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What Printers Can Be Used For Sublimation?

September 1, 2023
By JOSNA

The moment you begin thinking about sublimation printing, the first question that would pop in your mind is which printer to use. In a general sense, this process is only possible with inkjet printers as sublimation printing uses sublimation ink in liquid form unlike the powder ink used in laser printers.

Again, all inkjet printers may not be capable of carrying out sublimation printing. When you want to use the sublimation process for printing, you will need a printer specifically designed for this purpose. Although plenty of printers from different brands claim to be suitable for sublimation printing, not every one delivers high-quality results. To get a perfect print using sublimation printing, picking the right printer is crucial.

Outline

What is a Sublimation Printer?

You need to know what sublimation printing is before diving deep into sublimation printers’ choices. This type of printing involves transferring a design or a logo from a sublimation paper onto a fabric by subjecting it to pressure and heat. In this process, the liquid ink is converted into gaseous form, which then permeates the fibers in the fabric resulting in a long-lasting print that doesn’t crease or fade.

Several companies and people use sublimation printing to customize merchandise, materials, and several other things. Since sublimation printing provides superior-quality prints, it has recently gained massive popularity.

Different Types of Sublimation Printers

There are two different types of printers based on the type of print head. This feature determines whether a printer can be used for sublimation printing or not. Each of these types and its working has been described below.

1. Thermal Print Head

When the printer has a thermal print head, it cannot be used for sublimation printing. This is because such printers use only water-based inks whose application is limited to photo printing. Generally, Canon and HP produce printers with this type of print head.

Working of a Printer With Thermal Print Head

As the name suggests, a thermal print head printer uses heat for boiling ink. The thermal print heads are heated during printing which melts the ink in the nozzles before it spreads onto the material. The moment the ink comes out of the nozzle, its temperature gets reduced so the resultant printed paper is cool.

2. Piezo Print Head

If your printer has a piezo print head, it is compatible with sublimation printing. You can use many types of inks with piezo print head printers, including solvent, water-based, eco-solvent, gel-based, etc. Brands like Sawgrass, Epson, and Brothers manufacture printers with piezo print heads. Such printers can be used for the sublimation printing process by using sublimation ink. Before investing in such a printer ensure that it is compatible with sublimation ink.

Working of a Printer With Piezo Print Head

There are special crystals in piezo print heads to which electric current is applied during printing. This would result in these special crystals to expand which would then force the ink onto the fabric. When the printing process is completed, the electric current is removed. This makes the crystals go back to their original shape which draws the ink back into the print heads.

Pros and cons of sublimation printing

As with any technology, there are pros and cons when it comes to sublimation printing as well.

Pros:

Very easy process
Results in high-quality prints
The process is pretty flexible
Relatively cheap
High-precision technology makes it capable of printing detailed designs
Waiting time is minimum once the design is transferred onto the material
Since ink is bonded with the fibers of the fabric, it does not come off or become brittle easily
The colors are intense and do not fade
Prints are resistant to UV rays as well as other environmental changes
Environment-friendly process since no solvents or binding agents are used.

Cons:

You need special printers, ink, and paper for sublimation printing
Initial costs are comparatively higher
Sublimation printers generally work slowly
Only polyester or polyester coated materials can be printed
White, dull, and light colors cannot be printed effectively
Designs typically shrink from 1-4%
Cannot print on dark materials

List of Sublimation Printers

Since there are a variety of sublimation printers readily available in the market, we have consolidated a list of sublimation printers that are the best.

1. Dye Sublimation Printers

Printers	Features, Pros, Cons
a. Sawgrass SG500	Features: Wi-fi connectivity Thermal printing technology Maximum print speed is 19 ppm 2- year manufacturer warranty Lifetime support Pros: Minimum maintenance and quality issues Access to professional tools Beginner friendly Cons: Very costly Can only use Sawgrass ink Small printing size limit
b. HP Envy 7255	Features: USB connectivity Thermal inkjet printing technology Wireless printer Mobile printing Maximum print speed is 10 ppm Pros: Double sided photo sheets can be printed Good quality photo prints Wide range of colors can be printed Cons: Color accuracy is bad Page yield is low Automatic document feeder is missing
c. HP Officejet Pro 8025	Features: Supports Wi-Fi, USB, and ethernet connectivity Inkjet printing technology Double sided scanning Comes with an automatic feeder Touch screen Pros: Maintenance cost is low High quality prints Well built Cons: Printing speed is slow when colors are printed Black page yield is low The source to input paper is only one
d. Epson Expression Home XP-5200	Features: Color printer USB, Wi-fi, and Wi-fi direct connectivity Flatbed scanner 150 sheet capacity Individual cartridges of ink 3-in-1 printer, print, scan, and copy Pros: Fast printing Double sided printing Lightweight and compact Cons: Running cost is high Page yield is low Photos look grainy sometimes
e. HP Smart Tank 6001	Features: Double sided printing Best Wi-fi technology of HP HP Smart app for easy setup Security of HP Wolf Any device can be used to print Pros: Operating cost is low Build quality is good High page yield in color and monochrome Cons: Warm up time is too long Scan quality is not so great Automatic document feeder is missing

2. Best Sublimation Printers for T-shirts

Printers	Features, Pros, Cons
a. Epson ET-5170	Features: Print, copy, scan, and fax functionality Cartridge free ink system Automatic two sided printing 250 sheet paper input tray USB, Ethernet, and Wi-fi connectivity Pros: Running cost is low Precision Core print head Comes with options of mobile connectivity Cons: Print speed is a bit sluggish Purchase price is high Doesn’t support photo printing
b. Epson Eco Tank ET-8550	Features: In-house photo printing Low cost replacement bottles Borderless photo printing support Zero ink cartridge waste Up to 2 year printing Pros: Cost per print is low Detailed and colorful prints Ink tank is refillable yielding upto 1000 prints Cons: Color inaccuracy with a few colors Unclear paper feed instructions Fairly expensive
c. Epson Eco Tank WorkForce Pro WF-3820	Features: 4-in-1, print, scan, fax, and copy 4-color pigment ink Uses Precision Core heat free printing technology 250-sheet input capacity Touchscreen Pros: Supports external USB drive Good Precision Core print quality Fast printing speed Cons: ADF does not support auto-duplexing Running costs are high Multipurpose tray is missing
d. Epson Eco Tank ET-15000	Features: Supports wireless and ethernet connectivity Print, copy, scan, and fax functionality Four ink bottles of Eco Tank 250 sheet paper capacity Cartridge free printing Pros: Running cost is low Capable of printing on super-tabloid size sheet paper Lightweight and compact Cons: Scanning size limited ADF supports only single side printing Color document printing is slow

3. Best Sublimation Printers for Cricut

Printers	Features, Pros, Cons
a. Epson Eco Tank ET-2800/2803	Features: Cartridge free printing Eco Fit ink bottles 2 years of ink included High-resolution flatbed scanner Scanner and copier inbuilt Pros: Page yield is high Scan are of high quality Wide range of color Cons: Photo prints are grainy Poor technical support Can print only on small surface
b. Epson Eco Tank ET-2850	Features: Automatic two sided printing Eco Fit ink bottles High yield replacement ink bottles Zero cartridge waste Micro piezo heat-free technology Pros: Ink levels can be seen at a glance Scans are of high resolution 2-year warranty included Cons: Functionality issues in mobile app setup Print speed is slow Some prints come with a blue undertone
c. Canon Pixma MG-3620	Features: Wireless printing technology Capable of scanning, printing, and copying 100 sheet paper capacity 1-year warranty included Automatic two sided printing support Pros: Cost per print is low Cartridge options of XL and XXL available Scan quality is excellent Cons: Printing speed is slow Connectivity options are limited Automatic document feeder is missing

4. Wide Format for Sublimation Printers

Printers	Features, Pros, Cons
a. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-7820	Features: Print, copy, scan, and fax capability DURABrite ultra pigment ink High volume reliability 250-sheet paper capacity 4.3” touchscreen Pros: Fast printing speed Comprehensive support of mobile device USB drive support also available Cons: Cost per page is high Bluetooth support unavailable Black page yield is not so good
b. Brother MFC-J5855DW	Features: Supports remote printing and scanning Comes with cloud functionality 3.5” touchscreen Multiple paper options Network security is triple layered Pros: First page out time is fast Print speed is excellent Supports tabloid-size paper printing Cons: Scanning size is limited ADF unable to scan double sided prints Paper feed issues
c. Brother MFC-J6945DW	Features: Supports A3 printing, scanning, and faxing Automatic double sided printing and scanning Wired and wireless connectivity support 9.3 cm LCD touchscreen 20-22 ipm print speed Pros: Touchsceen is excellent Prints out the first page very quickly Supports duplex scanning Cons: Paper jams are quite frequent Printing speed is slow for black text papers Output tray is a little small
d. Sawgrass SG1000	Features: Compatible with Windows and MacOS systems High speed and high quality full page prints 2-year warranty included Automatic maintenance cycle Optimized ink jets Pros: High resolution prints Comes with expert color management software Comes with a 2-year warranty Cons: Driver installation is a bit complicated Technical support is not good Creative Studio lacks major features

Factors to Consider While Buying the Sublimation Printers

Since there are plenty of sublimation printers available in the market, you need to do your research prior to settling on an ideal sublimation printer for your needs. Below are a few factors that you must consider before picking a sublimation printer for yourself.

1. Printing Size and Resolution

To produce 4” X 6” photos, 600 DPI is ideal. This means that you need to look for a printer which prints at least 600 DPI resolution designs.

2. Ink Compatibility

Some sublimation printers are compatible with only the ink supplied by the printer’s brand. Every brand offers inks at different prices. Even the quality supplied by each brand varies. This is why you need to closely look at the ink compatibility of the printer you are purchasing.

3. Printer Type

For sublimation printing, you cannot go and purchase a laser printer. Only inkjet printers can carry out sublimation printing. Again, all inkjet printers cannot support sublimation printing. Be mindful of this while settling on a printer.

4. Multiple Paper Trays

Having the option of multiple paper trays eliminates the wastage of time and supplies. You can dedicate a tray for each type of material you print.

5. Connectivity Options

Try to get a printer which supports multiple connectivity options like Wifi, ethernet, and USB. Out of these, Wifi connectivity is a must.

6. Print Speed

You can find sublimation printers with varying print speeds from 18 square meters per hour to over 3000 square meters per hour. You can choose a sublimation printer with the print speed you want.

7. Maintenance and Support

Like every electronic gadget, even a sublimation printer needs to be set up before use. With proper support this process becomes fairly easy. Once you start using the printer you need to pay ample attention to its maintenance as well otherwise performance issues may crop up.

8. Warranty

Most sublimation printers come with a 1-2 years warranty. Longer the warranty period, better would be the support offered whenever the printer malfunctions.

Sublimation – FAQs

1. Can I use any inkjet printer for sublimation printing?

Ans: No, every inkjet printer is not compatible with sublimation printing. You need an inkjet printer that has been specifically designed for accommodating and using sublimation ink for the sublimation process. The regular inkjet printers will end up producing poor results when used for sublimation printing.

2. Can cotton fabrics be printed using sublimation?

Ans: No, you cannot print cotton fabrics using sublimation printing. This printing technology works best when it is used to print polyester or polyester coated materials. Since the sublimation ink bonds with the fibers of the fabric, it will not be effective on cotton or any other natural fabric. For printing on cotton, you need to use a printing method like DTG printing or Direct To Garment printing.

3. Can sublimation inks be used in a regular inkjet printer?

Ans: No, when you use sublimation inks in a regular inkjet printer which is not compatible with sublimation printing, the printer may get damaged. This would result in the printer warranty becoming void. You can use sublimation ink only in those inkjet printers that have been specifically modified for carrying out sublimation printing.

4. How can I achieve accurate colors using sublimation printing?

Ans: In order to achieve accurate colors using sublimation printing, you need to use high-quality sublimation inks. The color profile you use must also match your printer and the material on which you wish to print the design. For consistent and vibrant color, color management and calibration are crucial. Keep checking your printer’s settings regularly and calibrate whenever required to maintain high color accuracy in your printer.

5. Are sublimation and dye-based ink the same?

Ans: Sublimation ink is very different from dye-based ink. The key difference lies in the way ink bonds with the fibers of the substrate fabric. Sublimation ink undergoes a transformation from solid to gas on application of heat and fuses with the fibers of polyester fabric. Meanwhile, dye-based ink merely sits on the fabric surface. Due to this difference, sublimation ink offers a more vibrant and durable print when compared to dye-based ink.

Conclusion

With sublimation printing, you can achieve high-precision results in very less time. It is also cheap compared to other printing methods. This article details everything about sublimation printing. With the help of the details above you can make the right choice when it comes to buying a sublimation printer. Based on the end application, the choice of sublimation printer may vary. The recommendations above can help you in the selection process.