Looking to buy the best printer for sublimation available in the market? We’ve got the perfect guide to help you choose from one of our top picks!

Sublimation is an intriguing process in the world of printing. Not only is it highly cost-effective, but also offers top-quality results.

Sublimation is particularly useful for entrepreneurs and other like-minded enthusiasts. Through this process, they can churn out creative and effective designs on clothes or accessories.

A sublimation printer would allow users to create high-quality and durable designs. If you play your cards right and purchase the best printer for sublimation, then your printing processes would consume less time, would be more efficient, and become increasingly cost-effective.

Moreover, with a good printer, your designs will be immune to peeling or fading as well.

For the ideal results, customers must only purchase the best models available in the market. For that reason, we’ve come up with a list of the best sublimation printers that are rocking the market with their powerful and impressive features.

List of Best Sublimation Printers

The market is cluttered with printers of all types and sizes. Choosing the perfect one thus becomes difficult for the customers. For that reason, we’ll narrow down your options to 10 of the best alternatives available in the market.

1. Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Supertank Printer – Best Sublimation Printer for Small Offices

Specifications

Connectivity	Wi-Fi
Duplex	Automatic
Print Speed	17 pages / minute
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Personal Computers, Laptops
Sheet Size	11 x 17 inch
Display Screen Size	2.6 inches
Dimensions	9.4 x 17.7 x 14.0 inches
Weight	22 pounds

Overall Verdict

In terms of application the Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is the perfect choice for personal use, small businesses, and mid-range offices. The printer uses efficient technology, producing high-color and black page yield while simultaneously minimizing the need to refill the ink tanks too many times upon regular use.

The printer is fairly speedy; it is especially fast when it comes to printing black and white documents, while colored images take a little bit of time.

Review

The printer is great at getting things done normally. It is fairly affordable and offers good value for money.

In terms of build, the printer is sturdier than it appears. The plastic body is strong and customers are given the option to remove the power cable should they want to change it. A pet peeve for the customers in terms of design would be the need to lift the scanner glass every time they need to refill the tank.

As is the case with many high-performing printers, the Epson ET-15000 is far from lightweight. The dimensions are enough to take up the bulk of space on any surface and are also quite difficult to move around. So if you want to opt for a more portable option, this is not your perfect pick.

The printer comes with some impressive hardware including three color cartridges of excellent quality. The other attraction is the scanner which has some impressive features like the automatic document feeder. However, it lacks in one arena – it does not support duplex scanning.

In terms of performance, the printer does quite a good job at optimizing the cost of each print. Thus, the product makes for a suitable option for small businesses that need to print a lot of documents for their operations. The speed is quick and efficient as well.

If there’s anything to complain about, it’s the preciseness of the color. And that is the biggest drawback of the printer – the ET-15000 model has lackluster color accuracy. While this may not be a big upset for businesses who want a printer for regular work, it would not suit the standards of someone creative who couldn’t ignore the lack of color correction.

Features

• Supports cartridge-free printing.
• Has a paper capacity of up to 250 sheets.
• Enhances productivity with its auto 2-sided printing.

2. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Supertank Printer – Best in Class for Professional Uses

Specifications

Connectivity	USB
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Personal Computers, Smartphones
Printer Output	Colour
Dimensions	28 x 18.25 x 10.25 inches
Weight	32.1 pounds

Overall Verdict

Epson has been a dominant name in the printing industry. They proved that further with the introduction of an impressive product – the ET-8550.

The bulk-ink, better known as Supertank, the printer has double the advantage over its processor in terms of speed and efficiency. Epson often lacks in one department and that is color preciseness. The ET-8550, however, tackles that problem by introducing a sixth ink color offering better color accuracy.

The product makes for a perfect choice for businesses who are looking to cut costs, as it offers refillable ink tanks making it one of the most effective in terms of cost-effectiveness. The only questionable thing is the price tag, which could be a little steep in terms of how dynamic the market has become.

Review

The first thing to talk about while mentioning the ET-8550 would be the size of the printer. It is ginormous; while that may be off-putting for some customers, others wouldn’t mind if they want the product for long-term, office-related uses.

The printer weighs a monumental 39.2 pounds and would take the bulk of any desk. So make sure that you have appropriate space before you purchase the product.

In terms of speed, the ET-8550 is quite quick, but cannot be considered the fastest alternative. Recording a decent 16 pages per minute for black and white documents is fairly quick for office-related purposes. The 12 pages per minute for colored images is less impressive.

The quality of the output is always guaranteed in a printer of this caliber. Text-based documents are legible, and even the small fonts are largely visible because of the precise nature of the product. At the same time, the printer is also adept at capturing the complex color scheme of vast presentations and spreadsheets.

Features

• Experience zero-cartridge with best-in-class high-yield ink bottles.
• Print, scan or do more with your documents directly through your mobile device with the Epson Smart Panel app.
• Provides excellent media support.

3. Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Supertank Printer – The Best Printer for Versatile Uses

Specifications

Connectivity	Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Smartphones, PC, Laptop
Printer Output	Colour
Dimensions	13.7 x 14.8 x 8.7 inches
Weight	12.17 pounds

 

Overall Verdict

The ET-2720 model released by Epson was another impressive addition to their already inflated list. The product is suitable for a wide variety of applications.

This Sublimation printer boasts of a well-to-do SuperTank cartridge system. Eliminating the use of conventional ink cartridges, this printer makes effective inroads into refillable ink by incorporating four tanks of the same. Because of this efficient system, the running cost of the printer is exceptionally low, irrespective of whether or not you print in color.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, however; there are drawbacks as well. The product lacks an automatic feeder and thus requires the tedious task of manual flatbed feeding. The color preciseness is another weakness of this printer that customers could have some complaints about.

Review

The design and convenience of the EcoTank ET-2720 model are lackluster, to say the least. The output tray is not adequate. Similarly, the product does not have any access to the rear to sort out problems related to paper jams. The shortage of automatic feeders is a huge negative as well.

But what this product lacks in its build, makes up for it in terms of cartridge, scanning, resolution, and depth.

The cartridge system is efficient and makes the whole product very fast, reliable, and cost-effective.

Besides, the printer boasts an excellent scanning resolution and color depth. Together, both of them pair up to provide some great details in images and precise copies of scanned documents.

The display screen of the product is not that great, but not terrible either. In simpler words, it’s passable. The product allows the user to tilt the display console upwards for better visibility. So no customer would have to worry about adjusting the whole printer to accommodate their vision when they’re standing or sitting.

The display lacks the coveted touchscreen feature. However, the push buttons around the screen are decent and wouldn’t allow you to miss tapping on the screen.

Features

• Uses Micro Piezo Heat-Free technology to create impressive prints.
• Cartridge-free experience with refillable ink tanks.
• Comes with a high-resolution flatbed scanner.

4. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 SuperTank Printer – The Best Printer for Convenience and Ease of Use

Specifications

Connectivity	USB
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Smartphones, PC, Laptop
Printer Output	Colour
Maximum Media Size	13 x 19 inch

Overall Verdict

The one thing that stands out about the ET-8500 model is how convenient it is to set up and use. The configuration of the printer is where a lot of customers face problems. But that is certainly not the case with this product. The printer screen, which is viable for reading, narrates the step-by-step instructions, making it easy for the customers to install the setup.

Moreover, the product also solves some other overlooked problems; a good example is the inclusion of valves in ink bottles which prevents the ink from spilling or staining, even if the customer accidentally tips them over.

Apart from that, the quality of the prints is decent, and the product seems to be able to work for a large variety of purposes.

Review

In terms of build, the ET-5800 is the standard size and dimensions, measuring 6.4 x 15.9 x 14.5 inches and weighing around 18.5 pounds. The product also includes an excellent automatic feeder that can accommodate up to 20-sheet documents.

This sublimation printer, however, has a couple of drawbacks at first glance including the lack of ADF and restrictions on scanning.

The speed of the printer is decent – nothing too extravagant, and not too shabby. It records a respectable 16 one-sided (simplex) pages per minute along with 12 one-sided color pages per minute.

The one thing this product is great at is churning out high-quality and detailed pictures. The exact cost per page (CPP) of the printer is somewhat hard to discern as the product makes use of two additional links, making it difficult to track the entire process.

Overall, the Epson EcoTank ET-8500 is one of the best alternatives available in the market for an exceptional consumer-grade photo with many versatile features. It can work well in a corporate environment as well for familial uses.

However, if you require to scan or print pages in bulk, or if you need multipage scans, the printer might not be a good choice because of the lack of an ADF.

Features

• Can use the Epson Smart Panel app to print/scan from one’s mobile device.
• Exceptional media handling capacity.
• Saves money with low-cost replacement ink bottles instead of cartridges.

5. Brother MFC-J99DW INKvestmentTank Colour Inkjet Printer – The Best All-in-One Product

Specifications

Connectivity	Wireless, USB, Ethernet
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Smartphones, PC, Laptops
Printer Output	Colour
Dimensions	7.7 x 13.4 x 17.1 inches
Weight	19.2 pounds

Overall Verdict

The Brother MFC-J99DW is one of the best sublimation printer available in the market for flexible and versatile uses. As such, the all-in-one printer makes for a great product, perfect fit for family uses.

The print quality of the images is brilliant, and the product does a decent job at getting the color preciseness right; however, the color correction might not be good enough to satisfy a professional designer.

The cost per print in this product is fairly low, irrespective of whether you are printing black and white or colored documents.

Review

Just when we were thinking that we would never move away from Epson, we’ve moved on with a bang – the Brother MFC-J995DW being a tough competitor in any market.

The build of the product is durable, sturdy, and reliable. The design looks great in terms of appearance and is also quite functional and convenient.

For example, the ink cartridges are easily accessible from the front of the product. Many printers have flimsy and ill-placed input trays, but that’s not the case with this product. The input tray in the MFC-J995DW model is well-built along with the scanner built.

The drawback lies in the power cable, which cannot be removed.

Apart from that, the display screen of the product is great as well. Customers will find a display console on the front of the product. They will have the option to tilt the console upwards to make it easier for them to see the output. The touchscreen, although efficient, is small and sometimes difficult to operate because of that.

The print quality was never going to be a problem with this product. The scanning resolution, color depth, and related terms are excellent.

The best thing about the product could be the cartridge system, which incorporates the INKvestment Tank Ink System, playing home to more ink per cartridge in comparison to conventional systems.

Features

• The Brother Intelligent Page Gauge determines the amount of ink used.
• Supports mobile device printing.
• Uses the highly-acclaimed Inkvestment tank system.

6. WorkForce WF-7710 Wireless Wide-Format Colour Inkjet Printer –The Best Printer for Professional Uses

Specifications

Connectivity	Hi-Speed USB 2.0, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	PC, Laptops
Printer Output	Colour
Dimensions	32.2 x 22.3 x 13.4 inches
Weight	40.8 pounds
Duplex	Auto-Duplex
Print Speed (Maximum)	18 pages per minute
Media Size	13 x 19 inches

Overall Verdict

The Epson WorkForce WF-7710 is another all-in-one printer that is one of the top products in the market.

The printer is adept at churning out good quality borderless prints up to 13×19 inches.

Moreover, the product is also capable of scanning, copying, and faxing documents up to the tabloid-size – the standard 11 x 17 inches.

The drawback would be the cost per print, which is comparatively higher than some of the alternatives in the market. The paper capacity of the printer is not as impressive as that of some of the competitors.

Review

The WF-7710 model measures a whopping 13.4 x 22.3 x 32.2 inches and weighs 40.8 pounds, significantly heavier than some of its counterparts.

The product contains a 250-sheet paper tray which can play host to a maximum of 251 sheets at a time.

One of the most significant advantages of this product is its capability to print larger 13×19-inch documents. Most of the other top models are restricted at the 11×17-inch range. Thus, the product is perfect for professional uses if you require to print out large spreadsheets or promos.

The touchscreen used in the product is an improvement from its predecessor – the 4.3-inch touchscreen is reworked and contains a more attractive control panel. The whole layout feels comfortable and is convenient for the customer to operate.

The performance of the printer is top class, recording an impressive speed of 18 pages per minute for single-sided monochrome pages. The speed for colored documents, however, is not that impressive with 10 pages per minute.

The quality of the output from the printer is excellent – the images are nicely panned out and you could see all the details. The color preciseness and correction are decent; however, it must be noted that on some occasions, you might experience lackluster and washed-out images.

Features

• Contains a 4.3-inch color touchscreen.
• Can support wireless printing and networking from a range of devices including iPad, iPhone, Android tablets, and smartphones.
• Contains a 250-sheet paper tray.

7. Brother HL-L2320D Mono Laser Printer – The Best Printer for Customers on a Budget

Specifications

Connectivity	USB
Printer Technology	Electrophotographic Laser
Compatibility	PC, Laptops
Printer Output	Colour
Dimensions	14.2 x 7.2 x 14 inches
Weight	15 pounds
Duplex	Automatic

Overall Verdict

For the price range that it is available at, any kind of decent quality along with some noteworthy features could be excellent.

However, the Brother HL-L2360DW takes a step further by creating a perfect blend of affordability and performance. The product makes for an excellent monochrome laser printer and is efficient at providing fast service.

At the same time, the paper handling capabilities of the product are decent as well.

The product is best suited for personal uses or for a micro office, not more than that. The output quality of the printer is decent, but it could be a lot better.

Review

In terms of build, the Brother HL-L2360DW monochrome laser printer is small and lightweight enough to be moved comfortably. The dimensions of the printer are small enough to fit comfortably on any desk. But the small size is not an indication of any kind of lacking in its performance. For example, the product is adept at speedy and efficient printing.

The output quality is not that great, but it could have been a lot worse given the price tag. Also, the quality of the output is good enough for most micro-office and personal work.

The one key aspect of the printer is its paper handling capacities, where the product competes with some of the top names in the market.

The printer contains a 250-sheet input tray along with a duplexer that supports two-sided printing. As we had already discussed, the speed of the product is quite efficient, and the performance is decent. Overall, it is a great product if you want a printer for low-key uses.

Features

• Impressive print speed of up to 30 pages per minute.
• Uses automatic duplexing for high-quality, two-sided printing.
• Uses an electro-photographic laser for printing.

8. WorkForce WF-7210 Wireless Wide-Format Colour Inkjet Printer – The Best Single-Function Printer in the Market

Specifications

Connectivity	Wi-Fi
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Tablets
Printer Output	Coloured
Dimensions	31.8 x 22.3 x 12.7 inches
Weight	32.8 pounds
Duplex	Automatic

Overall Verdict

It looks like Epson is truly dominating our list, as another one of their additions – the impressive Epson Workforce WF-7210 – has successfully made it into our top picks.

The product is the perfect single-function and wide-format printer that is capable of handling everyday printing tasks and would work perfectly in a small office or for personal, family use. The printer is capable of handling outputs up to 13×19-inch documents.

It is comparatively cheaper and uses a wide variety of printing technologies and features to produce excellent outputs.

Review

The WorkForce WF-7210 wide-format printer produces decent prints and offers a wide variety of standard and mobile connectivity options.

The product is capable of handling the printing needs of borderless pages up to 13 x 9 inches. For automatic two-sided pages, the printer can handle documents up to the dimensions of 11 x 17 inches. Thus, this product can serve as the perfect option for low to moderate printing uses, making it an excellent option for small offices and also to be used as a family printer.

In terms of build, the product is not the smallest option you’d find in the market, but certainly not the largest. It falls in the middle category; customers will still need to ensure that there’s enough room on the desk to accommodate the product.

A minor drawback of its predecessor was that it was capable of handling only 150 sheets at a time. The WF-7210 model, however, has seen some improvements and consists of two drawers that are capable of handling 250 sheets each. The product also contains a rear override tray that aids the product in printing one-off sheets.

The quality of prints coming out of the WF-7210 model is impressive – the texts are readable, attractive, and clear. At the same time, the quality of the printed images is quite good as well, with color precision and correctness taking priority.

All in all, the product is a great, affordable option for simple printing needs.

Features

• Uses Epson Genuine Cartridges for efficient quality.
• The product is powered by Precision Core technology to ensure quality performance.
• Keep track of your ink usage with the Dash Replenishment feature.

9. HP LaserJet Pro M452DW Wireless Colour Printer – The Best Printer for Corporate Uses

Specifications

Connectivity	Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet
Printer Technology	Laser
Compatibility	Smartphones, PC, Laptop
Printer Output	Coloured
Dimensions	18.5 x 16.2 x 11.6 inches
Weight	41.7 pounds

Overall Verdict

The HP Colour LaserJet Pro M45dw is one of the best sublimation printers available in the market for small to mid-range businesses. Backed by an excellent performance and output quality, the printer makes perfect use of high speed, good connectivity options, and mobile printing compatibility to provide a wholesome and convenient experience to the users.

There is no doubt that the M452dw model is the best in class, and should be your top priority if you are looking to purchase a printer for your office.

It has a few minor drawbacks; the first being the text quality, which is slightly below average for a laser printer.

However, in most cases, the quality is good enough to accommodate any professional, office-based requirements.

Review

The paper handling capacities of the M452dw is decent, with the product offering a 250-sheet main tray along with a duplexer and a multipurpose tray capable of holding 50 sheets.

However, there are options available in the market that allows customers to upgrade their preference to a 550-sheet tray or even an 850-sheet tray.

The convenient nature of the printer is further amplified by the incorporation of mobile printing. Customers can easily connect the printer to any network via either Wi-Fi or Ethernet and print from their smartphones.

One of the main reasons why the product is perfect for professional uses and not personal is the size. The model measures a whopping 11.6 x 16.2 x 18.5 inches, and ideally should not be placed on a desk. Thus, it requires sufficient space for operation and would work perfectly in a corporate environment.

The speed of the M452dw is simply superb – one of the strongest features of the printer. For text-based documents or other requirements that don’t require a lot of formatting, the printer can clock an impressive 28 pages per minute for both black-and-white and colored documents.

The slight concern that a customer might face is the inconsistency of the output quality. While they may experience excellent prints for some requirements, others may be sub-par.

Despite this, the product is perfectly capable of ensuring that it can meet the requirements of most workplaces.

Features

• Uses the original HP high yield color toner cartridges with JetIntelligence.
• Consists of an efficient 3-inch touchscreen.
• Secure documents and information with JetAdvantage Private Print.

10. Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Wireless Colour Wide-Format Printer – Best Wide Format Printer in the $400 Range

Specifications

Connectivity	Wireless, Ethernet
Printer Technology	Inkjet
Compatibility	Smartphones, PC, Laptops
Printer Output	Coloured
Dimensions	30.9 x 18.7 x 16.2 inches
Weight	18.7 pounds
Duplex	Automatic

Overall Verdict

Lastly, we have another impressive product by Epson – the Expression Photo HD XP-15000 printer. It is a single-function (print only) model which is best for college, school, or small offices.

The XP-15000 boasts of some impressive paper-handling alternatives as well as a good range of connectivity options.

The product uses a sophisticated and modern, convenient control panel on the backside of the product to make it more comfortable for the customers to operate.

Overall, it offers good value for money.

Review

One of the strengths of this product is its large paper-handling capabilities. The printer contains two main sources for paper handling – a 200-sheet plain paper cassette that is located on the front side along with a feeder that can handle up to 50 sheets.

The printer is also capable of producing borderless pages between 4 x 16-inch size and 13 x 19-inch size.

In terms of speed, the XP-15000 is not that impressive – clocking a decent 9.2 pages per minute for monochrome pages. While the speed may not be competent enough to battle with some of our other top picks, it’s still average for a consumer-grade printer.

Another strength of the printer lies in its output. While you would normally expect printers using the inkjet technology to do well, the XP-15000 exceeds expectations with its precise color scheme, good quality images, and overall great output.

Features

• Uses the Dash Replenishment feature to track ink usage.
• Compatible only with Epson cartridges to optimize cost per print.
• The individual 6 color Claria photo HD ink proves high-quality outputs.

How to Choose the Best Sublimation Printer – A Buyer’s Guide

We’ve nudged you in the right direction, but there’s still a lot left to do. Merely knowing the names of all the top sublimation printers in the market is not going to be enough. If you don’t know enough about technology, then you won’t be able to make an economic decision for yourself.

For that reason, we’ve curated a simple buyer’s guide to help you choose the perfect product for you. So without further ado, let’s talk about all the things that you need to think about before picking your perfect sublimation printer.

1. The Material

Before anything else, you need to figure out what the printer is made of – whether it is plastic, aluminum, or even glass in some cases.

For a sublimation printer, the material is one of the most important factors. As the product would use heat instead of chemicals to print patterns onto the sheet, the materials need to be appropriate to withstand that.

So which material is the best for sublimation printing? While you may encounter a lot of products made of plastic, professionals would usually opt for a metal printer. Glass printers might be handy for intricate uses, but they would turn out to be too expensive. Plastic, though cheaper, is not a great option for long-term uses.

2. The Cartridge

For a printer, the cartridge system is one of the most important things. It is largely responsible for determining the cost per print (CPP) of the printer. You need to consider what kind of cartridge system your printer is using, and how often it would need to be replaced.

Some machines allow cartridges to be replaced easily, and you should go for them. There are many products still in the market which don’t offer replaceable cartridges, so always check before buying. In our article, however, we’ve included only the best picks with efficient cartridge systems to optimize the CPP.

3. Connectivity Options

Gone are the days of countless cables and wires. Nowadays, all the printers can be connected wirelessly through a multitude of options including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and so on.

Ideally, a customer should go for a printer that offers a diverse range of connectivity options including Ethernet, wireless connections, and even USB.

Also, it would be good if the customers can check the compatibility of the printer – whether it is compatible with your smartphone, PC, or laptop.

4. Resolution

The resolution of the printer is another important factor. It determines the sharpness and clarity of the images that the printer will produce.

The best way to measure resolution is to look at the dots per inch or the dpi of the printer.

Ideally, you would want a printer that has a dpi range of at least 800-1200.

5. Size and Build

Not all the printers nowadays could easily be fitted on your desk. Some require a considerable amount of space of their own. This is the line that divides a printer for personal use and one for professional uses.

Generally, you should opt for a small, lightweight printer if you want one for personal use that will need to be portable. If you want a more durable, sturdier option for your workplace, going for bigger and heavier options should be the better option as it would support most of the bulk requirements that your office would have.

FAQs on Sublimation Printers

Read Also: 6 Best Printers for Cricut Print and Cut Projects

Conclusion

And there you have it; we’ve provided virtually the most comprehensive buying guide and product list to help you find your perfect sublimation printer. Apart from our list of top products, curated expertly by a group of specialists, we’ve also provided a buyer’s guide that will help customers make more economical decisions.

We hope that this guide proved to be useful for you, and helped you find the best printer for sublimation.