We may earn affiliate commissions when you purchase from links on our site. Here’s how it works.
Looking for the best sublimation printers for printing graphics, logos and photos on carbon paper and fabric? We have our top picks for you. From simple and affordable home project options to more advanced models designed for startups and SMBs, there is something for everyone.
For those unfamiliar with sublimation printing, this is a technology that uses heat to transfer digital images onto textiles, plastics, paper, and other dye-sublimated surfaces. Using a simple dye inkjet printer and the right inks, you can print transfer patterns to create custom clothing, branding, flags, or custom designs on ceramics. More expensive machines can print directly on synthetic textiles.
First, your sublimation printer prints your graphics onto special transfer paper. You then use a heat press to transfer the dye design onto a substrate such as a t-shirt, mug or banner. The dye changes from a solid to a gaseous state without forming a liquid (sublimation) and penetrates the substrate material, leaving an imprint that does not crack or wash off. It does not work as well with natural fibers, but produces vibrant and long lasting results compared to high polyester blends. If you’re looking for a great place to start in the sublimation printer world, or want to take it to the next level, check out our guide to the best sublimation printers below. Our hand-picked list of printers includes printers that have been tried in-house by expert reviewers or that our team has done enough research to promote with confidence as a premium choice.
Why You Can Trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Learn more about how we test.
This dedicated sublimation printer offers the easiest way to print on fabric and other suitable sublimation surfaces. You can refill the cartridges with the unique ink included in the package, and then print your drawings on special carbon paper, just like with a conventional inkjet printer. Transfer paper printed in this way can be applied to the surface of your choice with a heat source with reliable results. You will receive four 140 ml T49M (C, M, Y, K) ink bottles, which are considered the best sublimation dyes. Based on Epson’s excellent EcoTank series, this printer is compact and easy to use. Although it doesn’t have a display, it’s easy to use with the included Mac and PC software.
HP’s high-end dye printers can use the same innovative water-based ink to print on carbon paper or directly onto fabric. The Stitch S500 is ideal for businesses with high printing needs as it prints at around 110 sq. m per hour, prints quickly and works automatically at night without monitoring. It has enough space for ink and large rolls of paper or fabric, and the thermal head can be easily replaced with one hand and sent for recycling. A small fan blows incoming print jobs to dry the ink before rolling it, and there’s also a handy touchpad. If you’re looking for a durable ink printer with all the latest features, this is it.
Epson step-by-step dye printer comes complete with everything you need to print on fabric and hard surfaces. This is a large format inkjet printer that can handle all sizes of transfer paper from Letter/A4 to 24″ wide rolls. The cutter is built in and comes with two 140ml jars for all four colors. The Professional Edition also comes with Epson Edge Print Pro professional software. With this feature and a large color touch screen, ink printing is easy, and the PrecisionCore MicroTFP printhead delivers superior print quality.
Sawgrass specializes in dye sublimation, and their latest entry-level model makes the process simple and affordable. This is a desktop printer designed to print with specialty ink on carbon paper up to Legal Wide (8.5″ x 14″). It offers high-resolution inkjet printing using proprietary Ultra HD inks that are suitable for materials ranging from polyester fabrics to tough resin-coated media such as metal or glass. The box contains everything you need to get started, including a 21 ml ink starter kit, Sublisure A4 paper (100 sheets) and Sawgrass software.
This wide format ink printer accepts 64 inch sublimation paper rolls, the most common size in the fashion industry. This latest version prints at a high speed of 753 square feet per hour in full four color mode. The 1 liter water tank holds enough dye-sublimation ink, allowing you to print for extended periods of time while you create your next detailed and vibrant design. It doesn’t have a built-in touch screen interface, but this printer comes with full software so you can control it from your computer. With a print quality of 900 dpi, this relatively inexpensive machine is suitable for start-ups and SMEs in the textile industry.
Sublimation printers can print on hard surfaces such as fabric and ceramics, which has proven to be a real breakthrough in the textile industry. We sometimes refer to them as dye sublimation transfer printers because instead of printing directly onto fabric or ceramic, these machines apply sublimation ink to the transfer paper and then use heat and pressure to sublimate the ink onto the desired surface.
Sublimation is the transformation of a solid substance into a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, here we are talking about suspended solid particles of ink. When heated to a gaseous state, the sublimation ink can penetrate the fabric or substrate and bond with its fibers before returning to a solid form. Yes, sublimation ink is very different from regular printer ink, so you can’t use your existing paper printer to sublimate. However, it is possible to convert an inkjet printer to a dye-sublimation printer since the only key difference is in the ink.
Sublimation printers do not print directly on clothes or mugs, but on special paper for dye sublimation using standard inkjet technology. These machines are the same size as a typical home or office printer, so they can load A4 or Letter size paper. This means that you can create your design, logo or template on your computer and print it in the usual way. The key difference is how the sublimation ink is temporarily attached to the transfer paper. This printout must be a mirror image, because when applied to the printed object, it is inverted again. It can also look boring, but when we use heat and pressure to attach it to our fabric or backing, the design should look as vibrant and detailed as it does on our monitor. It’s important to note that sublimation ink only bonds to man-made fibers, so if you prefer natural cotton shirts, choose a blend with at least 50% polyester.
Do I need a heat press for my new sublimation printer? Yes, although sometimes we use a regular iron to transfer dyed designs to T-shirts. In order for the ink in the carbon paper to change from a solid to a gas (sublimation), we must raise the temperature to about 400°F for at least 40 seconds by applying a pressure of about 40 psi. A heat press designed specifically for dye sublimation will make this part of the printing process more manageable. These range from inexpensive portable equipment or presses designed to hold cups in place, to high pressure heat transfer machines used in the industry to print large fabrics.
Thanks to sublimation, we are no longer limited to printing on paper. We can print on any polymer or polyester substrate using the dye sublimation method. In this case, it can be fabric, plastic, ceramics, metal or glass. For example, dye sublimation is ideal for printing graphics, logos and images on T-shirts if the fabric contains man-made fibers. The design is also permeable as the ink can permeate the material as a gas and then bond strongly to the solid polyester fibers. The ink does not harden, scratch or fade on surfaces when washed because it is already part of the fabric.
Dye sublimation is also a great way to print on pens, mugs or badges, the process is almost the same as long as you choose a blank with a suitable backing coating (can print white items). When heated, the particles of gaseous ink on the printed transfer paper adhere to the substrate covering the mug, and the result should look no less bright than a glossy photo print.
Sublimation printers often look like paper inkjet printers because they only print on carbon paper and not directly on mugs or clothing. The real difference lies in the type of ink used. With the exception of packaging and complete inks, Epson sublimation printers are no different from their office and home counterparts.
We can easily convert our new refillable ink printers to sublimation printers by filling them with sublimation ink instead of conventional dye or pigment inks. Just make sure there is no regular ink in the cartridge as the two types don’t mix. We also saw a kit to convert an office inkjet printer with a cartridge to a sublimation printer. These kits include syringes to fill empty cartridges with sublimation ink and turn your cartridge printer into a reusable CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) printer.
Specialty dye-sublimation printers come with dye-sublimation ink and copy paper in the box, and some include software to help design and print designs. Sublimation printers usually produce full color designs with four primary colors, just like paper printers. However, more expensive models can mix six or eight base colors for superior color accuracy, but they almost always use bottled sublimation inks rather than cartridge inks.
Don’t confuse sublimation printers with DTG (Direct to Garment) printers, which offer a different way to print on textiles. DTG printers are much more powerful as the fabric is fed into the machine and the ink is applied directly to the fabric without sublimation. DTG has the advantage of being able to print on natural fibers such as cotton and bamboo, but not on hard surfaces.
We researched every sublimation printer around the world to come up with this definitive list and compared their specs, features, and prices. The five best sublimation printers currently available are state of the art and latest models with basic features for sublimation printing on fabrics and hard surfaces. Each model can produce quality sublimation prints, and despite the wide price range, they are worth every penny spent. We have specifically selected sublimation printers at different prices to show that there is a dye sublimation solution for every budget and project, from the home hobbyist to the small to medium business.
When choosing your next or first sublimation printer, we have a list of features to help us select the right model. First, ask yourself what you will print first. The A4 sublimation printer is ideal for printing T-shirts, mouse pads and other small projects. This is the most common format and also the cheapest. To print larger clothes or fabric rolls, you will need a large format inkjet printer, which will cost you more. How often do you print? For large enterprises, the size of the cartridge and the cost of sublimation ink are important factors. For hobbyists, cartridge size will not be a problem. Print speed, usually expressed in PPM (pages per minute), can also matter to heavy users.
The number of ink cartridges built into the printer has a significant effect on print quality. Four colors (CYMK) is enough to blend the rest, but printers using six or eight sublimation inks will achieve excellent image quality. For those who specialize in textiles, the included software is another feature to consider as in some cases the manufacturer’s PC software can help set the color that works best for the fabric.
Subscribe to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to receive all the most important news, reviews, features and best practices your business needs to succeed!
Jim is an experienced expert in testing methods. From playing with a PlayStation One prototype to discussing a new cell phone in 2007 with a man named Steve, he’s always on the lookout for the next big invention at the forefront of the electronics industry. After editing the tech section of Wired UK magazine, he now works in IT and travels in his VW van.
TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media conglomerate and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate website.