Best Sublimation Printer for T-Shirts In 2022

The best sublimation printer for t-shirts lets you design according to your desire. They are special printers for printing the sublimation paper, so later on, you may use them to print your t-shirt, any other fabric, and garments.

Unlike other printed designs, sublimation printing won’t fade or peel and is also known as “all-over printing.” People prefer it because it offers a variety of options. Sublimation enables you to print on your clothing without having to worry about the ink appearing on top. If you want prints for your personal use or for your small business, sublimation is the best option.

In terms of sublimation and vinyl, I would suggest sublimation again because vinyl is less expensive, but the final results won’t be as good as sublimation.

My research led me to conclude that most printing houses and personal users prefer the Epson ET-2720 as the best sublimation printer for making t-shirts because of its drastic features. For the best shopping experience, read this article, which has reviewed all my best selections.

• Epson ET-2720 – Cheapest & Best T-Shirt Sublimation Printer
• Epson EcoTank ET-4760 – Best Epson Sublimation Printer
• Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 – Best Sawgrass Sublimation Printer
• WorkForce WF-7710 – best dye sublimation printer for small business owners
• Epson WorkForce WF-7210 – Best wide format printer for printing large shirts
• Epson EcoTank ET-15000 – Sublimation printer with refillable ink

6 Best Sublimation Printers For Shirts

Here are our short reviews of the best sublimation printers for making t-shirts

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Most printing houses recommend it as the best Epson sublimation printer for t-shirts. Its high printing quality is not only admired by the printing club, but also by individuals. Though this printer is loaded with plenty of advantages, the lack of ADF features may gonna disappoint you a little.

Despite the fact that the Epson ET-2720 has super Wi-Fi connectivity, it lacks Ethernet and memory card support. On the other hand, it’s not as fast as the editor’s pick for Canon Pixma G6020 when it comes to printing speed. The ET-2720’s size, price, and features are very similar to the ET-2720.

Buy it if…

• You need wide usage
  I find this printer to be a great choice for families with multiple users, as it comes with 2 years’ worth of ink included
• Excellent output with low cost
  Additionally, I found some feedback that the printer has low running costs and excellent print quality.
• You need less waste while printing shirts
  One set of replacement bottles gives you the equivalent of 80 individual cartridges, so it helps save the environment a little bit compared to others.

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The Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is a colored cartridge all-in-one wireless printer with high-quality output. Consumers also recommend this compact printer for its easy refillable tank. It saves your time and boosts the business. In my view, I also found it a relatively more attractive and intelligent printer. Point to be noted, this printer does not support flash memory devices and as compared to other printers, it provides a low-duty cycle.

We’ll take a look at the features of Epson’s ET-4760, which lets you scan, print, copy, and fax from your cloud. It comes with a 2.4″ wide touch screen display for printing output. It will be nice to know that this printer can handle 250 sheets at a time when its direct competitor, Pixma G4210, can only hold 100 pages, which is not comparable at all. Considering the price, the ET-4760’s maximum duty cycle is 5000 to 6000 pages.

Buy it if…

• You need excellent connectivity
  In the end, I would say I like this printer personally for its excellent mobile connectivity.
• High-Quality Output
  If you want a printer with high-quality picture output, this is the one made for you.
• Remote Printing
  Purchase this printer for your desktop; you can even place it in your corridor for remote printing.
• Cost Effective Print
  Moreover, if you have a tight pocket, its running cost will amaze you, which is very low.

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The Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 has built-in all necessary tech that requires for sublimation printing. That’s why it’s one of the best sawgrass sublimation printers on our list. Whether you get the best results, I will suggest you not leave its inks in the printer after use; otherwise, they will give you headaches with color shifting.

Though it is the best sublimation printer for making t-shirts, however, its replacement ink is more expensive than the Epson. The Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 is compatible with the SG400 for its backup. The SG500 is more efficient than SG400 for printing high-resolution images.

Buy it if…

• You need hassle-free print
  Most t-shirt printing clubs reviewed that this sublimation printer does not leave any residue marks after use.
• You need printer with best sublimation paper
  It comes with exclusive Instant Dry SUBLIMAX sublimation paper, Certified by sawgrass
• You need printer with designing software included
  Sawgrass developed an easy-to-use online designer software and a stock design library called “CREATIVE STUDIO”.

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There are two-sided ADF scanners and an auto-duplex printing feature in the WorkForce WF-7710, making it a multitasking printer that can also scan and copy. Also, comes with a high cost per page and maybe not be so good at extreme graphic printing.

The WorkForce WF-7710 is a super tabloid printer with a 13” x 19” paper width, while the MFC-J6935DW can only handle tabloid paper. Measuring 13.4x 22.3x 32.2 inches is a point-to-point similar to its other sibling, WF-7720. The WF-7710 has a paper holding capacity of 250 sheets while the Brother MFC-J6935DW has 600, HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 500, and the HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 can hold 501 pages.

Buy it if…

• You need a easy to use sublimation printer
  This printer offers an easy-to-use control panel that allows you to preview documents or t-shirts design before printing.
• You need to print large-size t-shirts
  Thanks to its wide format features, now users can easily print their large-size documents or designs with ease.
• You need quality performance
  This printer binded with heat-free technology allows printing better than laser technology

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There is another workforce printer from Epson on our list – Workforce WF-7210. The overall printing output is quite good which attracts the users towards it. Red alert: This printer only works with the Epson original cartridge. If you try to use another cartridge, it will cause trouble. 

The Epson WorkForce WF-7210 bears a striking resemblance to its model WorkForce WF-7110. Overall, both printers print high-quality documents and pictures with a wealthy standard mobile connectivity. The Epson WorkForce WF-7210 is large (32.8 pounds) enough to keep it in a separate room, while its competitor Canon’s Pixma iX6820 is smaller.

Buy it if…

• You need a large space for documents
  Those who keep many papers will benefit from its large paper drawers, which are ideal for workaholic users.
• You want auto-duplex feature
  Moreover, add to the cart this product for the tabloid auto duplex feature.
• You need an economical printer
  It consumes less power compared to a professional laser printer

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Epson EcoTank ET-15000, the latest all-in-one wireless supertank printer. Flatbed and sheetfed printing features made this gem a hit with consumers. It’s well-built with its rear paper input tray. There is also something you need to keep in mind, It has relatively disappointing color accuracy and it does not support duplex scanning.

The Epson EcoTank ET-15000 will not disappoint you with its super tank system like its other EcoTank printers do. Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is the sibling of ET-1500 but does not meet its higher black page yield. Canon MAXIFY GX7020 is also a scanner printer with ADF, but ET-15000 lacks this feature. 

Buy it if…

• You need excellent output while printing shirts
  I would recommend purchasing this printer for its high black and color yield.
• You want to save ink
  Consumers always admire its feature of saving 90 percent on ink bottles. In case you need to replace ink bottles, so they are cheap.
• You want easy replacement
  You will not face any trouble with its frequent cartridge replacement.

Benefits of Using Sublimation Printers for Designing a T-Shirt

Sublimation printing is advanced digital printing that can be done on different surfaces. If you run a printing club and want to print on polyester, this printer will make your task easy. Moreover, there are several advantages of using a sublimation printer, some of which I will discuss here to make your shopping easy. Always try to find out a cheap sublimation printer for t-shirts.

Print On Hard Surface Easily
If you want to print on a hard surface, sublimation will make it easy. In the printing market, only some of the printers can make this happen and sublimation is one of them.

Low Printing Curve
You will always get a low printing curve compared to color printing.

Print in Multiple Colors
Its printing is budget-friendly and provides you with multiple colors in a single print. You can use more than four or many colors in one picture.

Cost Effective Print
Never worry about the cost per print. Whether you print one or a thousand, the amount will always be below. Therefore, it is suitable for school, college, parties, sports, reunions, etc.

Get your print on time
Sublimation will allow you the demand printing. You can get the print at the same time and same hour. Whether your printing task is massive or what.

How to do Sublimation on A Shirt?

People have been printing clothes for thousands of years, but mainly it was possible only with polyester. But with this modern era and technologies like sublimation, it has become easy, fast, and cheap. This method prints on polyester and other surfaces like cotton clothes and T-shirts.

Step 1: Create Your Design

Download a picture from any browser or shoot it with a digital camera. Now print the picture on the T-shirt.

Step 2: Print the image on sublimation paper

Now print the image on the sublimation paper, similar to the heat transfer paper.

Step 3: Keep your t-shirt clean and tight

Press your t-shirt before placing the photo, removing all the wrinkles and moisture. Place cardboard between the t-shirt to keep it tight while placing photos.

Step 4: Put the design on your shirt

Time to stick the picture on a t-shirt with the help of tape.

Step 5: Heat Press time

Heat the press 300 to 400 degrees.

Step 6: Get your designing shirt

Press the sublimation printed paper for 2-3 minutes.

Related Article – How to Remove Sublimation Print From Shirt

Sublimation Printing Cost

While sublimation printing is still a relatively new technology, the cost of sublimation printers has come down significantly in recent years. This has made the process more affordable for businesses and organizations of all sizes.

The cost of sublimation printing will vary depending on the size and complexity of the project, as well as the type of printer used. For smaller projects, like t-shirts or coffee mugs, the cost may be as low as $0.50 per print. For larger projects, like banners or flags, the cost can be upwards of $5.00 per square foot.

To get a more accurate estimate of the cost of your project, it is best to consult with a professional sublimation printer. They will be able to provide you with a quote based on the specifics of your project.

Quick Shopping Tips

The following are the key features to look for in a sublimation printer before buying it.

Printing Speed

The speed of the sublimation printer matters a lot, especially when you are purchasing a printer for your office or professional use. It is always counted in the PPM and always available on the printer. However, if you purchase a printer for your home or personal use, the speed doesn’t matter.

Quality of the Print

Sublimation printers are bought for their photo quality. The printing quality minimum should be 300DPI. Moreover, it also depends on the dimension of the paper you are printing. Always try to buy a printer with high resolution; as higher the resolution higher the output will be.

Connectivity

Nowadays, printers are available with different connectivity options. The sublimation printer should be with both wired and wireless connectivity. In this way, you will not be bound to use it at a particular place but can place it anywhere as per your need.

Refilling of Ink

Check your selected printer is available with the EcoTank, which contains the ink bottles which cost less than the ink cartridges. 

Size

The size matters a lot, especially for the sublimation print. Always look at the dimension of the paper it will provide you. Look for a super tabloid or tabloid printer. It will help you print according to your desired paper size.

Material Compatibility

Check out the materials on which the printer will be able to print. It must be capable of printing on sublimation paper which absorbs the heat and t, and the printing works on its bases.

FAQs

Can you use a sublimation printer for t-shirts?

Of course, you can use a sublimation printer for t-shirts. Sublimation printing is a great way to personalize t-shirts with your own designs. You’ll need to use a transfer paper specifically designed for sublimation printing in order to get the best results. Follow the instructions that come with your transfer paper to ensure that your design is transferred correctly.

Is Sawgrass better than Epson for sublimation?

It depends on a variety of factors, including the type of printer, the inks being used, the substrate, etc. In general, however, Sawgrass printers are considered to be some of the best on the market for sublimation printing. They offer high-quality prints with vivid colors and sharp details. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line sublimation printer, Sawgrass is definitely a brand to consider.

On the other hand, Epson printers are also popular for sublimation printing. They tend to be more affordable than Sawgrass printers, making them a good option for those on a budget. Epson printers also offer excellent print quality, though not quite on the same level as Sawgrass. If you’re looking for a good sublimation printer that won’t break the bank, Epson is a great choice.

So, which brand is better? It really depends on your needs and budget. If you’re looking for the best possible print quality, Sawgrass is the way to go. However, if you’re working with a tight budget, Epson is a great option. Either way, you’ll be able to produce high-quality prints with either brand of printer.

Is the sublimation business profitable?

Indeed sublimation can be a very profitable business venture. There are many factors to consider when determining if this type of business is right for you, including the upfront investment costs, the ongoing operational costs, and the potential revenue. When all of these factors are taken into consideration, sublimation can be a very lucrative business opportunity.

Is sublimation better than vinyl?

If you are looking for a durable and long-lasting product, then sublimation is the way to go. With vinyl, you might have to replace it after a few years due to wear and tear. Sublimation, on the other hand, is made to last. It is also resistant to fading and can handle high temperatures. So, if you want a product that will last and look good for years to come, then sublimation is the better choice.

Types Of Sublimation Printing Technology

There are two types of sublimation printing technology: direct and indirect. Direct sublimation printing uses a heat transfer process in which the image is printed directly onto the substrate, such as a piece of fabric or a mug. Indirect sublimation printing uses transfer paper to first print the image, which is then transferred to the substrate using heat and pressure. Direct sublimation printing is more common, as it generally produces better results.

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