We need to be looking for the best sublimation inks because without them there will be no sublimation projects.
Just like we need inkjet inks for regular printing or for inkjet ink heat transfer, so we need sublimation dyes for personalizing a wide variety of objects through sublimation.
However, let’s make one thing clear regarding these special inks that we need for printing our designs on sublimation paper. Once the designs are printed on sublimation paper, the transfer takes place in the heat press. By heat pressing the paper onto our t-shirts or other objects, we transfer the designs from the paper onto the media.
The thing I want to underline is that there are two types of printers that we can use for sublimation.
The first category is dedicated sublimation printers. These are models like the Epson SureColor F170, Sawgrass SG500, Sawgrass SG1000, and Epson SureColor F570. For these types of printers designed specifically for sublimation only, their manufacturers also sell inks for their respective models.
For example, here you’ll find inks for the Epson SureColor F170. The printers are also sold with 4 ink bottles to get you started.
The Sawgrass models come with SubliJet UHD. A 4-color ink set that is perfect for all hard and soft polyester substrates. And it also works beautifully on vinyl.
Best Sublimation Inks Reviews
Since the matters are pretty straightforward when it comes to choosing sublimation dyes for dedicated sublimation printers like the Epson SureColor F170, Sawgrass SG500, Sawgrass SG1000, and Epson SureColor F570, we’ll actually be talking about something completely different in this article.
The whole purpose of looking for the best sublimation inks is to actually find the best sublimation dyes for inkjet printers that can be converted to sublimation.
These inkjet printers, pretty much a large majority are Epson printers, can be converted to sublimation by simply buying sublimation inks for that respective model.
Instead of filling in the cartridges or ink tanks with the regular inkjet inks that the printer comes with, we’ll actually fill in those tanks with the sublimation inks that are compatible with that respective model.
I should also mention that most Epson inkjet printers that can be converted to sublimation will work on a 4-color ink set: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
There are only a few models that will actually require 6 bottles of inks. One of those is the Epson EcoTank ET-8550. The sublimation ink packages compatible with the EcoTank ET-8550 will include 6 ink bottles: cyan, magenta, gray, yellow, black, photo black.
One last thing before jumping to our reviews.
All these products that can be chosen as the best sublimation inks will be compatible with a very long list of models.
So you need to pay attention to their list of compatible printers when you’re looking for the bottles to match your particular printer.
1. Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers: Overall the Best Sublimation Inks
Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers is compatible with: EcoTank ET-2400, ET-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, WorkForce 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, premium ET-7750, ET-7700, L3110, and L3115 printers.
This is a long list of printers that the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers is compatible with.
So, you’ll have to clearly peruse that list and see if your printer is among those models.
What I absolutely love is that the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers is compatible with some of the most popular Epson printers that can be converted to sublimation.
This is exactly what we’re looking for and what we want to see when we’re shopping for the best sublimation inks that will work for our particular printer.
However, there are many other reasons for loving the inks from Hiipoo.
Amazing sublimation ink
Let’s start with the fact that the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers are some of the most popular dyes at the moment. People love these inks.
Another reason for recommending this one as my top pick is the fact that they’re incredibly highly rated. The ratio of negative reviews to 5 star reviews is impressive. We certainly won’t be seeing such impressive ratios for many other products.
So far so amazing.
People love them because the colors are amazing. Of course we need amazing colors, vibrant colors, deep blacks, etc. if we want our designs to shine and be gorgeous on the objects we want to personalize.
Plus, the amazing Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers will make converting an Epson printer to sublimation a really easy undertaking. That’s another thing to keep in mind.
Features
We get 4 ink bottles, each measuring 100mL: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
The water-based dye sublimation ink provides a high heat transfer printing rate.
It produces bright and vivid colors, high saturation, good permeability, and fast drying.
The designs will be waterproof and durable, we don’t have to worry about fading, which is something that characterizes sublimation in general and why it’s such an amazing craft.
Of course, the inks have wide applications: t-shirts, pillows, mugs, caps, bags, phone cases, and whatever other object you want to personalize that are ready for sublimation.
The older Hiipoo Sublimation Inks came with syringes for easily transferring the inks from the bottles into cartridges/ink tanks but that’s not something we need anymore.
These new sets from Hiipoo don’t require syringes anymore. The mouth of each bottle perfectly fits the ink tanks that the EcoTank Inkjet Printers come with.
The filling in of these large tanks is done easily and without much effort.
There’s no need to squeeze. And the filling stops automatically.
You can still wear some gloves if you’re worried about a few drops escaping but I don’t think that it will be a frequent occurrence.
How to use the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers
My main advice is this: open just the tank that you intend to fill at that moment. Then close the filled tank and open the next one and so on until you’re done with all 4 tanks, each for their respective color: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
So, we’re opening the yellow tank and we’re removing the cap from the yellow cap immediately.
Then, align the nozzle on the bottle with the nozzle on the tank and press the bottle down.
Hiipoo mentions that no squeezing is needed but I still squeeze the bottles a bit, it’s just something automatic and it won’t cause any problems. Just squeeze the ink bottle a bit. All liquids will flow quickly with a bit of our encouragement.
Now, while the ink flows in your tank all you need to watch is the fill line on the tank. Stop when you get close to that line. Close that tank and move on to the next.
Clean ink drops if there are any. For this reason you can also wear gloves.
All in all, the whole thing of filling in tanks with sublimation inks with the amazing Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers will only take a couple of minutes and you’ll be done. And you can carry on with printing your designs.
2. Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Supertank Inkjet Printers
At first glance, this one might look exactly like my first recommendation from Hiipoo. If we just read the title it’s hard to set them apart, which is completely understandable.
If we check printer compatibility, the results are identical. Hiipoo offers wide compatibility and there’s a high chance that your printer will be on the list.
However, there’s an important difference between the two Hiipoo ink sets.
The first one I recommended is a set that contains 4 bottles, each measuring 100mL.
This set here is slightly different.
It contains:
127mL black
cyan 70mL
magenta 70mL
yellow 70mL
It’s certainly an interesting combination of quantities but it can certainly be exactly what some of you are looking for.
It’s an incredibly popular set and very highly rated.
Of course, it offers free-ICC printing.
A buyer mentions in their user review that they have made color corrections according to what sublimation groups suggest and the result is amazing vibrant colors.
No matter which quantities the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink are sold in, the truth remains.
They’re some of the best sublimation inks that any of us could buy and there’s no wonder that they’re the first choice for so many buyers.
I should also mention that we can also choose to buy just 2 bottles of black, each of 100mL. That can be a blessing for those printing a lot of black designs. I love this option.
3. Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles Work with WF7710 ET2760 ET2720 ET2803 ET2800 ET15000 C88 C88+
Just as the name suggests, these 4 ink bottles for Hiipoo are compatible with: C88 C88+ EcoTankET2760 ET2720 ET2803 ET2800 ET3760 ET4760 Task Force WF3620 WF3640 WF7620 WF3540 WF7620 WF760 WF70 WF760 WF760 010 WF7110 WF7210 WF7510 WF7520 WF7610 WF7710 WF7720 Printer etc.
The quality is exceptional, of course. They’re some of the best sublimation inks if the printer you’re using is among those listed models.
Thus, Hiipoo is a manufacturer that has a variety of ink sets. Things can get a bit confusing but they become clear once you check out the list of compatible printers. That’s what you have to look for.
4. L&C Sublimation Ink for EcoTank ET-8500, ET-8550
When I wrote my introduction, I mentioned that most Epson printers that are converted to sublimation will only require 4 ink bottles because they come with 4 ink tanks.
However, the very popular Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is a wide-format 13 x 19 sublimation printer that actually works with 6 bottles of ink.
The EcoTank ET-8500 and ET-8550 are two sublimation printers that are the exception. The models for which I cannot say that the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink is my top recommendation.
Instead, I have to say that if you own either the ET-8500 or the ET-8550, then my top recommendation for the best sublimation inks is the L&C Sublimation Ink.
The alternative is the LNKCOS 600ML Sublimation Ink for Epson EcoTank ET-8500, ET-8550. I like this one too but I definitely like the L&C Sublimation Ink for EcoTank ET-8500, ET-8550 a bit better so that is the one that I’m going to review.
Features
We get 6 bottles of ink, each measuring 70mL: black, gray, cyan, magenta, yellow, photo black.
The price is also more expensive than the sets that only contain 4 ink bottles that measure 100mL.
The L&C Sublimation Ink for EcoTank ET-8500, ET-8550 also comes with an unique spout design for making refills easier.
Just insert the bottles and it will fill automatically all on their own. Just make sure to open each tank individually as soon as you’re ready to fill it in with its respective color. Then close it and open the next tank and so on until you’re done with all 6.
The L&C Sublimation Ink also is anti-UV for longer storage time and for being not easy to fade.
It promises high heat transfer printing rates, bright and vivid colors with high saturation, good permeability, and fast drying.
Of course, it’s compatible with a wide array of media. We can sublimate on a wide range of materials as long as they’re ready for sublimation. Or they have a high polyester percentage and a very low or not at all cotton percentage.
You can read my guides about sublimation on acrylic, glass, leather, rayon, etc. if you want to discover more about various media for sublimation.
5. Printers Jack Sublimation Ink Refill for Epson EcoTank Supertank Printers
Another amazing option for the best sublimation inks is this one from Printers Jack.
It’s pretty much in the same price range as the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink.
This one from Printers Jack is also very popular. And the ratio of negative reviews to 5-star reviews is almost as good as the one for Hiipoo Sublimation Ink.
While the Hiipoo is my top pick, the Printers Jack Sublimation Ink Refill for Epson EcoTank Supertank Printers is a second favorite.
I guess it can be a good option for those who have had a negative experience with Hiipoo or for those who think that the Printers Jack might be a better option for their printers.
It is compatible with the following Epson printers: ET-2720, ET-2760, ET-2750, ET-2700, ET-3700, ET-3710, ET-3750, ET-3760, ET-4700, ET-4750, ET-4760, ET-5800, ET-5850, ET-5880, ET-7750, ET-7700.
Their list of compatible printers is a bit more limited than what Hiipoo offers so there’s another reason for definitely preferring Hiipoo.
Features
It is described as being anti-UV sublimation ink with the following characteristics: longer storage time, not easy to fade. Although I guess we could say that about all high-quality dyes, as well.
It allows ICC-free printing, just like a lot of other sublimation inks, including the one from Hiipoo.
Plus, we can use the Printers Jack Sublimation Ink Refill for Epson EcoTank Supertank Printers to personalize a wide array of objects: T-shirts, cloths, pillow cases, mug cups, quilts, cross-stitch, shoes, caps, ceramics, boxes, bags, decorative cloths, flags, banners, etc.
We get 4 bottles, each 100mL: cyan, yellow, magenta, and black.
It is another set with a nozzle to make it easier to fill printers in each color tank. We don’t need syringes for these bottles.
6. L&C T49M Ink Autofill Sublimation Ink for Epson SureColor F170 F570
While I mentioned that you don’t have to look for the best sublimation inks if you own a dedicated sublimated printer, like the Epson SureColor F170, Sawgrass SG500, Sawgrass SG1000, and Epson SureColor F570 because you already know that the manufacturer of your printer is the one from which you should also buy the needed sublimations, there is an exception.
However, a question arises: should you do it?
Should you consider getting the L&C T49M Ink Autofill Sublimation Ink for Epson SureColor F170 F570 instead of buying the ink sets manufactured by Epson for these two models?
The difference between the L&C and Epson is that the ink set sold by Epson is at least two times more expensive.
Frankly, I don’t think that people who own the F570 would be interested in this cheaper alternative because they had already spent almost $3,000 to spend on a printer. They might be able to afford the original inks from Epson, which will also ensure that nothing happens to your warranty.
On the other hand, if you own the F170, which is about the cheapest dedicated sublimation printer we could get and the warranty period has passed, you might be interested in what the L&C T49M Ink Autofill Sublimation Ink for Epson SureColor F170 F570 offers, given the affordable price.
There are not many user reviews to check out. Someone mentions that the L&C is just like the original ink, just a lot cheaper. That’s good to know. I also believe that you will be satisfied with this set.
Features
We get 4 bottles of ink, each measuring 140mL, which is a nice deal.
The manufacturer also mentions that we can replenish the ink tanks directly. There’s no need to clean the printer, which is absolutely amazing and it will save potential users a lot of trouble.
It’s also compatible with a wide array of materials and objects.
The L&C sublimation ink adopts the latest three-layer filtering technology. The color is more vivid and the texture is smoother without clogging.
The bottles are also manufactured with a unique spout design that makes refill ink easier. Just like with all the other bottles, there’s no need for syringes.
All in all, the L&C T49M Ink Autofill Sublimation Ink for Epson SureColor F170 F570 can be a fantastic alternative to the original Epson dyes, a cheaper option that prints the same stunning designs.
7. L&C Sublimation Ink for Epson EcoTank: Best Value Sublimation Inks
I really can’t end my reviews without mentioning one of the cheapest options if you’re looking to buy the best sublimation inks on a budget.
Well, each bottle only measures 70mL but the price under $30 is still quite an amazing deal.
Plus, the amount of negative reviews when compared with the huge percentage of positive reviews indicate that the manufacturer hasn’t forgotten about making high quality products, even if the price is slightly cheaper.
Overall, I’m quite satisfied with what the L&C Sublimation Ink for Epson EcoTank offers crafters.
Just like one user review mentions: best value for the moment. Indeed, that’s the case.
In terms of printer compatibility, we get a long list of models: ET-2840, ET-2400, ET-2700, ET-2720, ET-2750, ET-2760, ET-2800, ET-2803, ET-2850, ET-3700, ET-3710, ET-3750, ET-3760, ET-3830, ET-3850, ET-4700, ET-4750, ET-4760, ET-4800, ET-4850, ET-15000; EcoTank Pro series ET5800, ET5850, ET5880, ET16600, ET16650; WorkForce series ST-C2100, ST-2000, ST-3000, ST-4000, ST-C4100, ST-C8000…
That’s truly impressive compatibility, I have no complaints.
Features
Of course, these inks can be used to personalize whatever objects and media we want, as long as they’re ready for sublimation or they contain a high percentage of polyester (70% or more) or they’re white or very light in color.
If you’re interested, check out my reviews for the best sublimation paper for dark shirts if you want to know how you can personalize dark fabrics.
The bottles also come with an auto-stop design and a nozzle that makes refills so easy.
All in all, the L&C Sublimation Ink for Epson EcoTank might be my second favorite after Hiipoo. It’s definitely my top recommendation for people on a budget.
How to switch sublimation inks
Let’s say that you’re using a different brand of sublimation inks and you’re no longer satisfied with that respective brand.
And maybe you’re searching for the best sublimation inks. And you come across the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers that is compatible with your particular printer model.
How do you switch to these Hiipoo dyes?
You’ll have to flush your printer of the old ink. Only after that you can fill in your tanks with the new inks.
There are YouTube tutorials for this process of replacing an ink with another. It’s not something that it’s done quickly but it has to be done if we want to use another type of ink.
When it comes to sublimation, we shouldn’t be mixing different brands of ink in our printer. That means that we have to go through all that process of removing the ink from the tanks. And then replacing it with the new ink that we want to use.
The optimal situation is that we pick the right sublimation ink from the start and stick with it.
And the brand that we’re using regularly doesn’t switch to a different factory or to different ink sources to mess up with our color corrections.
All in all, I hope that, if you’re choosing the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers, you’ll be completely satisfied. And you won’t have to go through the whole process of looking for another brand. And then having to replace the old ink with the new one. Because it can be a bit of a hassle.
Will using sublimation inks in an Epson inkjet printer void the warranty?
This is something I mention often, whether I’m reviewing the best sublimation printer for beginners or the best 13×19 sublimation printer or the best sublimation printer for T-shirts. Or basically whenever the matter of converting inkjet printers to sublimation comes up.
The fact that the warranty will be void as soon as you fill in the tanks with sublimation dye is something everyone should be aware of. And it’s the risk most of us take whenever we convert a printer to sublimation.
Since inkjet printers were designed to be used with inkjet inks, it’s pretty obvious why the warranty is void. If we intend to use a printer for something that it wasn’t intended to be used for, even if it actually works, the warranty will be void.
Conversions are the most popular, among both amateur and business owners. Dedicated sublimation printers are harder to find, usually considerably more expensive. And the ink for them is pricier, too.
Dedicated vs converted sublimation printers
If you can afford the Epson SureColor F570. And you can find somewhere to buy it from, I’m incredibly happy for you.
The Epson SureColor 4 Pack Ink Set & Tank for Epson F570 can cost almost $150.
On the other hand, the Hiipoo Sublimation Ink for EcoTank Inkjet Printers and other sublimation inks of its kind will have a price well under $50. Maybe around $20-$40.
The price difference is considerable. Especially if you’re a business that prints hundreds of paper sheets daily.
I won’t even mention how much the Sawgrass SubliJet UHD, 4 Pack costs. Check that out for yourself if you’re curious. Just be prepared to be a bit shocked.
However, the risk is obvious. When we use sublimation ink to convert an inkjet Epson printer, then the warranty is void.
If you want to avoid all that, your only option is to consider buying a dedicated sublimation printer. And then you won’t have to look for the best sublimation inks because you’ll know exactly which brand you need to buy if you’re operating a dedicated sublimation printer, just be prepared for the cost.
