The 4 Best Dye Sublimation Printers for Beginners Compared!

Compare four different popular dye sublimation printers to find out which one works the best for you, plus learn how to test your sublimation printer’s color and alignment!

If you’re struggling to pick the best dye sublimation printer for your needs, you’re not alone. I couldn’t decide which one I thought I’d like best, so I got FOUR sublimation printers to try out! Yes, you heard that right — four different printers: two purpose-built sublimation printers (Sawgrass SG500 and Epson SureColor F170) and two converted printers (Epson EcoTank and Epson Workforce). So how do they measure up!

Watch my video to see all four sublimation printers head to head!

Ready to pick out a sublimation printer? This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.

Quick Links to Information in this Post

The Dye Sublimation Printers I Tested

View my Amazon shopping list with the exact items we used to test out sublimation!

Sawgrass SG500 with Sawgrass Ink and TruePix sublimation paper
Epson SureColor F170 with Epson Ink and A-Sub paper
Epson EcoTank 4760 with Hiipoo Ink and A-Sub paper
Epson Workforce 7210 with empty refillable cartridges filled with Printers Jack Ink and A-Sub paper (13″ x 19″)

And to do my test presses, I used the following materials and tools:

100% Polyester White Satin Fabric
Sublimation Garden Flags
MDF painted white with spray paint and then laminated
Cricut AutoPress
White cardstock (to protect my mat)
Butcher paper (to protect my platten)
Heat-resistant tape
Tweezers
Design #385 – My free Subliflower design to help you test your sublimation ink and color (available in my free resource library—get the password at the bottom of this post)

Dye Sublimation Printers Compared for Print Speed:

These speeds are actual times from my computer to the printers with a USB cable connection, printing from Adobe Photoshop on normal quality.

Sawgrass SG500: 45 seconds for a full color sheet
Epson SureColor F170: 60 seconds for a full color sheet
Epson EcoTank 4760: 132 seconds for a full color sheet
Epson WF-7210: 80 seconds for a full color sheet

Dye Sublimation Printers Compared for Ink:

Sawgrass SubliJet cartridges are $300+ for a set of four 31ml cartridges — MOST EXPENSIVE
Epson SureColor T49M ink bottles are $24.99 each, or $100 for a set of four 140ml bottles
Hiipoo sublimation autofill bottles are $36.99 for a set of four 100ml bottles (for use in Epson EcoTank printers)
Printers Jack sublimation bottles are $23 for a set of four 100ml bottles (for use in Epson Workforce printers) — note that you also need to a one-time purchase of empty refillable ink cartridges ($36)

Dye Sublimation Printers Compared for Size:

Sawgrass SG500 prints up to 8.5″ x 14″
Epson SureColor F170 prints up to 8.5″ x 11″
Epson EcoTank printers up to 8.5″ x 14″
Epson WF-7210 prints up to 13″ x 19″ — LARGEST PRINT SIZE

Dye Sublimation Printers by Resolution:

Sawgrass SG500: up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
Epson SureColor F170: up to 1200 x 600 dpi
Epson EcoTank ET-4760: up to 5760 x 1440 dpi — BEST RESOLUTION
Epson WF-7210: up to 4800 x 2400 dpi

Dye Sublimation Printers Compared for Price:

Sawgrass SG500 starts around $575
Epson SureColor F170 starts around $400
Epson EcoTank starts around $350
Epson Workforce printers start under $100 — LEAST EXPENSIVE

Dye Sublimation Printers Compare for Ease of Setup:

Sawgrass SG500 — easiest! (see setup video)
Epson SureColor F170 starts around $400 — second easiest! (see setup video)
Epson EcoTank starts around $350 — third easiest (see setup video)
Epson Workforce printers start under $100 — hardest by a long shot (see setup video)

Questions About Choosing the Best Dye Sublimation Printer

Q: What kind of paper do I use?
You must use special sublimation paper. I used TruePix (for Sawgrass) and A-Sub (for Epson) during my tests.

Q: What kind of ink do I use?
You must use special sublimation ink. I used three brands during my tests — Sawgrass, Epson, and Hiipoo.

Q: What can I put my sublimation prints on?
Anything with a high polyester count or a special sublimation coating.

Q: What else do I need to get started with sublimation?
Check out my Sublimation for Beginners Ultimate Guide for all the details!

Get my instant download digital files for my free sublimation test “subliflower” with color hex codes!

I’d love to know what you think are the best dye sublimation printers! If you have one, please share a photo in our Facebook group, email it to me at [email protected], or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.

Love,