Looking for the current best dye sublimation printer out of so many variations in the market? Congratulations! As you’re best printing intent has landed in the right port.
This is going to be an in-depth and research-based guideline comprising the list of portable dye-sublimation businesses. Of course, we are going to cover printers both for personal and professional purposes.
This upgraded technology of sublimation features dye transfer to any materials like paper, plastic, card, etc., through heat.
There are several key considerations to look after before you buy one. Below, we have also covered the salient features you must have a clear idea of.
So, without further delay, let’s dive deep into the review of ten industry-grade sublimation printers for your next dye sublimation printing project.
Top Picks: 5 Best Dye Sublimation Printer
Comparison Table
| Product | Description |
| Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer | Instant dry photos3.2″ LCD touchscreenDirect printing from USB |
| Kodak Dock & Wifi Portable Instant Photo Printer | One-touch printing lightweight and easy to use4″ ×6″ non-fading photos |
| HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Printer | Instant Ink ReadyPrint photos in less than 5 cents35 sheet auto document feeder |
| HP Smart-Tank Plus 651 Ink-Tank Printer | A wide variety of paper size compliant 2.2″ mono touchscreen Voice-activated print |
| Epson EcoTank 2760 Wireless Printer | Cartridge-free printheadAutomatic dual-sided printing glossy photo paper print media |
| WorkForce WF-7710 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer | PrecisionCore Technology 250 sheet paper tray4.3″ color touchscreen. |
| Brother MFC-J995 INKvestmentTank Printer | INKvestment tank system150 sheet paper trayWireless and Ethernet connection |
| Canon PIXMA TS9520 All In One Wireless Printer | 5 color individual ink systemWiFi Direct network support automatic duplex printing |
| Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Photo Printer | Both sided print, scan and copy maximum 8×10″ borderless photos30-page auto document, feeder |
| HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 All in One Printer | Remote printing with HP Smart App50% faster document organization Both-sided 35 sheet auto document feeder. |
Top 10 Best Dye Sublimation Photo Printer- Buying Guide
1. Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
This is an amazing wireless printer. You can consider it as a go-to printer for any environment, be it home or office. The black color device is a real gem when it comes to dye sublimation. Of course, the output comes in a colored form.
You will love this portable dye-sublimation printer along with its labeled and glossy photo paper printing media.
Features:
Ease of Use: This super-effective printer by Canon provides the ultimate using advantage. You can smoothly connect it to your smartphone or tab through the app3 of Canon. Furthermore, it lets you print right from the USB or memory card.
Portability: How can we not talk about this super convenient feature? The Selphy CP1300 permits its users to print and share memories regardless of the location. You can carry it wherever you need it because the optional battery back lets you execute your needs anywhere.
Water-Resistant: No worries if you run short of time. This printer delivers instantly dry photos. Even they are water-resistant. Besides, the photos will look the same for the next ten decades.
LCD Screen: You will fall in love with the 3.2 inches leaning LCD touch screen while using it. The operating temperature is 5-40° C, and it’s super easy to choose photos along with editing and printing.
Printing Resolution: There are 256 levels available for each color, and the total colors are around 16.8 million. The media compatibility for paper size postcards is 4×6 inches, for L size is 3.5×4.7 inches, for square size is 2.1×2.1 inches, and for card size, the resolution is 2.1×3.4 inches.
Pros:
- The simplicity of set up and use
- Superb longevity of the photos, nearly 100 years
- Excellent colors and tones
- High-quality printing
- Quite affordable
Cons:
- Does not support Type-B cable
- Troubles to print from the Windows App
2. HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Printer
An amazing all-in-one photo printer that supports wireless printing. What is more likable about this printer is the direct printing from your mobile. The home supply of the HP 64 Ink series with the product makes it more desirable as one of the best photo printers for dye sublimation.
Features:
Wired and Wireless Connectivity: This printer works equally in connection with wired and wireless networking systems.
Wide Array of Printing: With HP instant Ink that requires a subscription, you can experience printing in all the fields. It includes scan, copy, wired, wireless printing, both-sided printing, borderless printing, etc.
Powerful Printing App: You can even print from social media and cloud storage, including google drive, iCloud, etc., in collaboration with the HP smart app. The setup and document scanning process are extremely effortless with the potential printing app.
Printing Media: The HP ENVY 7855 dye-sub printer features plain paper, glossy photo paper, envelopes, and high-resolution paper as printing media. It uses Inkjet printing technology.
Direct Printing: What could be more exciting than getting a direct printing opportunity from your SD card or USB? Just insert it and have your desired file printed right away from the 2.65 color touchscreen. The paper trays will instantly adjust to the print setting and paper type as well.
Pros:
- Extensive range of paper size support
- Fast and facile setup
- High-resolution printing
- HP Instant Ink eligible
- All in one printer to cover all printing requirements
Cons:
- Screen gets frozen if used longer
- Not so fast printing speed
3. HP Smart-Tank Plus 651 Ink-Tank Printer
The next one on the list is also from HP, a leading name in the printer manufacturing industry. It is also an all-in-one printer with plenty of fabulous features.
In this printer, the input and output capacity is 100 sheets and 30 sheets, respectively. The thermal technology provides top-tier printing using an envelope or plain paper print media.
Features:
Paper Size: This exclusive HP printer permits a wide array of paper sizes to be used. It is compatible with No. 10 envelopes, letter, legal, 3×5 inches, 4×6 inches, 5×7 inches, and 8×10 inches paper size.
Remote Printing: The super convenient HP smart app permits remote printing and scanning. Experience hassle-free mobile printing and also get notified about the ink leftover and paper levels.
Reliable Connection: Be it your smartphone network or wifi, you can completely count on the speedy printing without accessing a specific network. The dual-band wifi connectivity delivers steady and stable printing along with a get-at-able mobile setup with Bluetooth.
Intensified Printing Capacity: As this printer is tailored with high printing capacity, it allows 8000 color pages or 6000 black pages. The package includes bottles containing ink for 2 years. Besides, the refilling process is easy as the bottles are resealable.
Speed: The super-swift printing speed assures low-cost printing. Furthermore, it is great to work with convenience in printing, scanning, faxing through the 35-page auto document feeder. The printing speed permits up to 11 ppm black and 5 ppm color printing.
Pros:
- Low-cost and high-volume printing
- Includes ink for 2 years
- Spill-free refill process
- Supports voice-enabled printing
- Crisp clarity in the printing
Cons:
- Not instant ink eligible
- Very small display
- Does not include double-sided auto printing
4. Epson EcoTank 2760 Wireless Printer
Talking of this all-in-one color printer, it uses a super tank system to deliver extensive pages of black and color. Because of the cost-effective printing ratio, we consider it as a perfect student budget printer for day-to-day use.
Let’s explore its remarkable features.
Features:
Fast and Facile Set Up: The first remarkable feature about Epson EcoTank is its spontaneous setup process. No device is required to plug it into that. Instantly plug it in, and you are ready to set it up with wifi.
Cartridge Free Printing: This is another fantastic feature of a sublimation photo printer. The cartridge-free printing capacity lets you save around 90% ink. It comes with an ink supply for 2 years. Each set of replacement bottles is equivalent to about 80 cartridges. As a consequence of cartridge-free printing, you waste less ink and avail low-cost printing.
Two-Sided Automatic Printing: What we absolutely loved about this printer is that it supports automatic both-side printing. Also, it features a scanner to copy. Furthermore, the memory card slot allows on-the-go scanning. The capability of speech-activated printing is notable as well.
Ink Type: The manufacturer highly recommended using only Epson inks for a built-in-class printing experience. So, we would suggest using it with genuine EcoTank ink bottles. The color includes black, yellow, cyan, and magenta. Also, get a replacement bottle for each color that is 127 ml for black and 70 ml for the rest of the colors.
The replacement bottles contain inks to print around 7500 black pages and 6000 color pages.
Pros:
- Wireless and speech-activated printing
- Ink bottles are tightly sealed
- Cartridge-free printhead
- Budget-Friendly Print Ratio
Cons:
- A little loud
- A bit slow to print the back pages of the black text
5. WorkForce WF-7710 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer
Let’s introduce you to an exclusive and wide-format sublimation printer that is fully feature-rich. Both sides’ auto duplex system makes it compatible with tablets, AirPrint, and smartphones.
We liked this all-in-one printer for both its direct wifi and ethernet connectivity. Also, it uses a vast range of printing media that includes paper (plain), envelopes, and glossy photo paper.
Features:
Multi-Functional: Epson engineered this printer, intending to cover every printing field regarding small business innovation. Doing justice to the claim of the best multi-functional printer, it prints, scans, copies, and fax simultaneously.
PrecisionCore Technology: This is a heat-transfer sublimation printer powered by PrecisionCore. This very technology works with a high-density printing chip. It produces a maximum of 40 million pinpoint dots enabling borderless printing up to 13″ ×19″.
Printing Speed: Enabling double-sided printing delivers a maximum speed of 8.7 ppm for black and 6 ppm for color print in ISO. Besides, it is designed to be connected anywhere on any device and print smoothly without interruption.
Eco-Friendly: This is an eco-friendly product and includes environmental-friendly features. Less power consumption is one of them. Compared to regular radiation printers, it consumes up to 80% less power. Besides, it is recyclable and RoHS submissive.
Pros:
- Speedy printing with astounding accuracy
- Compatibility with versatile printing materials
- Uncomplicated operating process
- Water and fade resistance
- 4.3″ large and color touchscreen to navigate smoothly
Cons:
- Not perfect to detect printing size
- Only Epson cartridge compliant
- A bit large for using at home
6. Brother MFC-J995 INKvestmentTank Printer
Being manufactured with a printer, fax, and scanner simultaneously, this is a complete package to meet your small business demands. You can use it as a piece of home equipment or as a professional dye-sublimation printer for a small startup.
Brother MFC-J995DW features thermal and heat press technology for image printing. So, this can be used as your go-to thermal dye-sublimation photo printer as well. Along with wireless printing, it supports ethernet and NFC networks as well.
Features:
One Year Ink Supply: Avail the package with around a year of ink supply that comes in a box. The monthly printing limit is 150 pages if you follow black: color pages =60:40% ratio. It also includes in-box four cartridges that let you experience interruption-free printing.
Innovative INKvestment Tank Ink: Use the distinctly developed Brother’s special cartridges for nonstop printing and save some ink. Also, the internal tank stores more ink for delivering more pages without deducting desktop size or integrity.
Operating System Support: The Brother MFC-J995DW is a color inkjet printer that is mobile and duplex printing compliant. It is adaptable to windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and Windows servers 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, and 2016.
For Mac devices, it is compatible with OS × v10.11.6, 10.12.x, and 10.13.x. However, it does not require any system setup and allows one-touch printing.
Page Gauge Measures Ink Leftover: This printer is engineered with the Brother’s Page Gauge(2). Consequently, it accurately measures how much ink has been used and how many pages still could be printed with the remaining ink. So, you need not worry about running short of ink during an important project.
Pros:
- Versatility in paper handling
- Automated duplex photo printing
- Brother Cloud Apps for fast and facile scanning and documents sharing
- Saves cost in terms of ink and per page printing
- 2-years limited warranty and lifetime online support
Cons:
- Pretty loud while printing at the highest speed
- Does not support automatic duplex copy or scan
- Limited paper tray size
7. Canon PIXMA TS9520 All In One Wireless Printer
This is the first printer by Canon in their TS series with an auto document feeder. Also, it is engineered with the technique of smart printing known as hands-free printing.
The Canon PIXMA TS9520 is a wide format printer suitable for family use or to serve in home-centered offices. You can certainly invest in it to use it as a consumer-grade dye-sublimation photo printer.
Features:
Ink System: It features a five-color individual ink system that delivers sharp black text. No worries if you run out of an individual color. This will let you overcome the shortage of a certain ink cartridge.
Simple Navigation: The printer has a 4.3″ LCD touch screen. Hence, it makes the navigation process smooth.
Widespread Connection: A small click can connect your phone and printer. The Canon Print App makes it possible to use the printer’s wireless connectivity to its best. You can scan and print in connection to Airprint, Bluetooth, WiFi, and Google Cloud Print as well.
Vast Range of Activity: The PIXMA TS9520 supports versatile paper sizes up to 11×17 inches. You can manage many versatile projects with this paper size support along with the automatic document feeder, booklet layout copy, and oversized scanning.
Print Media: The print media includes high-resolution paper, glossy photo paper, and envelopes.
Pros:
- A vast range of paper type and size support
- Extensive and robust connection
- Vivid printing output
- Inbuilt memory card slot
- Borderless printing
Cons:
- High ink costing
- Demands a long warm-up session
- Incompatible with NFC and WiFi direct
8. Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Photo Printer
Looking for a small dye-sublimation printer to meet your small needs? Epson is here to solve your problem. This small-in-one printer is ready to deliver premium printing quality. The creativity and competence in versatile activities will certainly satisfy your hunger for a photo-centric printer.
Features:
Cartridge Compatible: This very printer is developed for use with the cartridges provided by Epson. No third-party ink or cartridges are allowed.
Productivity: It is specially manufactured to enhance productivity at home usage. The feature-rich printer will stunningly perform with an auto document feeder of 30 pages, both-sided automatic printing, copying, and scanning. The multiple media will save time to a considerable extent.
User-Friendly Interface: The super convenient 4.3″ touchscreen assures hassle-free printing straight from the USB or SD card. The viewing and editing are pretty user-friendly too.
Network Free Printing: It has the maximum device compliance, including smartphones, pc, tablets, etc. The wireless and ethernet connection allows direct printing from any device. No network is required as it is compatible with WiFi Direct connection.
Speed: How can you ignore the super-fast speed of printing by this amazing color photo printer?
Experience printing 4″ ×6″ photos in just 12 seconds. Also, it is pretty much compatible with your custom needs because of the Creative Print App.
Pros:
- Water, fade, and smudge-proof 5 color Claria inks
- Printed properties are premium quality and durable
- 30 page ADF, both sided scan, copy, and print
- Easily accessible control panel
- Ultimate network-free printing
Cons:
- High handling cost
- Intricate installing process
- Paper capacity is pretty low
9. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 All in One Printer
As the last product in our review list, we will talk about a light to the mid-duty printer. It is furnished with all the features that a small startup needs.
Using plain paper as the print media, the Pro 9015vby HP is available in white or gray. The top-notch security system maintains privacy at its best. Wireless printing, uninterrupted service, and outstanding printing quality add loads of confidence to your productivity.
Features:
Remote Printing: The smart app developed by HP lets you rely on your printer for remote printing. You can also scan, copy, or view your ink level by getting remote access.
Security: Privacy is strictly maintained by self-healing WiFi. It automatically redirects your connection three times and protects all your sensitive data like password, encryption, document, etc.
Durable Design: You can count on this sustainable all-in-one printer because of its durable design. It features a maximum of 10% recycled plastic.
Instant Ink: Get home delivery of genuine HP instant ink with a free service for the first two months. Of course, you have to be enlisted in the HP instant ink program while setting up the printer. After two months, it will cost you $0.99 per month.
Printing Speed: It is upgraded from the previous version of OfficeJet Pro 8710 and prints 22ppm. The ability to dual-side copy and scan and the 35 pages auto document feeder organizes the documents 50% faster.
Pros:
- Reasonable running expense
- Most accessible setup
- Saves time up to 50%
- Dual pass, both-sided document feeder
- Standard print quality
Cons:
- No second paper tray available
- No navigation button on the small 2.7″ touchscreen
10. Kodak Dock & Wifi Portable Instant Photo Printer
Looking for a small dye-sublimation printer? Kodak meets your requirement quite well with this premium printer which provides full-color prints.
This is available in both black and white color. You will be in love with this 4×6 android and ios compatible printer that you can carry literally anywhere you go. It only weighs 3.2 pounds, and the glossy photo paper provides flawless printing.
Features:
Premium Quality Printing: The super-easy system will let you print premium quality photos. The 4″ ×6″ photos are stunning, vivid, and everlasting. Because of the thermal transfer technology, the pictures are both fade-proof and waterproof.
Compatibility: This portable printer gives you the highest device competence. The 5 pins micro USB is for android printing. You can print from ios devices with the USB host. The manufacturers suggest using it with provided power adapters powering 24V, 2.5A. The PictBridge system supports direct printing from any digital camera as well.
Ease of Use: Printing photos is easier than ever with this out-of-the-box color printer. It gives you the opportunity of one-touch printing right from the devices—no need to connect them to your computer. For android, the 5-pin dock, and for ios, the lightning charger will provide you standard printing just with one touch.
Swift and Simultaneous Charging: Kodak designed this magical printer to let you charge two smart devices at a time. You will enjoy speedy charging for personal or commercial use.
Pros:
- Super lightweight and easily carryable
- Up to the mark printing quality
- Easy to use features
- Highest device compatibility
- Fabulous and fade-proof photos
Cons:
- No rechargeable power source provided
- Ink and cartridge runs short fast
Buying Guide for Best Dye Sublimation Printer
Whether your purpose is to buy a dye-sublimation printer, you must consider some basic rules beforehand. You cannot just let your hard-earned money be wasted on the wrong equipment.
If you are hunting for high-quality photos for either personal or professional purposes, you really need a top-of-the-line printer. It must include all the facilities of a modern dye-sub printer.
But how will you be able to choose the best one according to your demand?
To get the best dye-sublimation printer, follow the following features, and you will be able to decide your pick easily.
Resolution
The first thing to look for in your printer is the resolution. It is also known as dpi. Try to choose one with the maximum possible resolution. It will ensure a very dense and detailed visualization of your printed image.
Range of Printing Materials
The sublimation printing industry is literally at its peak nowadays. As a consequence, customer demands are growing like never before. To cope with this new wave of dye-sub printing, a printer must have the capability to print on as many materials as possible.
Connections
Do check the connecting compatibility of a printer before buying it. A good printer should have more than two options of connectivity to support both wired and wireless printing.
Functionality
Along with versatility, it is also important to maintain proper functionality. Before buying one, check the details of the printer if it can sync with different devices. The performance should be as expected in terms of maintaining desired parameters in printing.
Maintenance
Dye-sublimation printers are durable, no doubt. But proper maintenance is also required to keep them workable for a long time. Be sure to clean occasionally and also keep it up to date with all the newest updates.
Sublimation Temperature
For an optimum printing experience, you should range from 380° F to 420° F.
Speed
While considering a good dye-sublimation printer, the printing speed is a vital feature to consider. To measure the speed specs, you must also look for other data like image size, quality, color printing, etc.
Price
It is a crucial factor for anything to buy. But it should not be given importance over quality. A standard quality dye-sub printer is usually quite affordable and available for under $500.
How to Use a Sublimation Printer?
Along with picking up the best dye-sublimation printer, it is equally important to learn the exact process of using it. It is said that a great tool only works in great hands. So, knowing how to use a sublimation printer properly is an absolute must. Below, we have discussed the exact steps of using a dye-sub printer accurately.
Step 1: Creating a Design
First, create a design of your choice if you can design. Or else, you can choose it from the software. If you are a business owner, your customers will probably choose the design and perform the task of dye printing.
Please remember that the primary image should come clear as it would be considered the final output base.
Usually, it is wise to use the product designing software to generate a crisp and clear print file. Because of the simplicity, even non-specialists can use this software.
Step 2: Printing the Design
Before proceeding into sublimation, you must have a clear idea of the product range that is sublimation supported. Usually, dye sublimation does not work 100% on cotton products.
However, the process works using ink that includes dye particles. The more these particles bind with the materials, the more vividly they would be printed.
The brands we reviewed above are the most suitable names in the dye printing industry.
The print files should be at least 300 dpi if you want a high-resolution output. In the case of a desktop printer, the graphics vary from 1200×1200 to 1400×1400 dpi. The transfer paper must be high quality to prevent a dull printing output.
Step 3: Using Heat Press for Dye Sublimation
The final step is to set up the printer properly for performing the dye sublimation accurately. Change the printer setting based on your necessities.
Now, come to the heat press process. You need to check the temperature first by using an infrared thermometer. It should be more or less 400 degrees, and you are ready to give it a shot.
Place the product, pre-press it to dry it out, and then place it under the transfer paper. When it is ready for transfer, the adhesive should be sprayed inside the box to transfer the design to heat press on the design.
What is a Dye Sublimation Printer?
A dye-sublimation printer is a digital machine to print images on several products. First, it heats the dye-compatible inks and then sets them down on a surface.
The term is generated from a major misconception. It is assumed that the ink turns to gas from solid substances through sublimation.
The notable points of a dye sublimation printer are stated below-
Used for: It is basically used for printing images and creative designs on several objects like mugs, wrist bands, t-shirts, etc.
Special Overcoating: These printers usually use the CMYO system for sublimation. Exceptionally, some printers do use black ink as well.
Better than Inkjet: Compared to inkjet printers, dye-sub printers offer incessant tones. As a result, the reproduced properties by these printers are way more immaculate than those by the inkjets.
How to Convert HP Printer to Sublimation Printer?
Not all printers are dye sublimation friendly. So is an HP printer. If you have an HP printer, you cannot turn it into a sublimation printer.
As HP printers scatter inks onto the transfer paper when the thermal heat process is used, they are not sublimation compatible.
As you cannot convert them, it is better to check beforehand on the HP website whether it is sublimation supportive or not.
However, there is a series of HP printers that support sublimation ink and UV ink. Although these are expensive, you can try them out.
Otherwise, it is better to check the specifications while buying whether your desired printer is adaptable with the special ink and paper or not.
Although other printers like Epson and Brother can be converted, HP does not have the history of a successful conversion as it does not have the special sublimation ink.
FAQ:
How does a dye sublimation printer work?
A dye-sublimation printer works by using heat to transfer inks onto a fabric. First, a design is portrayed on a special paper. Then through the sublimation process, inks are combined with fabric and get permanently printed.
Can I turn my printer into a sublimation printer?
It is possible only by infusing dye sublimation ink into a printer. Of course, it has to be done when the printer is absolutely new. You cannot use any other ink for your printer first.
What printer do you need for sublimation?
You cannot perform the task of sublimation just by any printer. The regular paper would not allow you to do so. So, choose a printer that is compatible with the process. There are countless options available. But to choose a cost-effective one, you will not go wrong with the list we provided.
Is dye sublimation better than an inkjet?
It is. The main difference lies in the quality of images. The photo quality is way better than a traditional Inkjet printer. Although there is a dust issue, you can rely on your sub-dye printer even if unused for a long time. Also, the images are instantly dry and long-lasting.
Can any printer do sublimation?
Not at all. You need a dedicated printer for a sublimation project. As the sublimation paper is not compatible with all printers, you need a special printer to use it properly. Unless your printer can use sublimation paper, the ink will not work with regular printing paper.
Conclusion
Certainly, sublimation printing is an expanding business in today’s world. Consequently, the industry is growing too fast. If you are on the verge of getting into this business, you should start with the best dye-sublimation printer you can afford.
The above-listed products are chosen by experts based on quality and performance. After reviewing the features we discussed earlier, we hope you can decide on the right printer for your personal or commercial demand. All of them are industry-grade printers with the latest advancements.
If you have any further questions regarding them, feel free to comment below. We will try to answer your queries.