The sublimation method employs sublimation transfer papers to transfer the ink onto the substrate. This helps create a permanent design that stays there for a long time. When it comes to producing high-quality photos and images, sublimation printing has emerged as a go-to option.
For better sublimation printing, a wide format dye-sublimation printer is a highly popular choice. You can use it on fabric, paper, card, and plastic. As the ink transforms from solid into a gas, the process is called ‘sublimation’ printing.
Large format dye sublimation printers form an ideal choice for small business owners and crafty consumers.
Here is the list of the top 10 sublimation printers you can buy for your dye sublimation printing business.
1. Epson Workforce WF-7710
2. Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 S. Printer
3. Canon Selphy CP 130
4. Epson HD XP-15000 (Inkjet)
5. DNP DS-RX 1HS
6. HiTi P525
7. Mitsubishi CP-D70DW
8. Sony DPP-FP70
9. Kodak Dock
10. Epson WorkForce WF-2710
Epson WorkForce WF-7710
Source – Amazon
The Epson WorkForce Wide Format -7710 is a feature-rich sublimation printing machine at the top of tl the wide formation sublimation printers’ list. It is a color inkjet printer that supports a wide range of printing media types including envelopes, plain paper, glossy photo paper, etc.
As an all-in-one printer, it can print, scan, copy, and fax. On top of that, it also supports ethernet printing and wireless printing through Wi-Fi support. Equipped with PrecisionCore technology, it can support borderless prints of large sizes of up to 13×19”. It also supports double-sided print speeds of 8.7 ppm (black) and 6 ppm (color) and can store up to 250 sheets of paper per tray.
Highlight Features
– Low power consumption
– Easy operation and handling
– Support for multiple printing materials
– Large, color touchscreen
– Two-sided printing
Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 S. Printer
Source – Amazon
The Sawgrass Virtuoso is a desktop sublimation printer manufactured for the purpose of digital recording. It comes with a creative software studio and doesn’t require you to buy any additional desktop graphics software or clip art. This way, you can save a lot on graphics software and clip art.
Talking of the quality of prints, this printer produces a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. It supports 100 sheets of 8.5” x 11” sublimation paper. This means that you can get high-resolution prints at a low setup cost and image production cost. Further, it is highly versatile and can produce images on a number of fabrics easily.
You can provide your customers with more vibrant and accurate colors through Virtuoso. It supports the creation of designs from your computer, phone, or tablet too. With thousands of images and hundreds of templates to choose from, this printer is a great option for sublimation printers.
Highlight Features
– Industry’s first fully integrated desktop system designed specifically for sublimation.
– High savings with no need to buy additional graphic design software and clip art.
– High HD photo-quality with a resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi.
Canon Selphy CP 1300
Source: Canon
Canon Selphy CP 1300 is a wireless compact photo printer that supports AirPrint and Mopria Device Printing. It supports printing on plain paper and labels. This wide-format sublimation printer features a tilting 3.2” LCD screen that simplifies choosing, editing, and printing favorite photos. The print resolution is up to 256 colors per level. The output tray capacity is 18 sheets with postcard-size paper cassettes of varying sizes.
Moreover, the photos produced are instantly dry and completely water-resistant ensuring their longevity. Due to its sleek and portable design, you can carry this sublimation printing machine anywhere you want and print and share photos anytime, anywhere.
Highlight Features
– Supports prints from smartphones, computers, USB devices, and even memory cards
– Water-resistant and instantly dry, high-quality photos
– Wireless printing
Epson HD XP-15000 (INKJET)
Source: Epson
Epson HD XP-1500 is a wireless wide-format sublimation printer and forms an ideal choice for the reproduction of professional ultra HD photo quality. It can produce brilliant borderless prints of up to 13” x 19” in size. It comes with the support for auto 2-sided document printing with a 200 sheet front tray. Ideal for professional projects, it features a 50-sheet rear tray for specialty media that includes cardstock and accommodates a range of paper finishes and borderless sizes between 4” x 6” and 13” x 19”.
Besides, Epson HD XP=15000 has got an ultra-compact large format dye sublimation that is 30% smaller than its predecessors and easily fits on the desktop. This sublimation printing machine can print documents at speeds of 9.2 ISO (ppm) and 4” x 6” borderless photos in just 3 seconds. Equipped with a user-friendly 2.4 inch LCD screen, the user can operate it easily and efficiently.
Highlight Features
– Designed for use with only Epson cartridges with no support for any third-party cartridges or ink
– High print speed of up to 9.2 ISO ppm
– Easily to use and compact
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DNP DS-RX1HS
Source: DNP
DNP’s new DS-RX1HS digital photo printer is a large format dye sublimation printer that can print on glossy photo paper. It employs the dye sublimation thermal transfer method as its print method.
It offers a resolution of 300 x 300 in high-speed mode and 300 x 600 in high-resolution mode. Further, this sublimation printing machine supports printing on all picture sizes of 2” x 6”, 4” x 6”, 6” x 8”, etc. The number of prints per roll it supports is 700 sheets for 4” x 6” and 350 for 6” x 8”.
Additionally, it offers a print speed of up to 290 prints of the size 4” x 6” per hour. With improved operation due to USB iSerial functionality, it ensures seamless connectivity to Mac and PC computers.
Packed with the largest print capacity in its class, rugged and durable design accompanied by higher speed output, it is one of the best large format dye-sublimation printers for local or remote photo printing venues.
Highlight Features
– Two catch trays for two sizes
– High volume printing
– High print speed
– Affordable for small businesses
HiTiP525
Source: HiTi
Manufactured by HiTi, HiTiP525 is basically a wide format sublimation printer and is compact and easily transportable. This sublimation printing machine is suitable for photo booth applications and on-location event photography ideal for fairs, theme parks, or parties. It is compact in size at only 12.4’ x 14” and weighs hardly 39 pounds.
The first-ever photo printer to employ RFID technology, it identifies and recognizes RFID media chips and eliminates the need to change the media key for media replacement. P525L features an integrated mono-LCD model and five hard-keys for printer status monitoring.
Resolution-wise, it produces 300 dpi prints that make it a go-to for printing ids, passports, event photographs, and more.
Highlight Features:
– Suitable for heavy-duty on-location booth and event photography
– Easy-to-use and compact
– Cost-effective and versatile
– Easily transportable
Mitsubishi CP D70DW
Source: Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi CP D70D is a compact, light-weight, space-efficient, single-deck wide formation sublimation printer. It comes with high print speeds of 4×6 in just 8.4 seconds. It produces a high resolution of 300 dpi and imparts a fine glossy and super-fine matte finish to prints.
It supports a large range of print sizes including 2×6”, 3.5×5, 4×6”, 5×7, 6×6”, and 6×8. Having a robust build, dust-proof housing design, and advanced cooling system; there is very little maintenance requirement. Compatible with PC/Mac, it also supports a high-speed USB 2.0 interface.
This wide-format sublimation printer uses a next-gen image-processing algorithm to enhance the natural image sharpness and clarity which brings out the best in event photographs. Moreover, it comes with a built-in energy saving mode to reduce power consumption to >1 W.
Highlight Features:
– Ideal for beginners
– Matte and glossy finish
– Compact and lightweight
– Easy-to-maintain and use
Sony DPP-FP70
Source: Amazon
Sony Picture Station DPP-FP70 manufactured by Sony is a color printer that supports glossy photo paper as a print media type. It delivers lab-quality 4×6 color prints in just 45 seconds right at your home. The cost per print is just 29 cents making it a highly cost-effective sublimation printing machine.
Besides, it has a 2.5” fixed TFT LCD screen and has got an easy one-button print process. You can set this printer up easily and anywhere. It also lets you preview photos and edit them before printing through built-in displays and enhanced editing capabilities. The dye sublimation technology ensures a consistent color tone for each print.
Highlight Features:
– High resolution of 300 x 300 dpi
– One-button Auto Touch-Up
Kodak Dock
Source: Kodak
Kodak Dock Instant Photo Printer by Kodak is a wide format sublimation printer that lets you produce stunning 4×6 prints with the press of a button. With a charger and printer in one, this innovative dock allows for powering your devices on the go.
With easy print technology, you don’t need to transfer files to a computer or memory card. You can simply plug in your Android phone via a 5-pin dock and print a standard-sized print in a flash. This sublimation printing also supports Wi-Fi connectivity and enables you to print directly from your digital camera with PictBridge technology.
On top of that, you also get several editing features including tons of filters, stickers, card templates, and more. It comes ready-to-use straight out of the box and the photos it prints are fade-proof, water-proof, and long-lasting.
Highlight Features:
– Easily portable
– iOS and Android compatible
– Long-lasting prints
Epson WorkForce WF-7210
Source: Amazon
Epson WorkForce WF-7210 is a wide format sublimation printer and is one of the best known printers for quality printing experience. It can produce borderless prints and print marketing materials of sizes up to 13×19”. From the budget point of view, it uses 80% less power than color laser printers. Besides, the dash replenishment feature never lets it run out of ink and helps you track your ink usage and orders easily to avoid any runouts. It features 500-sheet paper capacity, dual trays, and a rear feed of 125-sheet capacity for specialty paper. As it supports double-sided printing of materials of up to sizes 11” x 17”, it also saves time and effort.
With both wired and wireless printing support via Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and NFC, it provides support for multiple connections at a time. The setup procedure involved and navigation is also easy with a 2.2” LCD screen.
Highlight Features:
– Large-sized borderless prints
– Double-sided printing
– Easy setup and navigation
Factors to Consider While Buying a Sublimation Printer
No matter which business you start, the right choice of equipment always matters. And the same applies for the sublimation printing business as well.
So, if you are on the hunt for a suitable sublimation printing machine, there are some features you should consider beforehand.
Maximum Resolution
The resolution basically denotes how dense your images are going to be. We measure it in dots per inch also referred to as ‘dpi’. The better the resolution, the more detailed and better the image will look. Ideally, your sublimation printer should have a pretty high resolution to give you industrial-quality prints.
Versatility and Connections
Your printer should be able to print on a wide range of materials. This will help you cater to a large customer base with different custom demands. You can say in a way – The higher the versatility of your printer, the higher are the chances of customer base expansion.
In addition to versatility, you should also check on the types of connections a printer supports. Your printer should provide support for a variety of wired and wireless printing through ethernet and Wi-Fi as well as other connectivity standards like NFC, and physical ports. You don’t need all of these options but having more than 2 can help expand the possibilities.
Performance
When purchasing a sublimation printing machine, go through the reviews on different sites. A good-quality sublimation printer ensures great performance and speedy results. So, ensure that your sublimation printer is compatible with a variety of devices. It should also be cost-effective and give you high-quality prints.
Maintenance and Cleaning Tips
If you want to ensure the longevity of your sublimation printer machine, you should take proper care of it.
– Keep your printer’s firmware upgraded so that it has all the latest features required
– Clean the electrostatic belt and capping station for a minimum of 2 times in a year
– Make a print alignment at least once or twice every year
What Is the Ideal Sublimation Temperature?
In general, common sublimation dyes activate at 350℉. Therefore, a temperature range of around 380-420 is recommendable for optimal color. With this temperature range set, you can get a permanent, full-color accompanied with a high resolution.
Products You Can Print (On) Using Sublimation Printing
There is a wide variety of products you can print on using sublimation printing and attract a large customer base with different demands.
A few of them are as follows.
– Home décor including upholstery, window treatments, tapestries, and pillows.
– Sports apparel including jerseys and related sports gear.
– Fashion apparel and accessories including dresses, scarves, bathing suits, handbags, and ties.
– Trade show and retail graphics
– Backlit graphics
– Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG) on special fabrics designed to support a silicone strip on the edges
– Keepsake items including Cell phone cases, mouse pads, coffee mugs, clipboards, luggage tags, license plates.
In a Nutshell
There are a variety of printing methods among which dye sublimation printing is a popular one. For the sublimation printing business, a wide format sublimation printer is ideal for printing on a wide range of substrates.
To get help figuring out which sublimation printing machine would be ideal for you, you can refer to the above-discussed list.
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