sublimation printers to date. You can choose this model based on your requirements.
The wired and wireless connectivity options increase the ease of its use. Its excellent built aesthetics attracts the users and seems to be made on an innovative design. We recommend that design and building must be the last choice for selecting a professional tool.
The automatic double-sided print has a speed of 8.7 ppm in black and 6 ppm in color. It supports various connectivity options from iPad, iPhone, and androids too. We concluded from the prints we took out that besides all these benefits it lacks color accuracy which doesn’t make it the right choice for highly professional use.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Resolution: 1200 x 2400 dpi
Page size supported: from 3.5″ x 5″ to 13″ x 19″,
A4, A6, Half Letter, Executive
Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
The Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is among the sublimation printers available today. It has a level of sophistication that results in gorgeous graphics of extraordinary quality. The WF-7720 is designed for folks who want a high-quality photo that can be transferred to their accessories using sublimation printing technology.
Monochrome Laser Printer
If you are looking for the most budget-friendly printer then Brother HL-L2320D is the option to choose. Brother Company designs the cheapest and most affordable printers. But, here we have selected one of those with comparatively better specifications and performance. Unlike all the others that we have mentioned it works on laser printing technology.
Unfortunately, it does not support color prints but only black prints only. This makes it a little faster. We printed a file of more than 25 pages in approximately one minute. This speed is quite good overall but average for a black color printer. The speed mentioned by the brand is 30ppm which is we find correct while testing it.
Our recommendation about this is only for beginners as it has very limited features. If you are a person who is looking for advanced features then this is not for you. But for beginners and new startups, this can be the most reliable option on a budget saving side and starting up.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Electron Laser
Special Feature: Auto-Duplex
Recommended use of the device: Office, Home
Compatible devices: Smartphones, PCs, Laptops
Connectivity Technology: USB
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
For beginners, Brother HL-L2320D is the best option to do hands-on printing practice and startup. It is the cheapest option of all so you will have fewer worries that either your best sublimation printing ideas are going to work or not. We, recommend practicing even if you feel difficulty in the beginning if you are new to printing.
Best Sublimation Printer For Heat Press
Epson EcoTank ET-8550 fulfills all the requirements of a good printer. It is also a cartridge-free printer and saves up to 80% of ink compared to other regular printers which makes it less costly while running in your home or office. It is one of the best options for dye-sublimation printing as it yields high-quality colors and graphics.
It is one of the reliable machines which will give you hustle free printing for 2 years (approximately) for each set of ink bottles. Its super ink bottles are refillable. The printer supports borderless wide format prints that will satisfy 95% of your designs easily. Also, it supports both wired and wireless connections.
The design is minimalistic and adds a decent look to the place where it is kept. However, we do not recommend falling for designs in the first place. It has an intuitive touch screen. You can also operate it through your mobile phone. It supports almost all smartphones and devices.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Page size supported: wide format prints up to 3”x19”
Print result: Color
Print media: paper and glossy items, cards, CDs/DVDs, etc. (maximum 1.3 mm thick)
Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi, and Ethernet
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
While using it we found that just like some other Epson printers this one is also slow it took the 40s-50s for a single print. Despite being slow it has some good features which are considerable. We highly recommend it if you are patient enough because it is highly cost-saving and has a low running cost.
Bonus Best Instant Photo Printer
This is an instant photo printer and not a sublimation printer. It is very compact and easily portable. It is easy to carry because of its compact size. It has a lot of special features like beautiful build and quality, excellent performance, instant photo printouts, etc.
It has a touch screen with good resolution and enables a one-touch print. You do not have to wait longer for those complex navigation issues. You came not to use it for sublimation printing but it’s surely the best option for the most pocket-friendly budget and high-quality performance.
We tested the fast charging option and not only has it had fast charging speed but also fast printing speed. That is why it’s called an instant photo printer. We would recommend you to buy this amazing printer because it is heavy in performance and not in your pocket.
Specifications:
Printing Technology: Inkjet
Brand: Kodak
Page size supported: 4”x6”
Print result: Color
Print media: paper and glossy photo sheets
Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi
Reasons to Buy
Reasons to Avoid
It is one of the best instant photo printers. If you’re the one who wants to save memories for the long term you can use this printer. It is portable and you can easily carry it with you. Also, it looks cute and stylish. You can use it for your customized gift businesses as well if you don’t need prints to be bigger than 4”x6”.
Buyer’s Guide:
In this buying guide, I explain to you how to buy the best sublimation printers that help you most, you just have to read carefully all the steps. these steps help you to make a better decision. here we go!!!
I will give you a quick guide through all the above-mentioned devices. For the most affordable and cheapest option, we have Brother HL-L2320D but unfortunately, it does not support many colors but only black. We can recommend this to only newbies and those who have a tight budget but not for professionals.
Coming to the next option we have Canon CP-1300 which is portable and compact with maximum performance and good speed but since it does not support prints bigger than 4”x6” we would not recommend this to professionals or for business use however, you can use this for domestic purpose if you like.
Another option is the Epson EcoTank series among which the most recommended by us is the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 because compared to other models of the series it has better performance and features along with cost-effectiveness.
Next comes the Epson Workforce series which we find the best is Epson Workforce WF-7210 because it has maximum color accuracy and better features than other models of the series. Last but not the least, Sawgrass SG-500 is the most recommended by us after several printing tests and is the most professional among all the devices. It has the best features along with high-speed printing. We recommend this as we found it the best sublimation printer for Professional use. Here are some important factors to remember:
Sawgrass SG-500 is specially designed for sublimation printing.
High printing speed for both black and color outputs
Professional quality printing
Best imagery and color accuracy
High-quality photos and designs
Easy to use and setup
What is the best sublimation printer?
After testing several options we have found Sawgrass SG-500 as the best sublimation printer so far. Several other models of Sawgrass are also amazing. It completely depends on your requirement that which device would satisfy your needs. We recommend SG-500 to all the newbies as well as professionals.
What printers are good for sublimation?
Here is a list of our recommendations you can choose any of these according to your need.
Sawgrass SG-500
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
Epson Workforce WF-7210
Brother HL-L2320D
Canon CP-1300
Can I use a normal printer for sublimation?
The simple and sweet answer to this question is “no you can’t”. Sublimation printing requires special ink and printing paper called sublimation paper. Although, some printers are convertible to sublimation printing once you convert them the mechanism cannot be reverted to normal printing.
Is sublimation printing good quality?
In the best sublimation printers, the color and design in form of vapors merge in the material itself this is why it is a long-lasting and amazing quality. The quality also depends on the printer you are using.
Which Epson Ecotank printer is best for sublimation?
There are several models to be considered among which we found Epson EcoTank ET-15000 as the best after its use. It has an amazing vibrant print and sufficient ink capacity which lasts up to two years. This makes it a low-cost running printer which is a big advantage.
What sublimation printer should I buy?
A: The answer to this question depends on your requirements. Here are some
recommendations;
If you have no issues with budget or you are not new in the field, we highly recommend Sawgrass SG-500.
For a cheaper side, you can choose Brother HL-L2320D but it has only black output so if you are a person who likes colors this is not for you.
If you want low running cost printers you can go for Epson EcoTank ET-15000 or Epson WorkForce WF-7210
Conclusion:
After reviewing and testing all the above printers we have come to the conclusion that each printer has its own unique features which might get your interest. We personally recommend choosing the printer which satisfies your maximum requirement. I hope you can find the best sublimation printers that help you in your daily life!!!