Best Sublimation Printer of 2024 – TOP Choices Recommended

Sublimation printing is heating applied to change ink into the material. Among the common methods of printing fabrics and ceramics among others, it involves quality and long-lasting designs. If you want sublimation printers, here are some factors to bear in mind before settling on buying one.

For starters, you would want to consider the kind of material you are going to print on. Numerous kinds of sublimation printers are intended for varying kinds of materials, and you will need to understand what it is you mean to print on so that you might ensure getting a printer compatible with those items. You would also need to consider the size of the printer and its resolution and print speed.

However, the selection of an appropriate sublimation printer is a challenge; one may be given an overwhelming array of selections. The home-use printers are available, and the business ones can be sought too. There are many types of printers among the printers, such as sublimation printers involving the application of sublimation, ink-sublimation, and many other techniques.

Ultimately, it may come down to personal factors and budget. For the rest of this review, we take a closer look at some of the top-ranked sublimation printers out there to help you narrow down which best fits your needs.

Best Sublimation Printers

If you are into high quality printing of photos on things like mugs, T-shirts, or phone covers, then such a sublimation printer would be just the kind for you. Sublimation printers apply heat transfer for dye onto a substrate. Normally, these printers give very colorful and durable prints. Herein, we have sampled some of the highest rated sublimation printers on Amazon to help you easily find your ideal one.

Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One

Look to no other place for an affordable and easy-to-operate printer that will handle all the aspects of basic home printing with ease; just consider the Epson EcoTank ET-2800.

Pros

• Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing with Easy-to-Fill, supersized ink tanks means you won’t have to worry about running low on ink any time soon – and you’ll save a bundle on replacement ink.
• Save Up to 90% With Replacement Ink Bottles Compared with ink cartridges, replacement ink bottles save you up to 90 percent, while printing as many as 4,500 pages black / 7,500 color—equal to about 90 individual ink cartridges.
• Worry-Free Printing: Inside are up to 2 years of ink in the box with every replacement ink set, fewer frustrating runs out of ink.

Cons

• Annoying Setup: The setup can be a bit of a pain and does take some time.
• Paper Tray Setup: The setting up of the paper tray is a little annoying to the users. Limited features are those where its specs are appropriate only for basic at-home printing and do not have any other features that may involve sophisticated printing.

The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 should be fairly adequate for anyone requiring a bottom-of-the-line home printer, being rather hassle-free to operate and inexpensive. This ingenuous cartridge-free printing system will save you oodles with respect to replacement ink, and you will be able to have the frustrations of running out of ink limited. However, its setup is somewhat annoying, with the paper tray setup not quite ideal for most users. That is, this is only a basic printer for home use and not one meant for more professional printing.

Brother Sublimation Printer

Just in case you want to bring a more personal touch to the printer, get the Sublimation Printer by Brother.

Brother Sublimation Printer is also compatible with the application Artspira, which will allow importing and saving of images up to 20 very easily for prints. Printing patterns and designs, even converting images into posters, style drawings, will be yours on-the-go thanks to Artspira.
Starting with your Brother Sublimation Printer, download the Artspira app. Inside the Artspira app, you will discover over 100 Sublimation Designs, Stylistic Photo Authentic Images and much more!
With fast print speeds, show off your project in minutes with vibrant color.

Cons

• Heat press is required, though, which is an added purchase.
• This is more pricey than some of the other sublimation printers out there. Some users stated that there was an issue with smudging and having to put one paper at a time when printing in large quantities.

If you’re looking for a reliable sublimation printer, it would be worth considering that this Sublimation Printer is compatible with the Artspira app, which has very fast printing speeds, so making a custom design has become a lot easier. Again, using it requires a heat press, and there’s a relatively higher price tag compared to some other available options.

Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer

Think about a colorful sublimation printer that could give 13″ x 19″ prints. One of the printers that one can get is the Epson EcoTank ET-15000.

Pros

• Save up to 90 percent with low-cost replacement ink bottles
• Cartridge-free printing, with easy-to-fill supersized ink tanks.
• Multimedia: 250-sheet plain paper tray, plus rear speciality paper feed

Cons

• High Upfront Cost
• There are some complaints about the printer not recognizing ink bottles.
• Limited, it only prints on some kinds of papers.

It is an all-in-one inkjet printer that uses inexpensive replacement bottles to conserve ink. It saves as much as 90% compared to traditional ink cartridges. Besides, with the cartridge-free printing system, there is zero cartridge waste. Print versatile paper handling capability to print everything from 13″ x 19″ through the rear feed, make copies and scans up to 8.5″ x 11″ from the scanning bed, or even 8.5″ x 14″ through the ADF. Easily handle a variety of paper types and sizes with the 250-sheet paper capacity and rear specialty feed.

Nevertheless, this cost was high in the first instance, and there are some complaints of problems with recognizing ink bottles. This printer only allows printing on certain types of paper. In other words, if one wants the best sublimation printer with the lowest ink costs and undiscriminating paper handling, it will be of reason to consider the Epson EcoTank ET-15000.

Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 HD Product Decorating System

The Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 HD Product Decorating System is another good option if someone after good quality-with a sublimation printer.

Pros

• Unique design of SG500 as an integrated solution. Made with sublimation in mind. Easy to operate. Ideal for hobbyists and moonlighters.
• Being backwards-compatible with all the accessories from the SG400, it means that this printer will work with all your pre-existing tools.
• The maintenance cycle is done automatically by the SG500 for trouble-free printing; hence, it is a very reliable and efficient printer.

Cons

• That means SG 500 is for prints on all types of polyester fabrics or any type of polymer-coated rigid media and not on cotton or dark fabrics.
• This is a added cost printer that uses a heat press machine for applications. The inks that come with the printer are also just starter inks to fill up the lines. You will get an out-of-ink warning, although it has over 200+ full coverage prints.

The Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 HD Product Decorating System is a great choice for any customer who needs a reliable and productive sublimation printer. Very easy to use, this fully integrated desktop solution offers an automatic maintenance cycle and is destined to meet the needs of both hobbyists and moonlighters alike. Otherwise, a printer can only print on polyester fabrics or polymer-coated rigid media. Application with the help of a heat press is needed. Add to that there are a few fill-up lines to be done with the starter inks which come with the printer, so you can get a low ink warning even though such inks should give more than 200+ full coverage prints. Altogether, if you are after high-quality sublimation printing, then the Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 HD Product Decorating System will be one of the best choices.

Epson EcoTank ET-2400 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer

The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 can be one of the very best OK options for a customer seeking an easy-to-operate Supertank printer. High-capacity ink tanks fill up quickly and allow less replacement of ink to be bought. Genuine Epson print quality coupled with a high-resolution flatbed scanner makes it very convenient for basic day-to-day home printing.

Pros

• No more: Expensive cartridges mean no more little, expensive ink cartridges. Epson’s unique EcoFit bottles for inks make refilling easy and worry-free.
• Save up to 90% on replacement ink: Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles compared to standard ink cartridges; that is, up to 4,500 pages black / 7,500 color set versus about 90 individual ink cartridges.
• Printing Made Easy – With up to 2 years of ink in the box and each replacement set of ink, there is less hassle of being out of ink.
  

  Cons

• Individual cartridges calculation based on print yields of a replacement set of black and color ink bottles as compared to Epson standard-capacity ink cartridges for similarly featured printers as of March 2022.
• Requires a download of Epson Smart Panel App. Data usage fees may apply. Most HP ePrint features require an Internet connection to the printer and an Internet- and/or e-mail-capable device.

The Epson EcoTank ET-2400 A&E is one thing, many people, depending on their search for a capable and affordable printer, are able to find in this line of cartridge-free printing technology. You save up to 90% with this printer on the cost of replacement ink and even print hassles away for as much as two years. Some features may require Internet access and the use of the Epson Smart Panel App, which may result in data fees.

Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer

If you are wanting a great choice of an effective yet eco-friendly sublimation printer, Epson EcoTank ET-2850 can be your deal.

Pros

• The state-of-the-art cartridge-free printing system saves valuable time and money by not having small, expensive ink cartridges replaced but simply conveniently filling high-capacity ink tanks with Epson’s exclusively designed EcoFit Ink Bottles, which save money and reduce waste.
• It comes with up to 2 years of ink in the box for stress-free printing and fewer out-of-ink frustrations. Additionally, with each replacement ink set coming with enough ink to print as much as 7,500 pages in black and 6,000 pages in color, it is estimated to be around 90 individual ink cartridges.
• The EcoTank ET-2850 delivers very good print quality thanks to class-leading Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology and pigment black ink. You’ll get super-sharp text and impressive color photos with graphics on virtually all types of paper.

Cons

• Most likely, the printer will also have a higher cost than some other sublimation printers on the market.
• While the EcoTank system will most probably save your money at the end, it may require a little more on the front-end, when buying replacement ink bottles. It is also slow compared to the other sublimation printers, which have a maximum of 10.5 pages per minute with black ink only, and up to 5 pages per minute in color ink.

To sum up, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 is a great eco-friendly option for one’s needs in a sublimation printer. Actually claiming an innovative cartridge-free system of printing, this promises great printing and fuss-free printing, surefire investment for anyone concerned with the state of the environment and convenience.

Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer

Want something economical and fast, yet quite user-friendly when it comes to printing? Maybe it’s high time you reconsidered the Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer. The printer gives you the freedom from cartridges with easy-to-fill, supersized ink tanks. Save up to two years of ink with each replacement or included set. Save up to 90% with low-cost replacement ink bottles compared to ink cartridges.

Pros

• Revolutionary Cartridge-Free Printing
• Massive Savings on Replacement Ink
• Trouble-Free Printing

CONS

• Print heads can become clogged.
• Ink yields may vary considerably ***.
• LIMITED WARRANTY

The EcoTank ET-2720 features genuine, uniquely keyed EcoFit bottles that make refilling incredibly easy. Moreover, this compact white printer provides for wireless printing from the tablet and smartphone plus includes a 2-year limited warranty with registration.

That is your ideal general home printer, featuring real Epson quality print, a high-resolution flatbed scanner, and color display for your convenience. You can also print up to 4,500 pages in black or 7,500 in color, which would be about 90 individual ink cartridges’ worth of printing. Having said that, the printer is otherwise engineered for very high reliability, though print heads do clog occasionally, and results are greatly affected by factors like images printed, print settings, temperature, and humidity, amongst others. Added to this, the warranty is limited, and yields that are talked about on the bottles are based upon the ISO/IEC 24712 pattern using Epson’s methodology. In other words, the Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless All-in-One Supertank Printer is revolutionary in that cartridge-free printing simply means filling the easy-to-access ink tanks and saving hugely on replacement ink. Here is your answer if you have been looking for something that won’t let your arms and legs go in the process of printing.

Epson EcoTank ET-4800 Wireless All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer with Scanner

For the home office that needs an affordable yet reliable printer, the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 will by far provide the best value.

Pros

• This ensures high yields and can save up to 90% in replacement ink costs against standard ink cartridges.
• It’s also important to bear in mind the ink configuration: the EcoTank ET-4800 comes with up to 2 years of ink in the box.
• Built to be reliable, this printer comes with a registered 2-year limited warranty and a no-hassle, full-unit replacement.

cons

• Without a doubt, the software bundled with this printer is pathetically inadequate in many areas, most notably scanning.
• On one hand, the printer may be too complicated to operate, especially for nontechnical individuals.
• The printer sometimes makes noise when it is printing.

This EcoTank ET-4800 makes use of innovative, high-capacity, easily refillable ink tanks in place of using cartridge solutions. What is more interesting is that these cartridges are refillable at a cost way lower than actually buying another one, whilst this printer can give you as much as 2 years’ worth of ink in the box, so running out anytime soon is barely an issue. Capable of creating great print quality, the EcoTank ET-4800 can utilize Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology-printing clear text and impressive color photos and graphics on just about any media type. This device even has a scanner and copier built-in, making this an all-in-one solution for a flexible home office. This printer’s only downside is the software, specifically for scanning. Another minus is sometimes the printer can be very loud during printing, which might concern many users. Be that as it may, with regard to its economy and reliability, the Epson EcoTank ET-4800 is really ideal for one who is after just such a printer for his or her home office.

HP Smart-Tank 5000 Wireless All-in-One Ink-Tank Printer

The Smart Tank 5000 is a surprisingly durable, printer-only unit for an affordable price: exactly what you need in your home.

Pros

• Include ink for up to 2 years; that means you won’t have to hold your breath over the ink running out any time soon.
• It has intelligent guided buttons that light up, thereby guiding you through easy operation, from printing, scanning to copying.
• The HP Smart App enables printing, scanning, and copying directly from your mobile device, all within easy reach.

CONS

• By and large, it is a very sluggish printer since the maximum speed it can print is only 10 monochrome and 5 colored pages per minute.
• The printer is a little bulky and probably will take more space than you would appreciate.
• It can only scan one page at a time, which is very time-wasting if you have to scan more than one.

The Smart Tank 5000 makes printing with the whole family seamless with its smart, connected, and refilling printer model. Affordably make everyday color documents with Original HP Ink, which is in the box and could last up to 2 years. Fully loaded, this printer comes with savings and is great for low-cost and high-volume printing, many as 6,000 black or color pages right from the box.

The printer is fully packed and featured with print, copying and scanning besides other features like borderless printing, mobile, and wireless printing. It is efficient and very reliable when it prints to 10 pages per minute for black and 5 pages per minute color. In the text output from the printer, color graphics and text are sharp enough to take care of your everyday prints, which should look professional and of high quality.

The HP Smart App will make it easy and convenient to print from almost anywhere with a smartphone or tablet. Print from mobile device anywhere, any time, with no PC connection. It will also provide assurances of strong good connectivity, self-recovering Wi-Fi, constant monitoring, and automatic detection of network connection problems with its printer. Moreover, the printer itself is quite easy to use because of lighting smart-guiding buttons that guide you through common print, scan, and copy jobs. The printer also has an integrated spill-free refill system, which means there’s no squeezing or spilling when refilling it. Overall, the HP Smart-Tank 5000 will really be one of the best options for those looking to get a nice, reasonably priced printer able to cover most of the family needs. High-capacity and wireless mean seamless printing for all the family.

Canon MegaTank G3270 All-in-One Wireless Inkjet Printer

 

Additional stuff recommended

Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles with Heat Tape Refill

If you are looking for quality sublimation ink which assures the prints come out in the best color quality and are long-lasting, then you should consider the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles with Heat Tape Refill for ET2400 XP4105 XP4100 ET2720 ET2760 ET2750 ET4800 ET-2800 ET-2803 ET-2850 Inkjet Printers Heat Press Transfer on Mugs T-Shirts Multicolor 4 Packs.

Pros

• Compatible with the majority of printer models
• Excellent for Do-It-Yourself and Print-on-Demand
• Provides Bright and bold colors.

Cons

• Suitable to apply on fabrics that contain no more than 30% cotton.
• The ink installation may be more complicating for some users.
• The quality of the paper will depend on the type of paper.

It is just ideal for sublimation printing on such things as mugs, T-shirts, clothes, pillowcases, shoes, caps, ceramics, boxes, bags, quilts, works of cross, ornamental clothes, flags and banners. Besides the product includes everything that could be required in order to refill one’s printer, rendering it user- and environmentally friendly.

Hiipho Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles with Heat Tape Refill for ET2400 XP4105 XP4100 ET2720 ET2760 ET2750 ET4800 ET-2800 ET-2803 ET-2850 Inkjet Printers is one of the top-rated professional quality sublimation inks. These are ISO-9001 and MSDS certified, thus assuring you of the best quality, high power, stability, durability, and color vividness in today’s market. This ink does not suit fabrics with over 30% cotton. The installation process in this ink could be a little problematic for some users. Lastly, the quality of this print varies along with the type of paper used. That makes the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles with Heat Tape Refill well worth checking out for anyone seeking high-end quality sublimation ink with strong color expressions that really last.

A-SUB Sublimation Paper

If you are looking for sublimation paper, then you can count on A-SUB.

Advantages

• No fracturing, fast dry
• Transfer rate≥98%
• Suitable for your holiday DIY gift.

Cons

• Work strictly with sublimation ink. Normal ink will not work.
• Compatible with Sublimation Printer Only.
• Might catch on tumbler and mug openings

This is coated and packed sublimation paper in 110 sheets, each size being 8.5″ x 11″. It is designed for use with white or light-colored high-quality polyester, material with ≤30% cotton content, premium ceramic & tile, phone case & metal plate, tumbler, and mug—coated.

The major advantages of this product are that it is quick to dry and does not crack upon transfer. In fact, the design really looks nice with a ≥98% transfer rate. Finally, it is just great to make some DIY holiday gifts. You could make lots of other, more personalized stuff for your family. On another note, this sublimation paper is intended to use only with sublimation ink and a sublimation printer. Regular ink just will not work—so one will have to be sure to buy the right equipment. Beyond that, it might also get stuck to tumblers and mugs; hence, one should be very considerate while dealing with these. In the main, A-SUB is a great sublimation paper for my needs, mainly because its drying properties lead to first-class results in the process of transfer. Of course, provided you own and handle the appropriate tool for it while taking care of a few things.

Fosgoit Printhead Cleaning Kit

The Fosgoit Printhead Cleaning Kit is going to be a good pick where one needs the best and most effective cleaning of printheads.

Pros

The kit is compatible with most of the inkjet printers available in the market from Epson, HP, Brother, and Canon.
It must include everything you need to clean a printer’s printhead: a syringe, silicone hose, large and small rubber plugs, gloves, 100ml of cleaning fluid. Full instructions provided.
Its special formula in the cleaning solution serves to dissolve hard blockages, together with other impurities left from inks, so it can increase the life of your printer and enhance the quality of printing.

Cons

• Such an operation can be inconvenient, dirty, and messy for some users.
• Although the kit is compatible with a vast array of different types of ink, it might not perform so well in response to all kinds of clogs or blockages. Be more careful and, for all you know, follow the instructions carefully, unless you want to damage your printer.

If your printer is constantly clogging or it has reached poor print quality, then one product to look out for at a price that will not break the bank is the Fosgoit Printhead Cleaning Kit. The kit itself is very easily operable and is literally equipped with everything one may need to clean the printhead of the printer, including detailed instructions. The process can be a bit messy and heavy, but generally, in the end, you would appreciate its worth: improved print quality and extended printer lifetime.

Purchasing Guide

The following is a shortlist of the things that one should look out for when in search of the best sublimation printer. The following suggestions will help in making the right choices while selecting a printer that suits one’s needs.

Print Quality

Some other features in every sublimation printer would include those of print quality. Ensuring the prints are sharp and come out clear can only be best done by investing in a high-resolution, color-accurate printer. Furthermore, a printer with a wide color gamut will go a long way to make sure your prints really represent the colors in your designs.

Size and dimension

Consider how large the printer is and its capacity. If you are looking at printers for large designs or many print copies, then it should be a good printer with larger capacities. But then again, you’ll want a smaller one if you’re cramped on space for where you’ll put it.

Hence, do make sure that the one you buy does have the connectivities that are required. Most sublimation printers are connected via USB and Wi-Fi, although some can pride themselves on a couple of extra Ethernet or Bluetooth connectivities. Think about which ones will be most useful for the operation.

Cost And, of course, finally, the printer. As much as one may be highly tempted to go in for the cheapest, a more expensive one could be offering so much better quality printouts, larger capacity, or connectivity options. Settle for something that is well within your budget but which also serves your purpose well.

These aspects are bound to go a long way in supporting one toward choosing the right sublimation printer that caters to their needs and assures them of quality prints.

What should one look for in a sublimation printer when planning to print on t-shirts?

Out of the few considerations that have to come into effect while choosing a sublimation printer for printing on T-shirts, size is one of them. In that regard, the size of the printer should at least be large enough for the size of T-shirts you intend to print. Other considerations have to involve issues related to printing quality and speed, the cost of replacing ink, and how much maintenance it would require.
It is always important to pick a printer that is compatible with the system and the designing software in use.

What are the good entry level sublimation printers for a beginner?

Easy recommendations, quite available for a person getting started with sublimation printing, include the Epson SureColor P400, Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400, and the Canon Selphy CP1300; these are very workable, thus able to give top-notch quality prints, each in their respective prices.

How does the Sawgrass printer stand up to Epson printers in sublimation printing?

Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 is quite famous among people who deal with sublimation, but how does it go up against Epson? However, most of the printers by Epson are a bit costlier compared to Sawgrass and have higher quality printing plus high-speed printing, too. This Sawgrass printer is highly cheap and easy to work with; that’s a good thing for beginners or people on a tight budget.

What are some of the best cheap sublimation printers for mugs?

Mugs would require a small-size printer for printing purposes, so the curved surface of a mug can print. A few of the inexpensive options that include printers are the Epson Stylus C88+ and Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 printers, which give good quality prints with their attachments used for printing on a mug.

Can any printer be made into a dye-sub printer, and what are the cheapest to do?

Not every printer is made a sublimation printer, but those that are up to becoming a sublimation printer will need an additional addition of the Sublimation ink system. Economical conversions include Epson Workforce WF-7210, Canon PIXMA TS9520, and HP OfficeJet Pro 7740. However, one has to note that conversion to sublimation renders the warranty for printers null and might almost damage such printers.

Isn’t any of the printing methods more applicable for heat transfers than sublimation?

In addition, although sublimation printing is a more common method for heat transfer, there are alternatives that might work better than sublimation printing for your specific project. Designs that need many colors or extremely complex artworks can best be done using vinyl heat transfer. As a matter of fact, screen printing can even be the best option when the order size is quite large and the design simple. So, in the end, it depends upon the requirements at hand.