The printing process of dye sublimation is used for printing on synthetic fabrics or polyester. This is used for printing on things like table covers, banners, t-shirts etc. It is a technology of digital printing that uses the method of heat transfer. So, if you are interested to know about the best sublimation printer for making t shirts for your business or other purposes, there are tons of models from different companies for you to choose from.
Product | Features |
 | Best Sublimation Printer for Making T Shirts – EcoTank ET-2800
 |
 | Best Sublimation Printer for Making T-Shirts – Epson EcoTank ET-8500
|
 | Epson Expression HD XP-15000
|
 | Epson EcoTank ET-2850
|
 | Epson EcoTank ET-2720
|
Here, you can go through a proper buying guide that may help you choose the perfect model according to your preferences.
Best Sublimation Printer for making t shirts – Buying Guide
Factors to consider while buying the best sublimation printer for making t shirts
While shopping for sublimation printers, try considering the kind of media that the machine uses.
- Energy and ink usage – Your printer must be top-notch when it is a matter of resource usage. The lesser a printer uses your resources of yours, the more profitable your business of yours can be. The ink that’s recommended by the brand of the printer is the most expensive. You can rather use a copy.
- Print resolution – It refers to the specific number of dots which the printers can put in 1 square inch of page space. More vibrant and detailed designs or images can be printed on paper if the number of print resolutions is bigger. If you’re buying a sublimation printer for professional use, go with the one that has 4800 * 1200 dpi.
- Cold sublimation – The cold sublimation keeps taking advantage of a different process – where a transfer that is heatless is done. The cold sublimation printers include a heating element that is flat instead of hot presses. They are comparatively cheaper & for that, less powerful than their counterparts of them.
Best Sublimation Printer for Making T-Shirts Reviews
1. Best Sublimation Printer for Making T-Shirts – EcoTank ET-2800
• Description:
- Brand: Epson
- Colour: White
- Printing Technology: Inkjet
- Printer output: Colour
- Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi
• Performance: The Epson et 2800 model provides cartridge-free & stress-free printing and the users can try out exclusive ecofit bottles for refilling the ink tanks easily. Up to two years of ink is added to the box with each replacement ink set.
• Comparison: Join the club of numerous eco tank owners who have already helped in reducing the large quantity of plastic that goes into landfills. Each ink bottle of the replacement set is almost equal to about ninety individual cartridges.
• Usage: The model is very useful for extremely sharp text, impressive graphics and colour photos on virtually any kind of paper. It also has product protection of 2 years with registration that includes full unit replacement. Included and replacement ink bottle yields with Epson’s methodology.
• Pros:
- Zero cartridge waste
- Genuine ink promise
• Cons:
- Printing quality not satisfactory
• What’s new?
The new features include a colour display and a high-resolution flatbed scanner for navigation and easy document copying. Enjoy modern connectivity with voice-activated hands-free printing. You can also get 30000 paper sheets or 1 year of limited warranty (whichever happens first).
• Why should you buy it?
With the intuitive app of the Epson smart panel, users can print easily from their smart devices. The model also has a 2-year limited warranty that is Worry-free and comes with registration. It includes full unit replacement.
2. Best Sublimation Printer for Making T-Shirts – Epson EcoTank ET-8500
• Description
- Brand: Epson
- Printing Technology: Inkjet
- Special Feature: Wireless
- Connectivity Technology: USB
- Color: White
• Performance: This printer model is Powered by the droplet Technology from Epson micro piezo. The eco tank photo uses the 6-color Claria et that has photographic dye inks for producing exceptional colour &black and white print quality that is photographic.
• Comparison: The users can save up to almost 80% on their ink usage with replacement bottles that are low-cost vs ink cartridges while printing documents. The Epson ecofit bottles can make refilling ink very simple.
• Usage: You will get a paper feeder that is straight-through for fine art papers and a thicker poster board. There is a native 48-bit 4800 DPI flatbed scanner to print with colours of professional quality and of course black and white, copying and scanning.
• Pros:
- Lots of ink
- Exceptional value
- High-resolution scanner
• Cons:
- No ADF for the scanner
- Gets jammed sometimes
• What’s new?
The printer can be connected easily with an SD card, Wi-Fi, USB, or Ethernet, plus the app called Epson smart panel lets the users print from virtually any place using their Android or iOS device of them. It looks worthy of the desk of the users who prefer sophistication as it is designed by the experts of the creative teams of the Epson company.
• Why should you buy it?
Regarding the costs and actual savings, they may vary considerably based on the usage conditions, print volumes and print tasks. As you may already guess, most features will require a connection of the internet to the printer as well as one email or/an internet-enabled device.
3. Epson Expression HD XP-15000
• Description:
- Brand: Epson
- Color: Black
- Printing Technology: Inkjet
- Special Feature:Auto-duplex
- Connectivity Technology: Ethernet, Wireless
• Performance: The users can take the printing of photos to a whole new level with this expression photo wireless wide-format printer. It delivers Pro-quality, borderless and brilliant prints that are up to 13 * 19 inches.
• Comparison: The printer features convenient wireless connectivity, a front tray of 200 sheets and auto two-sided printing. Stacks of documents can be printed in a breeze with it. It accommodates various types of finishes of paper & borderless sizes that vary from 4 * 6 inches to 13 * 19 inches.
• Usage: The printing speed is also quite satisfactory. The Printer can print documents at 9.0 ISO pages per minute for colour and 9.2 ISO pages per minute for black. It can also print borderless photos of 4 * 6 inches in almost as fast as twenty-seven seconds.
• Pros:
- Ultra HD photos
- Wide-format printing
• Cons:
- Power cord does not fit properly
- Slightly heavier
• What’s new?
For this particular model among large format dye sublimation printers, only genuine cartridges from the Epson brand are compatible. Other brands of supplies and Ink cartridges aren’t compatible & even if mentioned as compatible, they may not function well or at all.
• Why should you buy it?
The sound pressure level of the printer is 49 DB (A). The users will never have to run out of inks as the printer features the technology of dash replenishment which, as activated, keeps track of the orders and ink usage of the printer more from when the user is running low.
4. Epson EcoTank ET-2850
• Description:
- Brand: Epson
- Product Dimensions: 14.8” D * 22.3” W * 10.2” H
- Color: White
- Printing Technology: Inkjet
- Connectivity Technology: USB, Wi-Fi
• Performance: The users can experience innovative cartridge-free printing with this model. The High-capacity ink tanks ensure cheap and bigger Ink cartridges. The exclusive ecofit bottles of ink from Epson make filling worry-free and easy.
• Comparison: This model lets the users reduce the copies down to almost 25% or enlarge them by almost 400%. The colour flatbed scanner has a photo sensor of CIS and provides a DPI of 1200 * 2400 hardware solution for crispier detail. The Wi-Fi direct and wireless-N Technology (802.11b/g/n allows the cable-free connection.
• Usage: This printer model has 1 Or more meaningful eco-labels or eco-attributes. It is energy sufficient as it is designed for using less energy than alternative products. It helps users save money potentially & reduce their carbon footprint of them.
• Pros:
- Good quality ink
- Limited period of warranty
- Built-in scanner
• Cons:
- Small touchscreen
- Not good for printing labels
• What’s new?
In this model, 1 set of Epson ink bottles of eco-fit is equivalent to almost 90 Ink cartridges. If you become an eco-tank owner, you can help in reducing millions of pounds of plastic materials from going into excessive landfills.
• Why should you buy it?
It also comprises the unique precision core heat-free technology of the Epson company. You will have extremely sharp text with impressive colour graphics and photos on virtually any type of paper. It is designed for reliability with the product protection of 2 years with registration.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-2720
• Description:
- Brand: Epson
- Recommended Usage for the product: Home office
- Special Feature: Wireless
- Connectivity Technology: Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi
- Colour: White
• Performance: This printer model has got innovative cartridge-free printing. There are High-capacity ink tanks which mean no more expensive or tiny ink cartridges. The exclusive eco-fit bottles of ink from Epson make filling Worry-free & easy.
• Comparison: This Printer can also be used as one large dye sublimation printer if needed. The user will need to purchase the sub ink separately & once they switch to sublimation, they can use it only as a sub printer. They cannot switch back & forth between inks.
• Usage: The printer has a unique heat-free micro piezo technology that produces impressive graphics, coloured photos and sharp text on virtually any type of paper. The colour display and flatbed scanner can be used for navigation and easy document copying.
• Pros:
- Space-saving and compact design
- 2-year limited warranty
- Works with Alexa
• Cons:
- Doesn’t print front & back
- Can get jammed sometimes
• What’s new?
Among many new features,the wireless technology of the model is the best one. The users can experience voice-activated and hands-free printing easily from their smart devices of them with the help of the intuitive application named Epson smart panel.
• Why should you buy it?
There is also a worry-free 2-year warranty period with the registration of the product that includes full unit replacement if needed. Most of the features require internet connections to the printer, plus an email or internet-enabled device.
Here is all about best sublimation printer for making t shirts.
FAQs
1. Can I wash shirts right after sublimation?
While washing your dye-sublimated shirts of yours in a laundry machine, you need to make sure that the shirts are being washed with cold water. There may arise a need to buy a separate detergent that is non-phosphorus if you do not already have 1 to clean them.
2. Which colour t-shirts or shirts are best suited for sublimation printing?
The best colour t-shirts or shirts that are suited for sublimation printing are light-coloured or white. You can also sublimate to dark-coloured or black shirts or t-shirts. But in that case, you will need to apply a layer of vinyl that is a white and heat-transfer special process.
3. Can I sublimate 65 polyester and thirty-five cotton?
Polyester can blend fabrics, just like the 65% polyester/ thirty-five cent cotton blend can be used for sublimation. But it may result in a look that is vintage or retro. Only the percentage of polyester that is used in the synthetic material can capture the image that is being transferred.
4. How long can the sublimation ink last?
The sublimation inks of the printers contain a shelf life. If the users leave them inside the printer for too long, it may cause issues like head banding and clogs, colour shifting etc. Many people agree with the statement that users can continue with the print past the date of use-by without any issues.
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