There is one thing I want to talk about before giving my recommendations for the best Epson sublimation printer.
Epson is unique in a way and that’s what makes it so incredibly popular in this world of creating beautiful designs to personalize various objects with the help of sublimations printers, sublimation paper, sublimation inks, and a heat press.
The thing that makes Epson so popular and unique, in my opinion, is the fact that this manufacturer makes dedicated printers.
But it also has some other models that will actually be the focus of our search for the best Epson sublimation printer.
The focus will actually revolve around piezo inkjet printers that can be converted to sublimation.
These are the most popular models in this world, whether we’re talking about small business owners or amateur crafters, including complete beginners.
Thus, while it’s true that Epson sells two dedicated sublimation printers, the Epson SureColor F170 and the Epson SureColor F570, these two might be nearly impossible to find for most people.
Thus, the alternative is to convert an Epson inkjet printer to sublimation. The conversion is easy and you’ll find multiple YouTube tutorials to guide you through the whole process.
The sublimation inks for Epson printers are quite affordable so that’s another good reason for wanting to make this conversion.
Best Epson Sublimation Printer Reviews
While we gain quite a lot by choosing to convert an inkjet printer to sublimation in order to get the best Epson sublimation printer, we also lose one important thing that I want people to be aware of before choosing which product to buy.
When we use sublimation dyes to fill in the cartridges or tanks, we void the warranty for that inkjet printer. That’s because these printers are made to be used for regular printing on regular printing paper.
Thus, when we fill in the tanks with sublimation inks, we’re doing something that the warranty doesn’t extend to. Since we need to fill in the tanks with sublimation dyes and not inkjet inks, we can’t even test the printer under the warranty to see if it works as it should.
Still, many buyers choose to take on the risk, whether they’re amateur crafters or business owners.
If you only want to stick to dedicated sublimation printers, you have 4 models to choose from: Epson SureColor F170, Sawgrass SG500, Sawgrass SG1000, and Epson SureColor F570.
The F170 is the cheapest, costing around $400. The SG500 can be around $600-$700, while the SG1000 costs more than double. And the F570 is the most expensive with a price nearing $3,000.
While I love Sawgrass, I find their prices a bit excessive and their inks really pricey. I prefer converting inkjet Epson printers to sublimation if I want the best sublimation printer for T-shirts or for a multitude of other objects that we can personalize.
Let’s pick the best Epson sublimation printer. There are a lot of models to choose from but I tried to only review a few to make things easier.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-2850: Overall the Best Epson Sublimation Printer
I chose to recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 as my top pick for various reasons. I’m not saying that it’s the absolute best for everyone but it has the potential to be the perfect pick for a lot of crafters.
Of course, one important reason for choosing to recommend the ET-2850 first is because I believe that it’s easily available for many buyers, no matter where they live.
While there is a wide array of EcoTank models that can be converted to sublimation with ease, there’s also the matter that some models have been discontinued.
I might also be guilty of recommending discontinued models while not being aware of the fact.
I’ve been part of the sublimation world for many years so it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that some models are still around for sale.
Features
The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 replaces the Epson EcoTank ET-2760, which is another model that I love. So it’s nice to become aware of its successor.
However, I will also review the Epson EcoTank ET-2760 right below for those who can’t find the ET-2850.
Still, I slightly prefer the EcoTank ET-2850 because it’s slightly more affordable and we still get to use high-capacity, easily refillable ink tanks.
If you find it on sale, the price will be under $300. That would be a fantastic deal, totally amazing.
The affordable price is certainly another reason for choosing this ET-2850 as my first recommendation.
Another thing that made me decide that I truly like this printer for sublimation is the fact that it has a 4800 x 1200 max print resolution.
That means that we can print vivid images, in brilliant colors that will resist over time, use, and frequent washes.
The max print size is 8.5 x 47.2 inches. That means that we can print on 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14 sublimation paper.
This print size allows for wide versatility on a variety of media from T-shirts, mugs, aprons, baby clothes to acrylic sheets, glass objects, etc.
Of course, we can also choose a 13 x 19 sublimation printer over the 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14 ones.
However, not many people will need to print such big designs. These wide-format printers are mainly preferred by those who want to personalize T-shirts that are a size Large or bigger. These wide-format models are perfect for this kind of bigger projects, which some people might not need.
If that’s the case, the Epson EcoTank ET-2850 might be the perfect fit for you and your budget.
2. Epson EcoTank ET-15000: Best Wide-Format Epson Sublimation Printer
Since we already reviewed a regular print model, it’s time to also review a wide-format model as the best Epson sublimation printer since there will be people who will be looking for a product with a 13 x 19 max print size.
Of course, I should also remind you that printing on 13 x 19 inch sublimation paper will not be as cheap as printing on 8.5 x 11 inch sheets. Only the paper alone is twice more expensive for the wide format.
Features
While there are plenty 13 x 19 Epson printers that we can convert to sublimation, I like recommending the EcoTank ET-15000 first because it’s among the most affordable.
Basically, the ET-15000 is the cheapest wide-format model that can be converted to sublimation.
Those who have bought it for this purpose absolutely love it.
If you don’t like the ET-15000 but you still want a 13 x 19 model from Epson, there are other models to check out: EcoTank ET-8550, Epson WorkForce WF-7720, EcoTank ET-16600.
The EcoTank ET-8550 and Epson WorkForce WF-7720 are also top picks that I love but we need a higher budget for these two.
The ET-8550 might cost around $800, while the ET-15000 might be only $100 cheaper so if you don’t want the ET-15000, the ET-8550 might be the perfect alternative.
Besides the 13 x 19 max print size, another important feature is the 1200 dpi max resolution. It will ensure that we print vivid colors and stunning images. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.
3. Epson EcoTank ET-2760
The EcoTank ET-2760 is another amazing printer that can be converted to sublimation.
It costs around $400. It’s not exactly the cheapest we could buy but it’s an extremely popular model.
Those who use it for sublimation mention that it’s great. That it can be a bit slow for some but that it does exactly what they wanted.
Even people who own businesses are using this model. Although, some choose to upgrade to more expensive models as their businesses expand.
All in all, the ET-2760 prints amazing pictures and the colors are amazing. I don’t think you’ll regret choosing this model, although I slightly prefer the Epson EcoTank ET-2850.
In the end, if you’re okay with a 8.5 max print size, then you can’t go wrong with either model.
4. Epson EcoTank ET-2803: Cheap Epson Sublimation Printer
There’s not much that I have to say about this EcoTank ET-2803.
Basically, if your budget is well under $300, you’re going to want to learn more about this model.
The best way to describe the ET-2803 would be to say that it would be the perfect first printer for amateur crafters who are complete beginners in the sublimation world. And who don’t have a lot of money to spend on their first printer.
It’s one of the best sublimation printers for beginners.
The inks will also be affordable so that’s another big plus.
Next, you need 8.5 x 11 inch sublimation paper, which will cost another $20-$30, like the A-Sub Sublimation Paper, 125g.
Last but not least, you can get the HTVRONT Heat Press Machine for T Shirt, 10”x10”, which is about $100 and it will be a good fit for the 8.5 x 47.2 inch max print size.
If you are on a limited budget, the Epson EcoTank ET-2803 can be an ideal pick as the best Epson sublimation printer.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-8550
This is the alternative for those who don’t like or can’t find the ET-15000 that I reviewed just above.
The price difference between the two is not that big so these two can work as replacements for one another when it comes to choosing the best Epson sublimation printer with a 13 x 19 max print size.
This much bigger max print size is an advantage for those who want to personalize big or very big T-shirts with large designs.
It’s also an advantage for those who want to print several smaller images on the same sheet of paper. However, 13 x 19 sheets are usually double the price of 8.5 x 11 sheets.
Still, a wide format printer can certainly offer increased versatility for some crafters.
However, there’s also the matter of using a bigger heat press, as well.
16 x 20 heat presses are harder to find and they can be quite expensive. On the other hand, a 15 x 15 heat press can be bought for around $200. So there are multiple things to think about when you’re considering using a wide-format printer for sublimation.
In the end, the important thing that matters is that those who use the ET-8550 for sublimation absolutely love it.
For example, one user who already had 2 Epson 2720 needed to expand as their business got bigger so they chose to buy the ET-8550 for that expansion and the upgrade was a success.
Another buyer mentions that this ET-8550 is the best printer they’ve ever owned. It’s capable of amazing quality images. And they use it to make stickers and sublimate mugs, T-shirts, etc.
Features
One important thing that I want to make clear about the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is that it’s slightly different from the other models that I recommended above.
This model actually works with 6 bottles of ink. It doesn’t work with cartridges but tanks, which are easier to use so I’m definitely a big fan.
When we get this model, we also need to buy sublimation ink for Epson EcoTank ET-8550 to make the conversion. The ink packages we’ll come across will include 6 ink bottles: cyan, magenta, gray, yellow, black, photo black.
The 5760 x 1440 dpi max print resolution is absolutely amazing so you’ll get vivid prints every time, if you follow the proper steps requested by this wonderful, creative craft.
6. Epson SureColor F170
We can’t talk about picking the best Epson sublimation printer without introducing the two models that are actually dedicated sublimation printers. Thus, no conversion is needed, no warranty is void, and everything is as easy as that.
I’m starting with the F170 because it’s pretty much the cheapest dedicated sublimation printer we could buy. For a price around $400-$450, we get an awesome deal, there’s no doubt about that.
There’s a 8.5 x 47.2 max paper size.
And it also comes with 1200 x 600 dpi as maximum print resolution. It’s certainly low but that’s what we can expect in this price range for dedicated sublimation printers.
And the price doesn’t get cheaper than the Epson SureColor F170 if you’re looking for a dedicated dye-sublimation printer as the best Epson sublimation printer.
7. Epson SureColor F570
The Epson SureColor F570 stands out from the crowd for a variety of reasons, and not only because it’s a dedicated sublimation printer.
It can be an awesome purchase if you can afford to spend almost $3,000 on one.
It’s pretty clear that the targets for the F570 are businesses and not very small ones. I don’t imagine that a lot of amateur crafters would spend so much money on just one printer, even if it sounds amazing.
The 4200 x 1200 dpi max print resolution is one of its outstanding features.
It supports rolls from 8.3” to 24.4” on 2” core or sheets from 8.3 x 11 to 11 x 17 inches.
But the impressive thing is the 24 max print size.
How to choose the best Epson sublimation printer
How can you figure out if the Epson printer you like or is within your budget can be converted to sublimation to become the best Epson sublimation printer for your craft?
Converting Epson inkjet printers to sublimation
Conversion means using sublimation inks instead of the inkjet inks that come with the printer.
Thus, we will fill in the cartridges or tanks with sublimation dyes. And that’s the most important step.
However, be warned that the act of using completely different inks than the ones provided by Epson will void the warranty. That’s the tricky part of the process. Even so, Epson inkjet printers are incredibly popular for sublimation.
So, in order to figure out if a certain model can be converted to sublimation, you have to see if you can find sublimation inks for that respective model.
That’s the only thing to make sure of and you should buy the inks for that respective model because those are the ones you’ll have to put in to make the conversion to sublimation.
Sublimation inks for Epson printers are compatible with a long list of models so you shouldn’t have a problem. And there are also my recommendations to guide you.
For example, the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers is compatible with: EcoTankET-2720 ET-2710, ET-2760, ET-2800, ET-2803, ET-2830, ET-2850, ET-3710, ET-3760, ET-4760, ET-15000 ET-16600 ET-16650, ET-3750, ET-4700, ET-4750, ST-2000, ST-3000, ST-4000, ET-2700, ET-2750, ET-3700, ET-7750 ET-7700 ET-2719 ET-2790 ET-3750 ET-3759 T-4500 ET-4550 ET-4720 ET-4750 ET-4752 ET-4753 ET-5150 ET-5170 ET-5800 ET-5880 ET-7750 ET-7700 L3110 L3115 printers.
That will be the same for other sublimation ink manufacturers. Their Epson printers compatibility will consist of a very long list of printers.
It might be harder to find the SubliJet HD Ultra High-Definition inks for Sawgrass SG500 & SG1000. And significantly more expensive.
All in all, I hope you were able to figure out which would be the best Epson sublimation printer for your needs, expectations, and budget.
