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Top 5 Best Sublimation Printers Under $500 in 2023

best sublimation printers under $500

Sublimation printing is a process that is gaining gradual popularity amongst the customer community due to the many advantages they offer. This transfer printing method out shadows regular printing in many instances and affordability is one of the lots. The best sublimation printers under $500 are a wide category and ensure that the service of the products is accessible to all. Sublimation printing is simply the process of transferring an image into a paper or fabric using the heat transfer method. 

Product

Features

Epson ET- 2720 Eco Tank Wireless Printer

  • High-capacity ink tanks

  • Portable and compact

  • Built-in scanner and copier

Canon G6020 PIXMA Wireless Printer

  • Wireless connectivity

  • Cartridge-free printing

  • Saves significant money

Liene Instant Sublimation Photo Printer

  • Dust-proof and water-proof

  • Minimalistic design

  • Connects to five devices simultaneously

Epson ET 2800 ECO TANK Home Printer

  • Built-in scanner and copier

  • Cartridge-free printing

  • Voice-activated printing

Epson ET 2760 Eco Tank Cartridge-free Printer

  • Auto duplex printing

  • Voice-activated printing

  • Built-in scanner and copier

Canon CP 800 SELPHY Photo Printer

  • Portrait Image Optimization feature

  • Water-resistant printing

  • Compact design

The biggest advantage associated with a sublimation printer is that it permeates into the surface of printing and is one with the surface. This provides a long-lasting image on the surface of the fabric or paper. The high-resolution, top-quality prints offered by sublimation printing are incomparable. Sublimation printing supports printing on numerous surfaces and also maintains the image even if the surface is exposed to water. Choosing the best sublimation printers is an inevitable part of ensuring the quality of the print and several key features constitute the best printer for sublimation printing.

Best Sublimation Printers under $500 – Buying Guide

As sublimation printers possess numerous advantages over regular types of printing, several manufacturers have attempted their hand at building the best sublimation printers, and thus, the option for customers to choose from the market is very high. But along with the top sublimation printers, many subpar products are also available in the market, and thus, some of the major features of good sublimation printers should be understood by potential buyers.

Factors To Consider While Buying A Best Sublimation Printers under $500

  1. Easy to dry: The images made out of sublimation printing take no time to dry. Unlike the many other printing options, you can immediately handle the printed surface without the fear of smearing the ink or spoiling the product. Some of the best sublimation printers for t-shirts let the user fold them right after printing.
  1. Easy to handle: One of the best features of a sublimation printer is that it does not consist of many complicated moving parts, making it a device that is ideal to be used by people of any age or physique. The thermal print head of the sublimation printers does not move at all, making stable and consistent printing possible even for beginners.
  1.  Long-lasting: Possibly the best and most unique feature of a sublimation printer is the fade-free images offered by it. The images printed by a sublimation printer stay for several years intact. Unlike the other regular printed images, the images do not face any significant fading. This is because the images are not just superimposed on the surface like the other printers, but they are pushed into the surface and are made a part of the surface.
  1. Minimal energy usage: What makes the sublimation printer one of the most desirable products in the market is its environmental aspect of it. It uses rarely any amount of water and thus requires less to no energy resources to operate it.

Best Sublimation Printers under $500 Reviews

1. Epson ET- 2720 Eco Tank Wireless Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Epson
  • Printing technology: Inkjet
  • Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
  • Model: ET – 2720
  • Color: White

Performance:

The ET 2720 model from the Epson brand supports inkjet printing technology. It is ideal to be used in both office and home and can be ported wherever due to its wireless connectivity. It maintains a 5-ppm printing speed in color and 10 ppm in monochrome. 

It comes with easily refillable tanks which efficiently replace the cartridge system, which essentially saves money too. Being a high-resolution scanner, it maintains great print quality all over.

Comparison:

The major advantage of the unique feature of the Epson wireless printer is the high-capacity ink tanks that come with it. It does away with the burden of replacing cartridges and saves a significant amount of money. It is estimated that it can save around 90% of the money that would have to spend on ink cartridges.

Usage:

This product can be used easily and conveniently in both domestic and professional environments. The easy-to-use design and the portability offered by the wireless connectivity add to the comfort provided by this product. 

Pros:

  • Zero ink-wastage
  • Huge ink tanks
  • High-resolution images
  • Compatible with any paper-type
  • Comes with a built-in scanner and copier

Cons:

  • Does not automatically print two sides of the paper
  • No touch screen display is available

What’s new?

The ET 2720 version of the wireless printers from the Epson brand supports multiple input options for the command. It supports both wireless instructions and voice commands, which is a new addition to the field. 

Why you should buy it?

If you are looking for a sublimation printer that fits your budget and offers you maximum ways to save money in the long run, Epson ET 2720 is the best option. The high print quality and the voice-activated printing feature are great additions to a budget printer.

2. Canon G6020 PIXMA Wireless Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Canon
  • Printing technology: Inkjet
  • Connectivity: Wireless
  • Model: G6020
  • Color: Black

Performance:

The wireless inkjet printer from Canon prints with a maximum orienting speed of 6.8 ppm on color and 13 ppm on monochrome. It also comes with a complete set of colored inks and a bonus pack of two black inks. The ink bottles equipped with the device can collect around 30 times the quantity of ink that a cartridge can carry. It can also scan and copy along with the printing function.

Comparison:

When compared to the other products in the market, this device can print images in multiple sizes and can be connected to numerous smart devices. The size of the bottle is also quite bigger than most of its counterparts. The bottle of this device can carry enough ink to print around 7700 color pages in a single stretch.

Usage:

The printer can be connected to the smart devices of the user and can be operated remotely. The user can also operate the device manually with the power buttons available on the product.

Pros:

  • Climate pledge friendly
  • Wireless feature
  • Significant ink and money savings
  • Huge ink bottles

Cons:

  • If the printer has to be connected with the Canon inkjet cloud printing center, an active IFTTT account is required.

What’s new?

When compared to the previous versions of this product, this device supports automatic duplex printing. That is, there is no need to manually feed the paper for it to be printed on both sides of the paper. But rather, the machine can act according to the instructions and can carry out the duplex printing.

Why you should buy it?

Unlike the counterparts in the market, this affordable device from Canon provides bigger tanks to fill the ink, making it convenient for the user to fill it in an instant and use the machine for a while.

3. Liene Instant Sublimation Photo Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Liene
  • Printing Technology: Dye Sublimation
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB
  • Model: DHP 513
  • Color: White

Performance:

The thermal dye sublimation technology used in the printer makes sure the image is deeply engraved on the surface. It provides images that defend against water damage, fading, dust damage, etc., and provides a long-lasting image for the customer.

Comparison:

When compared with other products in the market, this device features a minimalistic design that supports storage in very compact and tight spaces. 

Usage:

The device is extremely user-friendly and convenient. It comes with three full cartridges of colored ink and a cassette that is fully sealed to prevent dust.

Pros:

  • Wireless printer
  • Portable
  • Minimalist design
  • Provides laminated surface to the printing paper

Cons:

  • Printing speed is much lesser than its counterparts

What’s new?

This new version of the sublimation printer supports connectivity to five smart devices of the user’s choice and this makes it an ideal choice for a home printer. The printer can be connected to these many devices simultaneously without the use of any extra cables or devices.

Why you should buy it?

The portability, compact design, multiple connections to operate, customizable options, wireless technology, affordable price point, etc. make the Liene wireless printer one of the best options on the market.

4. Epson ET 2800 ECO TANK Home Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Epson
  • Printing Technology: Inkjet
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB
  • Model: ET 2800
  • Color: White

Performance:

The ET 2800 model of Epson inkjet printer weighs around 12 pounds and prints at a 5-ppm speed for color prints and 10 ppm for monochrome prints.

Comparison:

When compared to the other similarly priced products on the market, it is clear that the Epson ET 2800 saves around 90% cost of the ink purchase by replacing the small cartridges with huge ink tanks. The user need not buy any cartridges now and then and depend on the large ink tanks of the machine for long hours of performance.

Usage:

As this device does not use any cartridges for ink filling, its usage is extremely easy and convenient. The user is expected to only refill the ink tanks of the machine once it runs out.

Pros:

  • Reduces cartridge waste
  • Comes with two years’ worth of ink 
  • Contains scanner and copier
  • Wireless connectivity
  • Voice-activated printing

Cons:

  • The printing speed is a bit lesser than most of its counterparts

What’s new?

The machine comes with about two years’ worth of ink which makes it furthermore convenient for the user to use the machine right away after the purchase. Also, for every replacement ink kit that is purchased from the Epson brand make sure that it contains at least two years’ worth of ink to ensure any hustle or stress on the part of the customer.

Why you should buy it?

The highly reliable and long-lasting printing technology provided by the Epson 2800 ensures that the user is getting hustle-free service, high-quality prints, long-lasting ink bottles, two years’ worth of ink, etc. and this makes it undoubtedly one of the best sublimation printers under $500.

5. Epson ET 2760 Eco Tank Cartridge-free Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Epson
  • Printing Technology: Inkjet
  • Connectivity: Ethernet, USB
  • Model: ET 2760
  • Color: White

Performance:

The ET 2760 model inkjet printer from Epson prints at a speed of 5 ppm on Color prints and 10.5 ppm on monochrome prints. It features high-quality prints and also supports auto duplex printing. It can act as a highly efficient scanner too.

Comparison:

When compared to the other products in the market, the color display of the machine is 0065tremely convenient. The user can easily find the color being used and make necessary changes accordingly without going through any complex processes.

Usage:

The usage of the Epson ET 2760 is quite simple. As the machine comes with two years’ worth of ink, the user can rightly fill the ink tanks and start using the machine right away. And the color display is also quite clear and easy to find so that the users won’t have a difficult time choosing and arranging the colors.

Pros:

  • Cartridge wastage is reduced
  • High-quality prints
  • Built-in copier and scanner
  • Convenient color display
  • Voice-activated printing
  • Comes with two years’ worth of ink

Cons:

  • The printing speed is a bit subpar when compared to some of its counterparts

What’s new?

The introduction of the Epson Smart Panel Application which contributes to the connectivity of the machine is the newest addition to this model. The application enables the user to connect to the machine through his or her smart device, which further eases up the process of printing.

Why you should buy it?

  • If you are looking forward to buying an affordable printer, which can provide the features and services of a high-end printer, this can be considered one of the best sublimation printers under$500.

6. Canon CP 800 SELPHY Photo Printer

best sublimation printers under $500

Description:

  • Brand: Canon
  • Printing Technology: Inkjet
  • Connectivity: USB
  • Model: CP 800
  • Color: Black

Performance:

The CP 800 is a compact photo printer from the Canon brand which prints at a speed of 1 ppm on both color prints and monochrome prints. The images are printed using the best sublimation technology and once the printing is finished, the machine adds an outer layer to the prints which aims at forming a protective layer around the image so that it won’t get affected by water, temperature, or dust.

Comparison:

The major difference that the CP 800 model printer of Canon has from the other products on the market is that it can directly print from storage devices like memory cards, USB Pendrives, etc. And at the same time, it features wireless connectivity and operation too.

Usage:

This product is ideal to be used at home as the printing speed suits a hustle-free environment. The machine can be operated through operating systems like Windows and Mac, and anyone with basic knowledge of simple gadgets can operate them easily.

Pros:

  • Built-in LCD screen to check and preview the images to be printed
  • The portrait image optimization features enhance the quality of the images when they are zoomed in
  • Water-resistant printing
  • The printed images stay intact for about 100 years
  • Compact and portable design

Cons:

  • The low printing speed makes it less suitable for office environments as fast printing is not possible with the machine

What’s new?

The portrait image optimization feature sported by the CP 800 model of the Canon brand makes sure that the prints of zoomed photos are also given high quality and accuracy. This feature let the printer not lose the clarity of the image even if it is being zoomed or customized at high rates.

Why you should buy it?

The CP 800 model printer of Canon is undoubtedly one of the best sublimation printers under $500 due to the multitude of options and features that it provides. It sports a weightless and compact design with optical batteries, making it the ideal pick to be carried along. Also, the option to print both directly from storage devices and through wireless means makes it extremely flexible and dynamic.

FAQs

1. What is the best sublimation printer to buy?

There are numerous options available in the market for the best sublimation printers under$500. Brands like Epson, Canon, etc. are the pioneers of this section and several models fall under a small budget that is being manufactured by them. Despite the low price point that they sell their products in, most of the products come with modern features and facilities like cartridge-free printing, huge ink tanks for stress-free printing, wireless connectivity, voice-activated printing, etc.