Sublimation ink is a special and unique ink used with sublimation printers and papers to print high-quality work. The ink makes a unique printout that can last for many years without getting yellow or fading off.
With sublimation skyrocketing over the recent, personalizing and customizing products has become the norm. All that printing business knows well the importance of having high-quality sublimation ink. In most cases, they use the product to print textiles, which has shown some positive results of lasting longer.
A top-quality sublimation ink doesn’t clog, produces a more vivid printing design and low viscosity. The current market is full of sublimation ink, but not all have those qualities. With our experience of more than ten years of sublimation use, we have highlighted the top 10 sublimation ink.
Leading 10 Best Sublimation Ink – Buying Guide
1. WOKOK Sublimation Ink for Inkjet Sublimation Printers
WOKOK ink is a top ink compatible with Epson and other sublimation printers. It is not only straightforward to use but also to refill. Installation of the bottles is too easy as you won’t experience any hassle.
The good thing with this ink is that it can be used in workforce series, expression series, ecotank series, and EP modules like WF-2650, WF-2750, ET-2720, and ET-2650, among others.
It also comes with four bottles with 400 ML ink of different colors: cyan, black, yellow, and magenta ink. It also comes with four other syringes and a pair of gloves to have a convenient injection of the cartridge or Ecotank.
This sublimation ink can well be used with sublimation paper through the Heat Press machine and have creative work on your pillowcases, hats, bags, ceramics, among others. The ink makes your ideas real as you will be able to decorate your room with your favorite ink.
What We Like About It
- It is fade resistant
- Easy to set up and refill
- It is UV and water-resistant
- Has the excellent color quality
- Provides excellent quality and smooth printing
- It is compatible with many printers that match your needs
What We Don’t Like
- Limited to the number of colors
2. Printer Jack Sublimation Ink
This is another top-quality sublimation ink brand that does a perfect job for your printing work available in the market. It is ideal for printing sublimation paper, and it can be used with either a heat press or a suitable printer.
The package comes in yellow, magenta, black, and black colors and each bottle contains 400ml. It also comes with disposable gloves to wear when refilling. The colors are lightweight but strong enough that they don’t fade; instead, they stick out all the time.
This sublimation ink is exclusively compatible with inkjet printers. With this, syringes aren’t required because it is auto-fill and auto-stop. The bottles are designed with valves to help stop them from spilling.
Printers Jack has a broader application as they can also be used on clothes for quality polyester and material with a cotton content of less than 30 percent.
What We Like About It
- Compatible with many of the Epson inkjet printers
- Provides high-quality work that is durable and doesn’t fade
- It is auto-fill and auto-stop, and therefore no need of using syringes
- It doesn’t fade even when exposed to intense light or heat
- Has a fast transfer rate
- It is waterproof
What We Don’t Like
- It is not suitable for fabric
3. Xcinkjet Sublimation Ink Refilled
Xcinkjet sublimation ink is a top-quality ink that provides you with various applications on different objects. One of the major problems with many sublimation inks is that they leak a lot when storing them, but with this Xcinkjet, you are assured that they are safe. The sublimation has a proper sealing that doesn’t dry or leak easily.
The package comes in 4 different colors, Black, Cyan, yellow, and magenta. This makes it compatible with Epson workforce Epson C88 C88+ WF7720 ET2720 WF7710 ET2650 ET2750 WF2750 WF3620 Printers. This makes it ideal for clothing, hats, cloth bags, pillows, watches, etc.
What We Like About It
- They are healthful to use
- It has a wide range of application
- Pleasant colors
- It requires less hard work
What We Don’t Like
- It is prone to printer clog
- Expensive
4. Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Refilled Bottles
Hippo ink is a top-notch fantastic ink that has a wonderful performance. It has modern features like autofill, ICC free, and UV protected all the time. The ink provides you with a variety of compatibility that fits many printers.
They can be used in many applications like canvas, socks, t-shirts, hoodless, and mugs. This best sublimation ink can easily pass into the printer without spilling out. This ink is well known for its top-notch performing work paper. You need to use sublimation ink with hippo sublimation paper to have the perfect work.
The water-based dye sublimation ink provides you with a higher heat transfer print rate, producing a vivid color with higher saturation, fast-drying, and good permeability. It is also good to know that this ink is waterproof and can’t fade like some low-quality sublimation ink.
The package comes in four different colors: black, cyan, yellow, and magenta. Each of them has 100ml, summing up to 400ml. This ink has undergone strict tests, and therefore it is certified.
What We Like About It
- High quality work which is stable and durable
- It is waterproof
- Does not fade
- It is autofill
- Well sealed and therefore no-spill experienced
What We Don’t Like
- It has a slow pressing
5. Luckyink Sublimation Ink Refill for Ecotank
Lucyink is another top-quality sublimation ink you need to try if you haven’t tried it. It is a top-quality ink that is compatible with all Epson Workforce printers. Like others, it comes in 4 different colors, i.e., cyan, yellow, black, and magenta. These colors can be mixed to have your preferred color.
The heat transfer printer is ideal for cloth, pillow, T-shirt, cross-stitch, mug cup, ceramics, bag, box, mouse mat, and watches, among others. The good thing about the ink is that it has a vibrant and intense color. It has a fine graininess in printing smoothly, and there is no clogging. Installation is also easy, and it is stable and durable. You won’t experience any fade with this ink sublimation.
Its heat ink transfer has great compatibility and good scratch and washing resistance. Installing, refilling, and using it is so easy that you can’t regret it. When it comes to strong stability and durability, Lucyink is number one. It keeps on its colors for a long period without fading.
What We Like About It
- It is vibrant and perfect for all the days
- Water and scratch-resistant
- It has strong stability and durability
- Easy to assemble and refill
What We Don’t Like
- It’s fade with some time
6. Seogol Sublimation Ink for Printers
Do you want a sublimation ink that is best for polyester material? If yes, look no more because this ink has the best quality result for all polyester. It is good for darker fabrics and not for cotton materials. It is a sublimation ink that is exceptional in terms of quality and the best result that comes out of it.
Seogol is highly UV-protected, long-lasting, and durable. You need not worry that it will fade with time. It is both light and resistant to water. It also allows faster color transfer to the desired material if using the heat press. The pack comes with a variety of ink colors: black, yellow, magenta, and cyan. All these inks are compatible with refillable cartridges. The setting up of it is so quick and prints with a breeze. It also uses the three-layer filtering technology, making its ink more vivid and having a smoother texture without any clog.
Seogol also provides a free ICC profile to Mac. It would be best to tell them your printer, and they will send you the appropriate ICC. Its heat transfer is best in T-shirts, pillowcases, shoes, ceramics, decorative cloth, banners, and quilts, and It is also certified and safe for use.
What We Like About It
- It is of high quality and durable
- Light resistant
- Compatible with various cartridges
- Waterproof
- It works best with various Epson Inkjet printers
What We Don’t Like
- It is a little messy
7. Koala 400ML Sublimation Ink Refill Bottle
Koala ink is a top-quality ink for all those that need excellent quality and precise work on their papers. It is known for its faster transfer and capability of producing a quality design on the substrate. It is one of the best if not the best ink in printing of various vibrant materials because it is durable and doesn’t fade with time. This ink can be used on ceramics or fabrics and still have high-quality results.
It has a total sublimation ink of 400ml from yellow, magenta black, and cyan. The ink is lighter weight but strong enough to fade with time and is waterproof. The colors are brighter and more accurate.
You can use koala sublimation ink on various projects like t-shirts, phone cases, pillows, ceramics, flags, and other works. It also makes a great and attractive work when inking it in birthday, holiday, or graduation ceremonies.
The reason why I like this ink is that it is resistant to UV lights and lasts longer. It can also provide the greatest ever results on polyester fabrics. It has a stunning transfer effect as it has a higher transfer rate and is refillable. With the heat transfer printer ink, you have endless possibilities.
What We Like About It
- It has great stability.
- Its transferred colors are durable and do not fade
- It is heat and water-resistant
- Easy to use and refill
- It does not create any mess
- The ink transfers smoothly
- It applies to various projects.
What We Don’t Like
- None
8. NewCee 400ml Sublimation Ink for Epson
NewCee ink is a top leading brand in the market. The heat transfer sublimation ink is compatible with an inkjet printer. The sublimation ink is easy to use and print smoothly. It can adapt with premium raw materials, and it does not have any odor smell, doesn’t clog, and prints smoothly.
The full package comes with four distinct colors, syringes, and gloves that make it more convenient to refill and use. It only needs you to use the needles in refilling it, and the process is so easy. The ink is vibrant and stable in that it provides a high rate of transfer efficiency. It is oxidation resistant, does not fade easily, and has bright colors.
The ideal thing that makes me love this sublimation color is that it has a wide application as you can use it on polyester fabric, phone cases, ceramic plates, metal plates, cups, bags, among others. You can do it by yourself at home.
It also has a free ICC which you can download and get free customer support. The good thing with this color is that you can get customer support 24/7. The color has a good and strong rubbing resistance and has low viscosity and fine particles, which prevents it from rusting or fading.
What We Like About It
- It has a good printing quality
- Vibrant colors whenever it is pressed
- Easy to use and refill
- It does not fade easily
- It has fine particles and low viscosity, which prevents it from blocking or corroding.
- Has high stability level
What We Don’t Like
- It is not auto-fill like other sublimation inks
9. Tonha 400ML Sublimation Ink Refill for Epson
The sublimation ink marks our top-quality inks that are available in the market. With 400ml, it is available in black, cyan, magenta, and yellow bottles, each with 100 ml. It has a wide application, and because it is long-lasting, you can refill it easily to your cartridges.
It can be used in T-shirts, quilts, cross-stitch, cap, box, bags, banners, ceramics, box pillowcase mug cups, and others. The good part of this ink is that it prints quality work on every texture and surface with a spot of thermal sublimation ink. It is only ideal for fabrics that have less than 30 percent cotton.
The quality of this sublimation ink is unquestionable because it uses environmentally friendly material that doesn’t fade easily and that is easy to refill. The ink is stable and durable. It is also lightweight but resistant to water. This makes it the perfect gift option for Christmas, Easter, and another day.
The ink does not need a color profile, and therefore you don’t need an ICC color profile like others. This vibrant and bright color provides you with a lively printing to touch and look at. You can print it using a heat transfer printer to any surface of your choice.
What We Like About It
- It has bright and vibrant colors.
- The print colors do not fade easily as they are durable
- It has a wide range of applications
- Easy to install and refill
- High print quality that is lively to touch
What We Don’t Like
- It is only applicable to fabrics that have less than 30% cotton.
10. Osinkjet Sublimation Ink Refill for Epson
Are you looking for a top-quality sublimation ink for polyester or other products but not cotton? If yes, then this is the best brand for your work. This high-quality sublimation ink can refill various Epson workforce like ET-2720 ET-2760 ET 4700 WF7710 WF7720 C88 C88+ WF3640 WF7110 WF7210 WF3610, and others.
With the heat transfer printer ink, you can perfectly work on your cloth, shoe, T-shirt, decorative clothes, among others. The ink type comes in four different colors, which are water-resistant and don’t fade with time.
This sublimation ink is perfect for polyester or coating products because it has strong durability and doesn’t fade quickly.
What We Like About It
- Has a strong durability
- It does not fade with time
- It is waterproof and resistant
- Lightweight
- It comes in four different colors
What We Don’t Like
- It requires syringes for refilling
Best Sublimation Ink Buying Guide
There is no debate that sublimation inks are the best option for various printing works. It is a blessing to have a sublimation ink of high quality that will make your work look great.
With the increased demands, several high-quality sublimation inks have emerged in the market. If you are new, you might not know which is the best. To help you, we have discussed the features that make a sublimation ink best. They include
i. Compatibility
The compatibility of the ink to your printer is the first thing you need to look at. As you look for top-quality sublimation ink, it is good to check if it is compatible with your printer model or not. The ink is designed to work on specific work with a given printer.
You need to what we don’t like check instantly if the sublimation ink is compatible with your brand printer and the model.
ii. The Transfer Rate
This is the amount of sublimation ink that goes to your paper or working surface. A good sublimation ink should have a transfer rate of at least 90% for you to have vivid and precise work that is attractive.
iii. The Size
The size of the ink is also vital. It would be best if you had ink bottles that are large enough so that you do not refill them frequently when you begin your work. Generally, the market has a bottle of between 100 to 240ml. You can buy the small size for personal use and use a larger size for a commercial one.
iv. Water-Resistant
To have a long-lasting sublimation ink print, you need to look for an ink that is water-resistant and waterproof. If it is water-resistant, the ink will last for many years and doesn’t fade. You need to be careful and not look at the manual alone; seek customer feedback and friends before using the ink.
v. Performance
A spot of good sublimation ink increases your printers’ performance and durability instead of causing it to clog or exhaust it. The best ink provides better quality and outstanding performance that helps boost your printer’s durability.
The quality should be exceptional, and the colors are vividly bright and do not fade easily when exposed to heat or UV light. This makes the sublimation ink ideal and enjoyable when printing your work.
vi. Ease to Use
There is nothing bad like having a sublimation ink that is too hard to refill, use, or replace. Those needing experts to install or refill may make your printing experience tedious, increasing printing costs. It is good to buy a sublimation ink that is easy to install and refill.
How to Make Sublimation Ink
Sublimation is a digital printing process that involves coating sublimation ink on various products. This process involves three major steps that include
I. Creating artwork or design using design software.
ii. Send the made design to the sublimation printer to produce a transfer paper.
iii. Using the heat press and print the graphics to the product
To have a successful sublimation, you need sublimation ink, a sublimation printer, transfer paper, and a heat press machine. The basic steps to follow include
Step 1 Create a Design
Sublimation printing requires high-quality images with brilliant clarity and sharpness. If the image quality is high, you can use it. The good thing is that the product design software is too easy to create quality work.
Step 2 Print Designs On The Product
Sublimation printing uses sublimation ink that has fine particles that can bond easily with polyesters, cloth, mug, phone case, etc. It will create the best result with products below the 30 % cotton level.
With the Epson printer, use a sublimation ink compatible with the printer. This is because it will have a good outcome that you will be proud of.
Step 3 Use of Heat Press Sublimation
Various heat transfers have different qualities of the print that they produce. With this, three significant factors affect its performance: time, temperature, and pressure. With time you need to know that some harder products require more time for sublimation.
Setting up a suitable temperature is also good, and it is advisable to make it 204 degrees Celsius. However, this also depends on the material involved. With pressure, you need to apply medium pressure to a low level depending on the product you are sublimating.
How to Remove Sublimation Ink
The process of removing ink depends on which product is involved. In this, we will look at how to remove sublimation ink from clothes and mugs.
Removal of Sublimation Ink From Clothes
Method 1
It would be best to treat each stain as fast as possible because every ink is stubborn and hard to remove. Take a paper towel and press it on the fabrics firmly for a few seconds.
Method 2 The Use of Alcohol or Spirits
With the help of alcohol or methylated spirits, dip the towel and rub it on the sublimation ink for a few seconds. Repeat the process until the ink is wiped off.
Method 3 Use of Ammonia
With non-synthetic garments, try to use an ammonia solution. This method is suitable for those stains that have become hard to be removed by method two or those that are not synthetic clothes.
Method 4 Use of Hairspray
The use of hairspray can be an ideal method to remove sublimation ink or stains from your garment. You need to put towel paper below the garments and apply the hairspray on the stain.
If you realize that some sublimation has become challenging to remove, you need to use strong methods or contact a dry cleaner with long experience in stain removal.
Removal of Sublimation Ink From a Mug
The method used here is somehow different from the one we have looked at. In this case, you need to sand the surface using a strong chemical that will remove all the sublimation ink from the mug. However, care must be taken to avoid damaging the mug.
FAQ: Sublimation Ink
1. What is The Best Sublimation Ink?
As we have reviewed the above, the best sublimation ink depends on the various parameters. All the above-reviewed sublimation inks are of high quality and performance. If we narrow it down, I can say printer jack sublimation is the best because I found out that it is compatible with many printers and has great quality colors.
2. What Kind of Ink Do You Use For Sublimation?
With my experience so far, I have used various sublimation ink, and all of them have been amazing. As I have mentioned, I currently use Printer Jack sublimation ink for several reasons. Among the several is that it doesn’t fade, is water-resistant, compatible with many printers, etc.
3. What is The Best Sublimation Ink For The Epson Printer?
From our sublimation ink review, you will realize that some sublimation ink brands we mentioned work well with Epson printers. Some are great with various Epson brands. Check on them and pick one.
4. Is All Sublimation Ink The Same?
All the Sublimation inks are not the same because they differ in qualities and other aspects. Some are compatible with various printers, while others are for a specific printer. There are also fades with time while others do not fade. In general, sublimations differ from one brand to another.
5. How Many Prints Can You Get Out of Sublimation Ink?
The number of prints that one can get from a sublimation ink depends on the volume of the sublimation ink. On an average rate, 1 ml of the ink is equated to 1 square footprinting on average. Therefore you need to calculate the capacity of your sublimation ink and get the number of printouts.
Conclusion
I am sure you have concluded which of the sublimation ink reviewed is best for your printer with this review. Choosing the best sublimation ink for your printer is not that easy as there are several sublimation inks in the market. However, the good news is that we have made it easy for you in this article.
All the brands we have reviewed are great and can work best for you. All you need is to choose the best from the ten sublimation ink reviewed. With our discussion and factors to consider or the features, you need to know which is best and which is not.