A great way to save money when starting out with sublimation is with one of the best Epson printers for sublimation. Epson EcoTanK printers are inkjet-based and feature the correct print head and ink delivery system for sublimation. All you have to do is convert an Epson ET printer to sublimation and you are good to go. Epson’s standard range of printers are extremely cost-effective and easy to use, which can take the sting off buying a single-purpose sublimation printer.
 | Top Pick - #1 Epson ET - 2800 |
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| Budget Epson ET - 2400 |
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 | 13''x19'' Printer Epson ET - 15000 |
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Our Recommendation for beginners
Epson ET-2800 and Hiipoo 4 set sublimation ink is a good choice of printer and sublimation ink combination for bright, vivid transfers on blanks. I have sublimated many different materials from prints using this printer and ink – Metal and glass tumblers, t-shirts, banners, and earrings, all turning out very vivid.
Best Epson printer for sublimation
While Epson offers off-the-shelf sublimation printers in the SureColor series, they aren’t suitable for someone who is just starting. Instead, my advice would be to buy a brand new (not old or secondhand) Epson EcoTank, Workforce, or Expression series printer and tweak or convert it to work as a sublimation printer.
Pros and Cons of Epson Sublimation Printers
- It is very cost-effective, especially for beginners.
- You don’t need to buy expensive ink cartridges.
- Very easy to use and setup
- It will likely void your warranty.
- It is hard to find technical support for a converted Epson printer.
- Requires conversion to sublimation
Epson EcoTanks are the best for sublimation
Epson EcoTank offers the easiest-to-execute conversion because it comes with a separate ink tank module instead of regular cartridges. These are the most highly recommended Epson printers for sublimation.
You don’t need to pop out ink cartridges and use syringes to fill in the sublimation ink carefully. Just attach the ink bottle with a specialized nozzle (Hiipoo and a few other brands make these) and fill the ink color. Moreover, my ink spillage and wastage are significantly less with EcoTank. Most EcoTank printer models support the standard 8.5″ x 14″ paper size.
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (4)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 7,500 pages black/6,000 color (3)
- Stress-Free Printing ― Up to 2 years of ink in the box (2) – and with every replacement ink set – for fewer out of ink frustrations
- High-Capacity Ink Tanks ― Epson’s exclusive EcoFit ink bottles make filling easy and worry-free
- Zero Cartridge Waste ― By using an EcoTank printer, you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills
After reviewing the Epson EcoTank ET-15000, I found it to be one of the best for larger prints, offering top-quality up to 13″ x 19″ in size and boasting large sustainable ink tanks. Another great option for those that may want to utilize multi-black inks or grey ink, is the Epson EcoTank ET-8550. This photo printer features 6-ink tanks and a fantastic resolution.
- Cartridge-free printing for lab-quality photos, graphics and creative projects — get vibrant colors and sharp text with Epson’s high-accuracy printhead and Claria ET Premium 6-color inks; print a 4 x 6″ photo in as fast as 15 seconds (4).Product protection you can count on — 2-year limited warranty with registration (10). | Genuine Epson Ink for Genuine Epson Quality― Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine ink to ensure optimal print quality and performance. Use of non-genuine ink could cause damage not covered under the printer’s ltd. warranty.
- Extraordinary media support, including borderless photos up to 13″ x 19″ — accommodates cardstock, CD/DVDs and other specialty media up to 1.3 mm thick; auto 2-sided printing
- Amazing value — save a ridiculous amount on photos (1) and creative projects with affordable in-house photo printing; print 4″ x 6″ photos for about 4 cents each vs. 40 cents with traditional ink cartridges (1)
- Save up to 80% with low-cost replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (3) — that’s about Dollar-2000 on each set (3), enough ink to print up to 6,200 pages color (5)
- Print up to 2 years (2) — with each included and replacement ink bottle set
The price, however, may put it out of the reach of sublimation printing for beginners. Thankfully, Epson offers a wide range of more affordable EcoTank options.
Affordable Epson EcoTank printers for sublimation
On the other end of the spectrum, Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the most affordable of the printers on the market today. It sports all the essential functions like print, copy, and scan with a 100-page tray capacity, wireless printing supports, and a 1.44-inch LED display. Though the overall quality isn’t as impressive, it’s an excellent starter sublimation printer. We had the pleasure of reviewing the ET-2820 (European ET-2800) and found it performed just as expected, producing vibrant prints with quality ink.
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― High-capacity ink tanks mean no more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; Epson’s exclusive EcoFit ink bottles make filling easy and worry-free.Operating Temperature : 50 to 95 °F (10 to 35 °C)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 color (2), equivalent to about 90 individual ink cartridges (3)
- Stress-Free Printing — Up to 2 years of ink in the box (4) – and with every replacement ink set – for fewer out of ink frustrations
- Zero Cartridge Waste – By using an EcoTank printer, you can help reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills
- Impressive Print Quality ― Unique Micro Piezo Heat-Free Technology produces sharp text – plus impressive color photos and graphics – on virtually any paper type
As you go higher, the Epson tries to compensate for the price by adding some extra (although not very useful) features like Ethernet, Fax, auto-feeder, etc.
Many of these printers offer significant warranties for protection. Be sure to read the fine print as converting it to a sublimation printer does void the warranty in some cases.
With EcoTank sublimation printers, there are a few options for ink. Hippo ink is very cost-effective for a standard four-color kit, but you will need syringes to insert it into most EcoTank printers.
- [Wide Compatibility] Hiipoo Sublimation Ink compatible for Stylus C88 C88+ ET-2720 ET-2760 ET-2800 ET-2803 ET-2830 ET-2850 ET-15000 ET-3760 ET-4800 ET-4700 ET-3830 ET-3850 ET-8550 ET-2710 ET-3710 ET-4760 ET-16600 ET-16650 printer; WorkForce WF3620 WF3640 WF7620 WF3540 WF3520 WF7010 WF7110 WF7210 WF7510 WF7520 WF7610 WF7710 WF7720 printer ect.
- [Great For DIY And On Demand Printing] The sublimation ink is ideal for mugs, T-shirts, cloth, pillowcases, shoes, caps, ceramics, boxes, bags, quilts, cross-stitched items, decorative clothes, flags, banners, etc. Bring your creations to life printing for every occasion, especially great as gifts for friends family, and more. (Note: Sublimation ink can only be used in fabrics containing less than 30% cotton.)
- [Colorfully Vibrant] Hiippo sublimation ink offers the most vibrant Intense colors that stand out and are sure to get noticed in any situation, the colors do not fade are long lasting and are wonderfully resilient. The water-based dye sublimation ink is of the finest texture and gradient for a smooth even coat of printer inks every time that will last as well as be wonderfully vivid. This ensures no print-head clogs with a stronger color reduction to offer intense and vibrant color images.
- [Professionally Certified Offering The Highest Quality Standard] This product holds the following certifications ISO-9001 and MSDS.The product has undergone rigorous scrutiny and quality checks to ensure the highest quality standards are met before delivery, in order to deliver the most potent, high-quality, stable, durable, and vibrant colors on the market today
- [Included Items] 2x140ml black sublimation ink; 1x100ml cyan sublimation ink; 1x100ml magenta sublimation ink; 1x100ml yellow sublimation ink. This is a product that you will come to love as soon as you receive it.
Epson SureColor dedicated sublimation printers
The SureColor Series is another range of Epson printers for sublimation designed to provide industrial printing solutions at a low total cost of ownership while delivering high-quality print output. I think these printers are the logical next step for sublimation printing at a journeyman level.
One notable example within the SureColor series is the Epson F170, which offers reliable performance with its PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead, enabling businesses to personalize items such as awards, mugs, and mousepads. Priced in the middle of the best Epson EcoTank printers for sublimation – around the same budget point as the Sawgrass SF-500 – this is a good median option for those wanting a bit more functionality from their printing. The one nagging element is the lack of Epson’s companion software, which is conspicuously absent from this otherwise great package.
- DESCRIPTION You will receive: 1 Original F170 sublimation printer. 25 Sheets of original sublimation Paper for polyester garments 2 sheets Forever Subli-Flex 202 for 100% cotton dark garments (sublimation to Black cotton) 3 Sheets Subli Light Cotton for 100% cotton light color garments (sublimation to white cotton) 1 sublimation mouse pad 1 Thermal Tape 1 full set of sublimation Inks. User guide and AC power cable SCF170
- Original Sublimation Printer
- We request signature at the delivery
- It prints 8.5×11 or 8.5×14 sheets
Replacement ink for this printer retails at $25 per 140 ml bottle, which is cheaper than the official Sawgrass ink.
Epson WorkForce
Epson WorkForce printers for sublimation come in two variants: one with regular cartridges and the other with the “Supertank” branding. The latter has the same ink tank design and replenishing feasibility as the EcoTank series printers. However, the price difference between a standard Workforce printer and a Workforce Supertank model is quite steep. So, a standard Workforce model will suffice if you are okay with working with syringes to fill the ink cartridge. The Workforce printers support a wide format printing size of up to 13″ × 19″. If you go with the Workforce Supertank version, you can create a formidable sublimation printer with easy ink replacement and wireless connectivity features. But if you go with a WorkForce model that uses ink cartridges, syringes are the only option: they have individual cartridges for each color that I find really difficult to refill.
The WorkForce ST-C2100 starts as the cheapest option, offering 5 prints-per-minute. It has the same external ink tank feature, the only difference being the wider paper size support. As a budget Epson printer for sublimation, it is an inoffensive, inexpensive option.
Remember that these printers don’t work out-of-the-box as sublimation printers, you need to convert them first.
However, if you want higher PPM output, additional connectivity features, and more, the Epson WorkForce WF-7720 is a powerhouse. It has all the bells and whistles of a premium WorkForce printer with a 500-page load capacity and 10 PPM output. Moreover, it is the preferred choice of many sublimation enthusiasts.
FAQs
You can’t, unfortunately. Converting your printer to a sublimation printer is irreversible – so be sure to use it for any other printing requirements before conversion!
No, you need a special sublimation printer or inkjet printers that use Piezo printheads like Epson EcoTank or Epson WorkForce models.
Final Word
If you are looking for advice on the best Epson Printer for Sublimation, then our guide should have a product that meets your budget and needs. Our selections above all feature a great resolution for sublimation and have been hand-tested. If you are on a budget we think an ET-2800 is a good place to start, especially for beginners. If you would prefer a dedicated dye-sub printer, the F170 also reviewed well and would be a great addition.
What sublimation ink would you use for either the Epson WorkForce WF-2850
Epson WorkForce WF-2960?
You can go for the Hiipoo inks kit on Amazon, it comes with syringes too.
Is sublimation compatible with wf2930?
Can you use an EPSON WF 500 for sublimation?
We don’t recommend this printer. Because it has ink cartridges instead of tanks. To convert this you have to buy compatible empty cartridges which are hard to find. In the same price range, you will get a much better one, Epson Ecotank – 15000. Or if you want to use a Workforce model, you can go for WF-7710.
Can a WF-2630 printer be used for sublimation and with the sublimation ink
Yes, you can use that for sublimation. Just buy empty cartridges separately.
If a Epson Et 2850 has been used previously for other projects, is it still possible to convert for sublimation?
Not possible. The print heads may get clogged while using sublimation ink. As it had already been functional with regular inks.
Can an Epson WF Pro EC-4020 with empty cartridges be used for sublimation?
Yes, it will work. You have to find compatible empty cartridges though.
I just received an Epson ET-4850 for my birthday. The intention is to convert it to a sublimation printer. Is this a wise choice? It’s an expensive printer so I’m nervous to dive into this. It’s brand new and not even out of the box yet so no other ink has been in it. Thank you very much.
Yes, absolutely it is. Don’t worry, you already picked up one of the best printers. Happy sublimation!!
Can an Epson xp245 be used for sublimation with empty cartridges and does it reset automatically?
I was gifted a Workforce 4730, and can you recommend where to find 802xl refillable cartridges? I want to convert it to sublimation.
Can used et2826 for sublimation?