This sublimation printer has a high-quality printing effect, suitable for your business whether you are a personal user or a commercial user. This multi-functional printer can print on T-shirts, but also it can be used for other textile materials like polyester, acrylic, etc.
You can pick any option in our list for you because of its features & printing quality. Furthermore, you will never regret choosing this sublimation printer because it’s a cost-effective product so that anyone can use it without any hesitation.
Sublimation is a process in which the fabric is printed using heat. For this reason, it’s also known as heat transfer printing. A sublimation printer uses special ink that can be fused with fabrics at high temperatures without causing any damage to the material.
When heated, specially formulated dye crystals are converted into a gas state and fuse inside the pores of the fabric.
The same process applies to transferring images on clothing items like T-shirts, polo shirts, etc. Since they have deep fibers, unlike paper or other similar materials, the direct application comes into play.
Consequently, sublimation printers are ideal for making custom prints on textiles using pre-casted patterns or single-color prints without any background.
Direct printing onto clothing isn’t possible because deep pores allow only water-based dyes to enter inside. Sublimation printing is considered an appropriate alternative for regular digital textile decoration since it results in almost no damage to the fabric compared to other conventional methods.
Sublimation printers are mostly preferred for commercial purposes because of their faster output rate and versatility. These machines are used by t-shirt manufacturers, photographers, graphic designers, etc., who constantly need many printed materials on different fabrics at a time.
Sublimation Printer can print on T-shirts, mug cups, plastic items, and ceramic materials. So, in addition to printing photos or pictures from your computer or cell phone onto a T-shirt, you even can create words with this printer.
List of Best Sublimation Printer For T-Shirts
- Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3
- Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer
- Okidata 62439301 C711wt Printer
- SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 Printer
- DNP Event Photo Printer DS-RX1HS
- Datacard Group SD260 Dye Printer
1- Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3
Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3 is a high quality production printer with CE marking, and it has many outstanding features like auto-calibration, touch screen interface, etc. It prints images directly on T-shirts in full color, which will not be fade after washing because the ink used is sublimation ink.
This printer can print any image, whatever you want to print on your T-shirts. Not only that, it has good printing speed and precision up to 2400x1440dpi (6 dots/mm). It also supports both gaming PC & Mac, so you can freely use this machine without incompatibility issues between different OSs.
Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3 can be the best choice for you. This is because this machine carries high performance and reliability while giving your printers a long life. For example, suppose you need to buy a printer to print images directly on T-shirts.
In that case, no other printer is better than this one because this is suitable for printing images on T-shirts. Still, also it’s perfect for any textile materials like polyester acrylic, etc.
Customized Production is very popular in the USA & Europe because this is a perfect solution for on-demand Production.
Consumers can use their creativity to create more customized products with just one click at home or anywhere they want. In other words, Customized Production gives you full control over your personalized items.
The best thing about Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3 is that it also supports software of many popular brands like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc.
which make it easier for you to create images whatever you want and save them in jpeg or BMP format then you can use these image files to print on your textile materials easily without any need of extra skills.
Moreover, it has high printing speed, excellent quality, cost-effective price, and compatibility with many software programs, and then Digital Textile Printer MT-TA3 can be the best choice for you.
2- Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer
Epson Stylus C88+ printer is a high-quality sublimation printer for beginners. This unit is widely considered the best in its class and has been used successfully by several T-shirt companies. However, it’s probably not right for everyone, so I’ll let you know which situations suit this printer and which don’t.
This printer’s major strength is its overall print quality. The prints look amazing with very sharp details and solid colors. Now, of course, it varies between users. Still, I’ve seen numerous reports on social media of people buying this printer after trying others first and being blown away by how much better their final products are on the C88+.
This makes it great for t-shirt companies looking to make small runs of t-shirts with decent speed, too, because bulk pricing means you’ll save more per shirt as the numbers go up – making this printer not only a great choice for artists and hobbyists but large companies too.
It has many special features, such as an automatic cutter or touchscreen control panel. However, if you’re looking for a machine to speed up your workflow, you should consider one of the other printers on this list.
The same goes if you’re after things like USB thumb drive memory cards for easy offline printing – again, there are better choices out there for those purposes.
The C88+ is also well-known for being stable and not suffering from many problems that plague other sublimation printers. Things like paper jams are very rare, it runs quietly, and there are few to no common issues that can lead to wasted prints or massive headaches.
This is an Epson printer, so you’re getting a printer with very good color calibration to ensure your printed colors look accurate to what you see on screen – something which continues to be a problem for other brands despite their claims otherwise.
3- Okidata C711wt Printer
This is another printer that can print images and designs on T-shirts. This combination of thermal transfer and direct thermal printers can be used for image transfers or color prints. It only weighs about 14 pounds, so it doesn’t take up too much space.
The Okidata 62439301 comes with HexTec software for design. This lets you choose your designs from catalogs or by importing your format to create logos, signs, personalized T-shirts, banners, etc.
Moreover, the designs are enhanced due to their high-resolution print quality of 1440 dpi, which creates clear images even when the dye sublimation ink technology is applied to darker colored materials like black or navy blue.
The media size supported by the Okidata printer is A6 and 8.5″ x 11″. It prints on different surfaces like vinyl, cardboard, paper, and plastic panels. In addition, it can print on flexible materials and metallic films up to 4mil.
The Okidata comes with an open-front design, making it easy to access the ink cartridges – less hassle when removing or inserting cartridge(s). The size of the media tray is smaller at only 6 inches,
But it has a good supporting capacity at 10,000 impressions. In addition, you can use recycled paper for this printer since it runs quietly while working.
Okidata 62439301 is a Lightweight and compact size, making it a space saver. This is good for those with limited spaces in their house or offices.
It takes up less power at 30 watts when printing images while using 15 watts while printing text. Therefore, this printer can be a good choice since it uses less power and saves energy.
Prints directly onto flat or flexible materials, including cloth, fabric, and other materials used in making T-shirts. It will help you realize your design ideas immediately, thus saving time from cutting the material before printing on it.
4- SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 Printer
SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO is one of the best versatile and advanced models made by SAWGRASS. This printer is ideal for printing on round, flat and odd-shaped objects like mugs and mouse pads. It can print at a speed of 400dpi using CMYK or LcLc pigment-based inks.
The SG400 SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO sublimation printer is best suited for high-quality prints, as it has an ultra-fine print head with 12 nozzles per color that deliver consistent dots even on small areas.
In addition, the printer uses special ceramic heating technology that allows faster heat transfer to ensure vibrant prints on various surfaces, even on textured materials such as leather and plastic mats.
SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 sublimation printer is equipped with an ultra-high-resolution printing technology that can print up to 1200×1200 dpi. In addition, it has a hard disk with 1 GB capacity and comes fitted with USB, Firewire, and Ethernet ports that offer faster image transfers.
The SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 sublimation printer has improved media handling features like automatic media sensor, front exit table for easier loading of the printing medium, and servo motor direct drive system,
which reduces paper jamming. In addition, it also includes an improved ink reservoir tank with an auto shut-off option. This helps check the ink level easily, thus minimizing wastage caused by overfilling.
This advanced sublimation printer is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Mac OS X v10.5 or higher operating systems. It uses Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, and Black pigment-based inks that are smudge-free.
The printer also contains a hard disk with a 1 GB storage capacity and delivers high-quality images on various printing media.
This SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 comes with a FREE copy of Sawgrass Creative Studio print design software which offers a user-friendly interface and helps in easy handling of the printer.
In addition, it provides helpful tips to guide you through image transfers from your PC to the printer. The software also assists in the easy installation of the printer driver and your Windows OS.
5- DNP Event Photo Printer DS-RX1HS
DNP DS RX1HSN is one of the top contenders that stand out on this list. It has all the functions required for printing high-quality images onto t-shirts. Although some users reported a little pricey, you will get what you have paid for.
DNP DS RX1HSN comes with its software, which allows you to personalize your design before printing them on t-shirts or other items. This is done directly from the computer, and no additional device is needed.
DNP Event Photo Printer also enables users to scan pictures from magazines, apply photo effects, merge multiple images into one picture, crop image size, and adjust brightness/contrast without losing the quality of images.
Not only that, this sublimation printer can be used to produce professional-looking business cards within minutes. For those interested in selling custom-made products such as t-shirts, this sublimation printer is a perfect tool that you should not miss.
This DNP Sublimation Printer can print high-resolution images onto smooth polyester fabric in CMYK color, which is ideal for creating signs and banners. In addition, it can be connected to a monitor to produce a high-quality digital signage solution. This function is perfect for exhibition booths or even store window displays.
Regarding printing speed, the DNP DS RX1HSN printer has been reported as one of the fastest sublimation printers in the market, with a 4-inch under-tray that enables users to add paper easily when required without wasting much time.
DS-RX1HS puffs a 20 percent increase in print speed, making it nearly twice as fast as its predecessor while still maintaining the same print resolution.
At the size of 23.8 x 20.9 x 22.7inches and weighing only 18kgs, this printer is extremely light and compact enough for easy transportation, even on a plane or train. It is also equipped with a handle at the top of the printer, making it easier for users to move around when required, such as taking out to an exhibition booth.
Moreover, it uses DNP ink cartridges which are fully recyclable and environment friendly that can be recycled within your local cartridge refilling station without any problem once they run out of ink capacity.
6- Datacard Group SD260 Dye Printer
One of the best things you will notice when checking out this particular entry-level portable printer is its very small size. It measures only 29.2 inches in width,
which is smaller than most desktop printers, and it weighs a very light 48 pounds. This makes for an ideal printer to take with you when traveling or going out on the road to do some printing at trade shows and whatnot.
The SD260 thermal transfer and direct-to-card printer can print up to eleven inches per second when dealing with text documents and images that aren’t too detailed.
You can also change the quality of your prints by using different resolutions, including resolutions like 300×300 DPI (dots per inch), 720 x 720 DPI, and 1440 X 1440 DPI, which will improve image sharpness when necessary.
There is one thing you should know about the Datacard SD260, and that is it can only print a maximum of two colors at one time. This means that if you want to create more colorful prints,
you will need to invest in a printer with multiple cartridges or a CMYK printer. In addition, this machine can only print with either a black or a white cartridge at one time.
But still, the Datacard SD260 is a great printer that will work for just about anyone who needs to print out simple images and text documents. This is especially the case when you consider how easy this machine will be to use.
The SD260 is perfect for point-of-sale (POS), traffic counter, or security printing needs with ITS SMALL FOOTPRINT. This compact, lightweight printer can even be transported in a backpack, making it ideal for mobile applications whether you are on the road delivering traffic count data or need to get your thermal printer from event to event.
The SD260 also makes a great choice as a photo printer. It can achieve maximum color resolution with maximum photographic quality by utilizing Epson’s Ultrachrome K3 ink set and accurate media feeding. This ensures each photo print is of the highest quality.
The SD260 can be used with Datacard’s SpectraLink Bluetooth mobile printer adapter, which provides fast and easy connectivity to your mobile phone or another mobile device.
Whether you are making sales calls, delivering door hangers, or want to update your website while out in the field, this mobile printing accessory removes one more obstacle between you and success.
Buying Guide for Best Sublimation Printer For T-Shirts
Most factors should be considered before buying a sublimation printer for t-shirts. Here’s a list of some key features that you need to keep in mind while making the purchase:
Size Requirements
Before buying any sublimation printer, determine its intended use and work on your specific requirements. For example, if you’re mainly looking for commercial purposes, it’s better to opt for larger devices with faster production rate capabilities.
However, if it’s meant for personal use only, compact printers will suit perfectly fine since they are easy to use and have quality results. Typically, low-resolution models are smaller, whereas high-resolution models have comparatively larger dimensions.
Resolution
Another factor to consider is the printer’s resolution because it directly affects the print quality. The higher the dpi (dots per inch), the greater the clarity of prints that you get on your t-shirts. Sublimation printers come with single or multiple heads, depending on their type and intended use.
Multi-head sublimation machines are quite expensive but have faster printing speed than single head devices due to separate printheads being available for each color. On the other hand, high-quality sublimation ink is best suitable for low-resolution devices since they can show desired results at 300 dpi or even lower. In contrast, higher resolution models are great for producing photo-quality images at 1200 dpi.
Ink Compatibility
The type of sublimation ink used in the printer is one of the most critical factors since it directly affects the print quality and overall life span of the device. Therefore, before buying any sublimation printer,
you need to check its compatibility with various types of ink to avoid future complications and inconveniences. So it’s better to opt for printers that can use both water-based and heat-resistant dye inks rather than those that only utilize heat-resistant ones.
Speed and Production Rate
Another crucial factor that should be considered before buying any sublimation printer is its speed. The printing speed is measured per square meters (sq m) per hour, whereas the production rate refers to the number of prints produced by a machine per hour.
So it’s better to pick up devices with higher speed capabilities because this will save valuable time during commercial purposes when large quantities of printed materials are needed within minimum possible timeframes. Similarly, if you need multiple printheads, then opt for high production rate capabilities since it’ll minimize your work-time to a greater extent.
Connectivity Options
Most sublimation printers come with built-in wireless connectivity options, allowing users access to stored data wirelessly from any location across the globe. In contrast, others may also provide USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi connectivity to share stored data without delays.
So you need to keep your specific requirements in mind before opting for one of these printer models since it will save you a lot of time during commercial printing operations. Similarly, some machines are compatible with CISS (Continuous Ink Supply System) to reduce operational expenses considerably,
whereas others use specialized cartridges that can be refilled easily. Though more expensive than conventional devices, continuous ink supply systems are highly recommended for more efficiency at low costs without any hassles.
All these tips will help you pick up one of the best sublimation printers available at your disposal for improving your overall efficiency and productivity during commercial operations without any hassles or issues.
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