5 Best Sublimation Printers For T-Shirts in 2023!

Wondering about starting a clothing line or a brand for specific apparel, a t-shirt store maybe?  Then sublimation printing is a fun, long lasting, and cost efficient way to start your journey. There are many other methods for T-shirt printing but sublimation printing is getting more popular because of its high quality. The most troublesome task to start your t-shirt business will be to choose one of best sublimation printers for t-shirt printing. You must be efficient and creative enough along with the right gadgets at your disposal to start your career in t-shirt printing by sublimation process.In order to choose said right gadgets, I have handpicked five best sublimation printers for t-shirt printing after carefully sieving through a number of printers. So, if you really want to enhance your career and save your time then do not miss any part of this guide.

5 Best Sublimation Printers For T-Shirts

1.   Epson picture mate PM 400

  One of best and affordable sublimation printers for t-shirts is Epson picture mate 400. It is basically designed for photos but it gives superb results when used for sublimation printing for t-shirts.Both its ink and paper are affordable. The setup is fastest and simplest among many printers. After further investigation, I discovered it does not give any kind of shine to ink when produced on matte paper which is a great quality. With only compatible with Epson cartridges, it produces bigger size results with high quality.My study on this printer led me to verify that it is certainly one of best sublimation printers for t-shirts with a moderate speed if not faster. Although I don’t like one thing , you have to reconfigure printer every time you change settings from 4×6 to 5×6 and vice versa. I figured it can work from various sources like PC, smartphones, etc. which somewhat balances the scale.

Bigger Prints But Light In Weight

Epson PM 400, however can print bigger sizes but it is surprisingly lighter in weight than other Epson models with same capability.

2.   Epson EcoTank ET- 2760 EcoTank ET-2670 is an all-in-one supertank printer. With external storage capacity and lesser costs per print. It is housed on a smaller and compact body that is ruggedly made and that is able to deliver production with much lesser waste.I found its colour display much smaller at 1.44 inches. I also uncovered its borderless printing, which is very amazing at 4×6 inches. Upon  investigating further, I discovered that it comes with ink that is sufficient to produce 7500 prints.Until now, I think it is one of best sublimation printer with inkjet printhead for t-shirts, which produces output at high resolution of 5760×1440 dpi.If I talk about its text quality then I can  safely say that it produces well shaped texts with proper pair kerning and character spacing.And, as far as the graphics goes, they are also produced with smooth tonal gradients with only minor streaking for keen eyesThere are also a few flaws that I uncovered including no ADF. Also, its maximum paper capacity is 100 but if  you load more than 35 then be ready to face issues. Love that you don’t have to get up to turn it on, will wake up and do a job on its own.

Always On Standby

Some thing that I like most about ET-2670 is that it is always on standby. You do not have to get up ever, it will get the job done on its own and go back to sleep.

3.   Epson EcoTank 4700

If you do not want to spend ridiculous amounts of ink and money then EcoTank 4700 is for you. Also, if you want an upgrade then I would recommend trying Epson 4700. It is a compact machine but produces results like big giants. With colors that are vibrant and tones that are smooth, 4700 is the best you can get in this price range.I have studied this machine carefully and it is an excellent value for every penny because it is fast and also quiet which is a bonus. Further study, I found that its bottled ink is cheaper and easy to use. Among a few flaws, one thing that I would like to point out is that I wish it was of a larger format. Regarding the setup, I gathered very clear instructions. If you are thinking of starting a t-shirt business then ET-4700 is in town to save you a lot in terms of ink especially.

Easy User Interface

In addition to its easy user interface, you can set this printer up and running in no time and start printing those beautifully customized t-shirts that you desire.

4.    Canon PIXMA MG3620

Next on my list of best sublimation printers for t-shirts is Canon PIXMA MG3620 because of its clear and crisp printouts. It is a compact printer with duplex print, copy, and scan, where all can be done wired or wirelessly. PIXMA MG3620 provides you with high quality prints with above average speed.MG3620 also has a Quiet Mode but it usually slows printing by almost 15 seconds. Have to praise its graphics, among many features with rich and vibrant colors, bold dark shades, and sharp text. I can easily say that it will fix in compact spaces because of its compact size. Also, it wakes up on time when anything to be printed is sent it’s way.

Many Printing Choices

Different printing choices that I uncovered include Canon Print, AirPrint, NFC, Google Cloud Print, and Mopria Print services.

5.   Hp Envy 6055

Not only, HP Envy 6055 printer is best sublimation printer for t-shirts, but it is also a perfect all rounder that we need to get things rolling. Although Envy 6055 is not the fastest printer, it will take only 10 minutes to setup. My study on this printer showed me that it offers 1200 x 1200 dpi black and white resolution, whereas 4800 x 1200 resolution for color prints is also available. The cartridges, however, are two only, one is an ink color cartridge with four colors, whereas second is for black only. This makes things simple. But for some, it is an issue because it means that changing cartridges will be necessary even if only one color ends. When I investigated its color prints, I was impressed with crisp and well toned prints. But a little bending in greyscale can be seen by keen eyes. There are also two things that I don’t like. First is the absence of a screen and actual buttons. Buttons are just like lights that light up when touched. Second drawback is it pull out tray which is only a few inches wide, due to which papers fall on to floor or desk.

Modern Design

HP Envy 6055 is a great budget printer with good print and build quality. For the given price range, I found its design very modern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sublimation better on cotton or polyester T-shirt?

Well, in order to get best sublimation results that won’t wash away, it is advised to use polyester t-shirts because cotton fibers do not like sublimation dyes very much.

Why are polyester t-shirts are best suited for sublimation?

Polyester is best suited for sublimation printing. When polyester is heated, then it sustains sublimation ink by letting it penetrate easily. The reason for this is polymers can easily open up on application of heat.

Can you sublimate on black shirts?

Yes, why not! You can also sublimate on black shirts. You just have to use a white heat transfer vinyl as a base layer. Your design to be sublimated will easily be visible on white background provided you have not used too much white in your design.

Conclusion

Starting a small sublimation in T-shirts is always a good idea. There are many folks who would like custom made designs on their apparel. You can give their imagined design life and drop it on a t-shirt. But you will only be able to do this task professionally, only if you have one of best sublimation printers for t-shirts. For this particular reason, I have compiled this guide to guide you in purchase of your needed printer. To make things easier, I will narrow down my list to top three with my top most choice being Epson EcoTank 4700,Epson EcoTank 4700: due to its ultimate ink saving. Also, because it produces results with excellent quality in terms of vibrant colors and smooth tones.Hp Envy 6055: due to its modern design and useful in such a price range. Also, due to its capacity for being an all rounder printer.Epson EcoTank ET- 2760: due to its 24/7 standby feature. Also, due to its production with minimum waste.