10 Best Sublimation Printers 2024 Reviews!
You’re probably familiar with numerous techniques for printing images and designs on different types of materials. Direct-to-garment printing, screen printing, embroidery, and transfer vinyl are some alternatives. What good is sublimation, though?
For a designer, sublimation printing offers a rare combination of quality, cost, and time savings, making it a desirable solution. Additionally, it is the greatest method for creating high-quality prints on any surface.
Today, creating and manufacturing T-shirts, and other products is a great way to showcase your creativity and become a successful entrepreneur. The greatest sublimation printers are only ones that will give you the outcomes you require, whether you’re printing imagination on paper or transferring color onto fabrics or ceramics.
Knowing which is best sublimation printer is now required. The best answer, like so many other quests for best, rests entirely on you. which dye-sublimation printer most effectively meets your needs?
Table of Contents
10 Best Sublimation Printers Reviewed 2024!
I have carefully researched below mentioned 10 best sublimation printers. So let’s get right to our list without further ado.
1. Brother MFCL2700DW All-In-One
User level: Professional
- Very effective laser sublimation printer.
- Can be used with toner instead of ink.
- Printer with two-sided printing.
- It is sometimes difficult to connect it through Wifi.
In my perspective, this is the heaviest printer in Brother lineup, but compared to Epson Workforce WF, it is best sublimation printer because it can scan documents, has an integrated ADF (auto document feeder), WiFi, and ethernet connectivity.
Plain paper and envelopes are printed on this Brother MFCL 2700 DW sublimation printer with ease. Additionally, it can scan PDF files. Purchase a toner and printer bundle to save money.
Users have reviewed more than 4 starts due to pleasant work experience, and easy and quick connection to a computer, laptop, or tablet.
When I compare it to inkjet printers, it has a number of benefits, including lower cartridge prices and less ink waste during cartridge replacement. If you need to print something while away from your desk, it also provides mobile printing over the cloud.
The MFC-L2700DW prints text documents and other files that don’t require much processing at a pace of 27 pages per minute (ppm), according to Brother. For price, that is acceptable but not quick.
Economical Printer
MFC-L2700DW is a fairly fast printer that can print quite a large amount of text (very clean and crispy) at affordable rates. Also, it has a decent third party toner following, that makes it an economical printer over all.
2. Brother HL-L3290CDW
User level: Professional
- Highest quality color sublimation printer.
- Simple to set up.
- Excellent connectivity.
- Manual input of 250 pages.
- Printing rate is 25 pages per minute.
- Very expensive.
After testing, I believe that this Brother model is best color sublimation printer with a small digital printer. It contains a flatbed copier, a scanner, and ability to print in color, all of which encourage the sublimation printer to produce prints of high quality.
As compared to other printers, I have found its price fair. Cost of refilling ink is inexpensive because it uses laser printing technology. Similar to inkjet printer, which is affordable when compared to others and has excellent quality that outweighs its cost.
It’s easy to connect and set up. With a print speed of 25 sheets per minute, it is a faster printer than those of its rivals that I have researched.
Best function is Amazon Dash Replacement, which begins operating right after activation and checks ink level. an alert is sent automatically when ink runs out.
Fact that it comes with a single set of starting toner cartridges is one of its best characteristics in my opinion. I’ve discovered most effective approach to save money with this printer because this toner yields 100 copies.
Always On Stand-by
It is a printer that is always on stand-by. You will never have to switch it on manually if it is in stand-by mode which is a great feature to have in such price tag.
3. HP Office Jet Pro 9025
User Level: Professional, Beginners
- Faster speed.
- Cost-efficient.
- Supports ADF.
- ADF features stuck sometimes.
Due to research, I can safely that this printer is the greatest all-in-one sublimation printer. You can save money, resources, and time.
Although it can print extremely detailed color photographs, it works best for printing common documents.
We have a 2.7-inch touchscreen up front. Although display is smaller, I can see that touch functionality is excellent and incredibly quick.
Jet Pro has ability to print, fax, scan, copy, and do all kinds of other things. Amazingly, the printer immediately blinks choice to prompt you to purchase a new cartridge when supply of ink becomes low. This device is ideal for your busy office because it has a tray that can accommodate 225 sheets.
Additionally, it prints 25 sheets per minute in color and 29 papers per minute in black and white, which is an astounding rate. Best thing that I like about this printer is that it can print 8.5 x 11-inch papers without borders.
If it comes to performance, HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 excels. The printing is of good clarity and has wonderful detail. On contrast side, scanning quality performs well with high color depth in addition to printing.
Compact For An Extensive Printer
Thing that really surprised me was this printer’s compactness despite extensive features it has. Also, anyone with little computer knowledge can set it up in just 20 minutes.
4. Epson SureColor T3170
User Level: Beginners
- Output is faster.
- Performance is very good.
- Up to 24 inches, long sheets can be printed.
- Does not print on vinyl and fabrics.
This particular one in my research is designed for large formats. We’re discussing dimensions up to 24 inches. This indicates that regardless of what you publish or type of business you run, you can print in sizes like A1 and A3.
A plotter will need to be printed on a sizable piece of card paper by an engineer using AutoCAD. The T3170, which offers high-speed performance, is a solution to their problem.
Furthermore, I would like to point out that this printer cannot be used for sublimation when printing directly to garments (DTG). The T3170 can print graphics on card paper, but it won’t work with textiles or vinyl.
Also Read:
What are Different Types of Printers
With this model, Epson truly outdoes itself by emphasizing a big printing surface. It is targeted at engineers, designers, architects, and small business owners. Along with
Guaranteed Persistant Color Output
PrecisionCore MicroTFP Printhead, the bigger cartridges further improve ink flow, guaranteeing consistent color in outputs.
5. Sawgrass Virtuoso SG50
User Level: Beginners
- Easy to use.
- Uses SubliJet UHD Sublimation inks which provide superb output.
- Up to 51 inches of surfaces can be printed.
- Large fabrics like bedsheets can not be printed.
Virtuoso, one of the top sublimation printers for beginners, commands a larger market share because of its small size, desktop publishing features, and auxiliary assistance.
SG500 genuinely confounds me with its ink quality, nevertheless. The output not only matched digital image but also adhered to individual thread strands of fabric when I tested it first on a polyester t-shirt with a vibrant graphic pattern.
Only Sawgrass’ innovative SubliJet UHD Sublimation ink technology, which also works beautifully on other surfaces including aluminum panels, tiles, oak, glass, fiberglass, and slates, makes this feasible.
At this point, it ceases to be a tool for hobbyists and starts to become a tool favored by creative business owners, small-business proprietors, and independent designers.
Create Your Own Color Palette
Sawgrass Virtuoso also includes access to CreativeStudio Online Designer and Color Management Software, which you can use to create your own prints, control color palette, and print the most beautiful things your customers have ever seen.
6. Epson WorkForce WF-7720
User Level: Beginners, Professional
- Can scan, and print.
- Wifi and ethernet connectivity options.
- Three input trays.
- Fax and Copy.
- Faster printing.
- Touchscreen display.
- Ink tanks are not refillable.
- Additional software is required sometimes.
Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is finest sublimation printer for beginners since it provides an excellent balance of speed and quality. I have found this printer deals with huge designs that need a lot of detail because maximum print area is considerably larger than that of competing printers at this price point.
Many users have praised its control panel with a 4.3″ touchscreen display, which is big enough to view text comfortably and is also located on the device’s front side. In addition to touch capabilities, display can be effortlessly tilted up and down to change viewing angles.
Inkjet cartridge system that comes with Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is reasonable. Speaking of printing expenses different users have mentioned that WF-7720 provides a fair value in this area. In my testing, cost of printing for black-and-white prints was 0.066 US dollars per print and 0.132 US dollars per print, while cost of printing photos averaged 0.323 US dollars for each print.
Despite the fact that it is not fastest printer available, Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is not the worst printer I have tested either. It prints at speed of 8ppm for black and white, while a color document prints at roughly 6 ppm. On other side, photo print was subpar compared to most other printers on the market, taking roughly 59 seconds.
Built With Strong Plastic Throughout
About standard of built quality, it is one of most durable printers available thanks to the use of strong plastic throughout entire body.
7. Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000
User Level: Beginners
- Very effective laser sublimation printer.
- Can be used with toner instead of ink.
- Printer with two-sided printing.
- Compatible with only Epson ink cartridges.
Entire body of Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is built of durable plastic, giving it a very simple appearance. I’m quite impressed with the design and material quality in terms of appearance.
2.4-inch LCD color display and numerous tactile buttons are located on front of device to aid with menu navigation. On the display, there isn’t any touch capability, though. But I have found that experience is improved by hardware buttons. Users find tillable mechanism suitable as it improves already excellent viewing angles on screen.
Lots of users have been reviewed by me, that have experimented with printing documents of various sizes and qualities, whose outcomes amazed them.
Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is a good sublimation printer because of how rich photos are. With 6-color Claria Photo HD Inks, it can create gorgeous prints up to 13 inches wide, which is certainly endorsed by many users on different platforms. It is more practical for larger print tasks because of ADF feature.
Amazing Resolution
Thanks to 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution, printing quality was excellent with excellent color depth, clear and brilliant colors, amazing detailing, and demonstrated reasonable dynamic range.
8. Canon G7020
User Level: Beginners
- Very efficient.
- Affordable.
- Can print on both sides.
- Faster printing speed.
- Easy to configure.
- Small LED.
Canon G7020 provides superb sublimation printing quality at a reasonable cost.
I recommend features listed below for use at home and in office because they have all been validated. Connectivity, usability, and replaceable ink are just a few of the impressive features.
Print crisp, clear texts and photos with excellent resolution. Print pictures in the 8.51.1 and 3.53.5 sizes.
G7020 is an inkjet printer that functions incredibly well. The ink levels are plain to see. Ink can be refilled in specific bottles. It has clear glass to see ink level and an ink super tank.
One of most economical sublimation printer with excellent print quality, and there is no reason why I shouldn’t put this machine among best sublimation printer as you can get up to 6000 black and 7700 color pages from a single bottle of ink.
Integration With Third Party Apps
You may print using Air Print, Google Cloud Print, iPhones, and iPads.
9. Canon PIXMA TR4520
User Level: Professional
- Wireless communication with smartphones or tablets is easy.
- Can be integrated with Alexa.
- Affordable printer with high print quality.
- An expensive ink tank as compared to ink itself.
TR4520 sublimation printer is a great choice for a reasonable printer, according to research. This printer offers the highest printing quality at lowest price. With option to print on both sides, I have found it great for printing artwork.
PIXMA utilizes wireless communication, connects with mobile devices, and works flawlessly with Alexa.
Appropriate for both home and business use, I have noticed that it is also supported by auto duplex feature.
ISO black printing speed is around 8.8 ipm, whereas the ISO color printing speed is approximately 4.4 ipm. The built-in ADF, AirPrint, Mopria print service, and Canon print app are all supported.
Dash Replacement
Dash replacement method is used on all ink reorders, which saves 10% ink. If you activate it to monitor ink levels and make smart reorder when they run low, there is no monthly subscription, and you can stop your smart reorder at any time.
10. Epson Stylus c88+
User Level: Professional
- Printing speed is very fast.
- Smudge-Resistant 120 sheet paper tray.
- Higher running cost.
Epson’s Stylus C88+ is the ideal solution for usage at home, in workplace, and in business settings because of its compact size, reasonable price, and high level of dependability.
My observation points out how extensively used this printer has been. But despite being an old printer, it maintains its position as a best printer for screen printing, heat transfers, and art prints.
Your process will be more straightforward if you use a heat press. I personally like its sharpness.
C88+ performs admirably for ceramics, t-shirts, and other sublimation items. The device features automatic paper handling that moves at a rate of 19 pages per minute and a single input tray with a 120-sheet capacity.
Moreover, it allows borderless printing and a wide range of banner compatibility (8.5 inches wide-44 inches in length). You may easily enhance your productivity with its amazing performance. Due to its superb precision, it is the best solution for t-shirt sublimation printing.
Usage Of Both Pigment And Sublimation Inks
Those users who have a variety of heat transfer systems, find it a great fit as it uses both pigment and sublimation inks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Printer Brands Can Be Used For Sublimation?
All printers that use Piezo Print Technology can be converted in to sublimation printers. The known brands are Epson, Brother Inkjet printers, and Sawgrass.
What Is The Easiest Printer To Convert To Sublimation?
Easiest printers to be converted to sublimation are EchoTank printers. Their tanks make them easy to be filled with sublimation ink instead of Inkjet ink. They are also cost efficient. Therefore, they are best suited for beginners who just want to test waters and are not ready for costly printers like Sawgragg SG500.
What Happens If I Print Sublimation Ink On Regular Paper?
If you try to print sublimation ink on regular paper, then colors will be dull. The color will not be vibrant unless they are sublimated on to surface of substrate by help of heat.
Conclusion
Some serious consideration is needed for sublimation printing then it’s time to seriously consider it. It is one of best methods used for all-over printing. Also, with it being cost-efficient, it is best suited for small businesses. Sublimation printing is a fast-growing industry therefore I have researched many sublimation printers. Out of many, I have mentioned top 10.
But if you want to further narrow down list to top 3 then here are my recommendations.
Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500: Best Printer for Sublimation
SG500 will certainly be in our first position. It is an industry-class device that has all features that are needed for a sublimation printer. With all research that I have made on sublimation printers, I have found SG500 to be an ultimate solution for sublimation printing.
Epson EcoTank ET-4760: Best Budget Sublimation Printer
It is a fairly decent and all-in-one sublimation printer that is most cost-efficient of all.
HP Officejet Pro 9025: Low-Cost Sublimation Printer
it is another low-cost printer for small businesses. Even with its cost efficiency, it has a strongly built body with many outstanding features like ADF, two-sided scanning, etc.
Of all three, obviously Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 will be my top most recommendation because it is jam packed with many useful features.