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What’s the Cheapest Sublimation Printers To Buy In 2023

Cheapest Sublimation Printers

A sublimation printer is a type of printer that uses heat to transfer dye onto objects such as fabric, ceramic, metal, and glass. Sublimation printers are becoming increasingly popular, as they offer a unique way to print designs onto various materials.

However, Cheapest sublimation printing can also be used for personal projects, such as creating custom mugs or t-shirts. If you’re interested in sublimation printing but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a printer, there are several cheap sublimation printers on the market.

The Epson Workforce WF-7710 Sublimation Printer is considered one of the cheapest sublimation printers on the market. It offers impressive print quality and a wide variety of compatible sublimation inks and papers. Another great thing about this printer is that it’s relatively affordable it typically retails for around $300.

List Of The Cheapest Sublimation Printers

  • Epson EcoTank ET-2720 – $289 | Wireless | All-in-One | 10.5 PPM
  • Epson EcoTank ET-2760 – $335 | Supertank | Refillable | 10.5 PPM
  • Sawgrass SG500 – $699 | Duplex | Wireless | Compact
  • Epson EcoTank ET-15000 – $699 | Inkjet All-in-One | 17 PPM
  • Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 – $799 | Duplex | 16PPM
  • Epson WorkForce WF-7710 – $1099 | Auto-Duplex | Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 18 PPM

Top 7 Cheap Sublimation Printers For Professionals And Beginners

1. Epson EcoTank ET-2720

Cheapest Epson Sublimation Printer

Epson Ecotank ET-2720 is one of the cheapest sublimation printers for the heat transfer process. It is a convertible, all-in-one, super tank sublimation printing machine with a photocopier and high-resolution flatbed scanner to scan documents in HD with built-in 2.4 inches touchscreen colorful display to easily navigate and faster your printing operation.

It gives users an edge in an innovative cartridge-free printing experience and zero cartridge waste. Epson ET-2720 uses unique micro piezo heat-free technology and gives high-quality printing for both digital and sublimation printing than its older models.

It gives a moderate look with a sleek desktop design, with two years of limited product warranty. If you plan sublimation at your home or office and want to print at A4, A6, and letter size for heat transfer processing at the lowest price, this would be a good option.

Also, in terms of compatibility, you can connect Ecotank ET-2720 with laptops and PC but unfortunately has no wireless fidelity mode technology.

2. Epson EcoTank ET-2760

Cheapest sublimation printer for beginners

If you are looking for the cheapest sublimation printer for beginners then Epson ET-2760 is the way to go. An all-in-one printer with a photocopier for copying and a built-in scanner; provides a cartridge-free solution too.

Duplex technology printing machines give high-quality printing with vibrant and sophisticated colors in various sizes. It comes with a 2.4 inches touchscreen color display, which helps to moderate and navigate the printing process quickly.

Most of the students have reviewed it better than ET-2800. ET-2760 has the most similar features to ET-2720, but ET-2760 is better in performance. The duplex automatic printing and external storage it has gained more votes.

If you want to do direct printing of your design at home, this would be the best option because you can heat transfer your design in A4, A6, Half Letter, and legal. It comes with a pack of sublimation paper in 8.5 x 11 inches and 400ML sublimation ink to print and transfer your design to mugs and cups.

The major disadvantage is It is only compatible with laptops and PCs but not with mobile devices, and connectivity is not too friendly, i.e., do not support wifi.

3. Epson EcoTank ET-15000

Cheapest A3 sublimation printer

Epson ET-1500 is a wireless-supported, cheapest A3 sublimation printer with an all-in-one printing experience. It is a wide format (13 x 19 inches) sublimation printer equipped with a high-quality photocopier machine and scanner that helps in HQ, vibrant color imaging, and a fax option.

It is convenient and compatible with laptops and PCs via wifi connectivity mode and 2.7 inches color HD touchscreen display and voice-activated and gives its users a highly demanded hands-free printing experience. Compared to ET-4760, EcoTank ET-15000 is slightly better in high page yields and has a rear input tray that supports tabloid-size paper.

It is an A3 sublimation-ready printer. If you’re planning to start a sublimation printing business, it will be convenient because it can give flexibility with a wide range of media sizes printing options like A3, A4, and A6. It provides a high productivity rate using 250 sheets capacity of the paper tray and zero cartridge waste with yield ink bottles.

Do you wanna know what’s the shocking drawbacks here? The connectivity model is wifi but is not compatible with mobile devices and smartphones.

4. Sawgrass SG500

Cheapest sawgrass Sublimation printer

Sawgrass wireless SG500 is the cheapest sublimation printer for t-shirts heat press printing machines with high quality, vibrant HD images, and customized printing.

The Sawgrass SG500 comes with a complete pack of printing ecosystems that you need to perform sublimation printing operations efficiently, i.e., Online designer creative studio manager, Sawgrass print manager, SubliJet UHD CMYK ink with built-in ink consumption minimizer.

It gives its users a high compatibility option to connect with mobile devices, laptops, and PCs via wireless fidelity (Wifi) mode. Like SG1000, SG500 has the same printing quality and features but is more budget-friendly and convenient for home use. It is the cheapest sawgrass sublimation-ready printer with a desktop and compact design, a built-in support system to minimize power consumption, and a two-year product warranty.

If you want to plan sublimation printing business, this would be the ideal sublimation printer to start with, and this is going to be the cheapest A3 sublimation printer. 

5. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Converted Ecotank Sublimation Printer

Epson sublimation ET-8550 is the A3 cheapest sublimation printer but not sublimation-ready as Epson ET-15000. It is wireless fidelity supported and gives us an all-in-one and vast format printing experience via a high-quality scanning system and photocopier machine.

It gives its users a high-end printing experience using 4.3-inch big and beautiful HD Quality and a touchscreen display to check, maintain printer status, and navigate the printing process.

It provides flexibility to print and scan directly from mobile devices via the Epson Smart Panel app (Android and iOS supported). From there you can set up, monitor, manage, and operate the printing process.

In verdict, It gives unique printing quality, offers a high-quality digital printing experience, and is also suitable for offset and sublimation printing experiences for sublimation processing.

6. Epson WorkForce WF-7710

Wide Format Sublimation Ready Printer

WorkForce WF-7710 is an A3 sublimation printer with wide-format printing capability. It comes with high-quality wireless fidelity (wifi) connectivity. It is compatible with laptops and PCs via USB, Ethernet, and Wifi, along with a wireless printing option for smartphones, tablets and iPad, and iPhones.

It is equipped with an excellent quality scanner and photocopier option to give its users a high-end technology experience and a fax option. It has 4.3 inches color touchscreen HD big display, which helps navigate and print easily. It has built-in amazon dash replenishing technology, which allows your printer allows pre-ordering ink or toner before you learn your printer is running out of low ink supplies.

WF-7710 and WF-7210 are mostly similar, but WF-7710  is compatible with Mac and has low power consumption. Overall, It is a super easy convertible printer and comes with a set of sublimation paper in 8.5 x 11 inches and sublimation ink. Even you can order a customized sublimation heat transfer paper between A4 and A3.

Cheapest Place To Buy A Sublimation Printer

There is hyper-consumerism for products related to sublimation printing in this modern world. As a business or consumer, this is not easy to find the best and cheapest sublimation printer.

Although we’re continuously digging out and exploring the solvable problem, thus, we have come to the point, researched, and tested according to consumer demand. As we have enlisted the products above was the cheapest in the market, and was suitable for business demand, or maybe you’re thinking it off to use at home or office.

We have chosen the cheapest on-demand sublimation printers for our readers. You can buy that on Amazon or directly from the manufacturers’ websites. As concluded, Sawgrass and Epson are the cheapest sublimation printers, whether you’re founding your printing business or thinking of it to use at home or in the office.

Quick Shopping Guide to pick the right Sublimation Printer

Whether you are planning to buy a sublimation printer for your print-on-demand business or want to get it for taking care of your office or home need, you must have kept some essential points before buying or choosing a sublimation printer.

If you’re searching for the cheapest sublimation printer, there is a point to keep in your mind. Suppose you are on a tight budget and don’t want to invest a considerable amount and want to get the new one. There are two options for sublimation printers.

Sublimation Ready Printers:

Suppose you’re planning a print-on-demand printing business, like cups, mugs, or t-shirt heat transfer printing business. I must recommend the sublimation-ready printer,

Due to a high productivity rate and low maintenance.

Convertible Sublimation Printers:

Suppose you’re planning to start sublimation printing at home or office to meet your personal or personnel need. Then we would like to recommend the cheapest convertible printers for sublimation.

It will be the best option for you. Because if you have met your sublimation printing need and want to use your printer as a regular printer, you can convert it again by removing the infusible ink tank and placing your on-demand inkjet ink in that.

Can I use any Epson printer for sublimation?

You can use an Epson printer for sublimation printing purposes, whether you want to print customized t-shirts or fancy mugs or use them for home and decor DIY needs.

Suppose you’ve already Epson printer at your home or office. You need to replace printer inkjet ink with sublimation ink (Infusible ink). Before you place sublimation ink in your printer, you need to keep in mind that you have washed old ink properly; you need to make sure that there is no ink remaining in the head of the printer.

There is a particular chance ink can remain in the head or lines of the printer. Clean it carefully, and then place sublimation ink. Otherwise, there might be chances of getting poor sublimation printing results.

However, it is good to use a brand-new Epson printer for sublimation and printing.

Because if you are using an old Epson printer, you will first need to convert it. Converting an inkjet printer into a sublimation printer is not an easy game. First, you will need to wash it properly and replace the sublimation ink. Otherwise, there are some chances of getting errors while printing or some random sublimation printing defects.

How Do I make Sublimation Colors Pop?

There are a few things you can do to make your sublimation colors pop:

  • Use a high-quality sublimation paper – This will ensure that the ink is transferred properly onto the substrate.
  • Make sure your print settings are correct – Be sure to set your printer settings to “high quality” or “photo quality” to get the best results.
  • Use bright, vibrant colors – Sublimation works best with bright, saturated colors. Avoid using pastel or muted colors, as they may not show up as well after printing.
  • Increase the temperature and pressure settings on your printer – This will help to improve the transfer of the ink onto the substrate.
  • Pre-heat your substrate – This step is especially important when using dark-colored substrates. By pre-heating the substrate, you are helping to ensure that the ink will transfer evenly onto the surface.
  • Use a post-heat press – A post-heat press can help to improve the clarity and vibrancy of your sublimation colors.
  • Apply a clear sealant – A clear sealant can help to protect your print and make the colors pop even more.

FAQs

What is the cheapest printer I can convert to sublimation?

Here is the thing, sublimation printers are not that cheap. The reason is, that you need a specific kind of printer that can handle the heat and pressure required for sublimation printing.

So, while there are a few ways you can “convert” a regular inkjet printer to be able to do sublimation printing, it’s really not recommended. It’s much better (and cheaper in the long run) to just buy a sublimation printer specifically designed for the job.

A few of the best and most popular sublimation printers on the market are:

  • Epson Workforce WF-7710
  • Epson Workforce WF-7720

While there are a number of great sublimation printers on the market, the ones listed above are some of the most popular options – and you can also convert these Epson printers for sublimation.

Can you print sublimation on any printer?

No, you cannot print sublimation on any printer. You need a specialized sublimation printer in order to do so. Sublimation printing requires high temperatures in order to transfer the ink onto the substrate, and most regular printers are not able to reach those temperatures. Also, regular printers use a different type of ink that is not compatible with sublimation printing. Other than Epson & sawgrass printers no other printers can print sublimation.

They are the only company that manufactures printers with the ability to print sublimation, and they have a few different models to choose from.

Can I use my Cricut for sublimation?

Hell no, Cricut machines are not made for sublimation because they don’t get hot enough. For example, the Cricut Explore Air 2 can reach up to 400°F, but sublimation requires temperatures of around 500-600°F. For this reason, we recommend using a dedicated sublimation printer.

If you have a Cricut machine and want to try sublimation, you can purchase a separate sublimation printer or convert your Cricut into a sublimation machine by adding a few extra pieces of hardware. This conversion process is not recommended for beginners, as it requires some technical knowledge and experience working with electronics.

Here’s a beginner’s guide for Cricut users. However, you can buy a separate sublimation machine that will work with your Cricut machine.


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