The Best Epson Printer for Sublimation
Every Epson on this page is a regular printer that people fill with sublimation ink. That is the whole subject, and it has consequences worth reading first.
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The Epson people mean is the EcoTank ET-2800, and it is the right starting point for most beginners — but it is not a sublimation printer. Epson does not sell one to home crafters. What the craft community does is buy a refillable-tank EcoTank, fill the tanks with third-party sublimation ink, and accept two consequences: Epson's warranty covers damage caused by genuine ink rather than third-party ink, and the conversion cannot be reversed. If you want wider transfers, the ET-15000 prints up to 13 by 19 inches through its rear feed. If you want a supported setup with no conversion at all, the Sawgrass SG500 is the alternative and it costs more.
How we picked
Four criteria, and one of them is not about print quality at all. We have no lab; every specification claim is the manufacturer's own published figure.
- Refillable tanks rather than cartridges. Sublimation ink comes in bottles. A cartridge printer is not a candidate at all, which immediately narrows Epson's range to the EcoTank line.
- Print width against what you intend to make. 8.5 inches covers shirt fronts, mugs and tumblers. 13 by 19 covers full-front and panel prints and needs a bigger press to be useful.
- Honest statement of the warranty position. Every page recommending a conversion owes you this. Epson's warranty does not cover damage caused by non-genuine ink.
- Availability of an ICC color profile for the ink. This affects your output more than the printer model does, and it comes from the ink seller rather than Epson.
- Whether conversion is the right idea at all. For some readers it is not, so a supported sublimation printer is in the list.
What conversion actually means
The phrase "sublimation printer" is doing a lot of work in search results, and it is worth being precise about what is happening.
The hardware is unchanged
A piezoelectric inkjet head sprays whatever liquid is in the tanks. Sublimation ink is a dye suspension that behaves similarly enough to normal ink that the printer prints it without complaint. Nothing is modified mechanically — you are simply filling the tanks with a different fluid, which is why the process is so accessible and why Epson has no reason to endorse it.
The warranty position is specific
Epson's warranty covers damage caused by genuine Epson ink, not damage caused by third-party ink. In practice that means a clogged head or a failed pump on a converted printer is yours to deal with. This is not a scare story and it is not a reason to avoid conversion — it is a cost to price in, alongside the fact that EcoTanks are cheap enough that many people treat them as semi-disposable. The EcoTank conversion truth is the full version of this discussion.
It is one-way
Once sublimation ink is in the lines, running regular ink through afterwards is not a realistic plan. If the printer in question is also the one that prints your household documents, buy a second printer rather than converting the one you rely on.
Our picks in full
1. Best for the epson most people convert
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
Epson · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
This is the answer to the question as asked. The ET-2800 is a four-tank refillable inkjet that prints up to letter width, costs very little, and is the most widely documented conversion in the craft community — which means when something goes wrong, somebody has already written up the fix. Letter width is enough for shirt fronts, mugs, tumblers and coasters, which covers most of what beginners actually make. The two things to understand before you buy: Epson's warranty covers damage from genuine ink rather than third-party ink, and once you have run sublimation ink through it the printer will not go back to regular printing.
What works
- By far the cheapest way to start sublimating
- Refillable tanks mean low running cost once converted
- Very widely documented by the crafting community
What does not
- Converting it with third-party sublimation ink voids Epson's coverage for ink-related damage
- A converted printer cannot go back to regular ink
- 8.5 in width limits you to letter-size transfers
Not for you if
You want a supported, warrantied sublimation setup you can call for help on. Buy a dedicated sublimation printer instead.
Key specs
- Type
- Refillable-tank inkjet — sold as a regular printer
- Sublimation
- Not a sublimation printer as sold; people convert it
- Max print width
- 8.5 in (letter)
- Ink system
- Four refillable tanks
- Warranty note
- Epson's warranty covers damage from genuine ink, not third-party ink
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2. Best for transfers bigger than letter size
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
Epson · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29
The same conversion argument at a larger size. The ET-15000 prints up to 13 by 19 inches through its rear feed, borderless to 11 by 17, which is the cheapest route to a transfer wider than 8.5 inches by a long way. It is the right pick if you already know you want full-front shirt prints, large tumbler wraps or panel designs. The catch is a second purchase: a 13 by 19 transfer needs a press big enough to use it in one pass, and if your press tops out at 15 by 15 you have bought width you cannot apply.
What works
- Prints far wider than the letter-size printers most beginners start on
- Refillable tanks keep the running cost low once converted
- Much cheaper than a dedicated wide-format sublimation printer
What does not
- Converting it with third-party ink voids Epson's coverage for ink-related damage
- The conversion is one-way — it will not go back to regular printing
- A wide transfer needs a press big enough to use it, which is a second purchase
Not for you if
Your press tops out at 15 by 15 inches. A 13 by 19 transfer you cannot press in one pass is not much use.
Key specs
- Type
- Refillable-tank inkjet — sold as a regular printer
- Max print size
- Up to 13 x 19 in through the rear-feed tray
- Borderless
- Up to 11 x 17 in
- Sublimation
- Not a sublimation printer as sold; people convert it
- Warranty note
- Epson's warranty excludes damage from non-genuine ink
Price as of November 12, 2026
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3. Best for the part that actually does the sublimating
Third-Party Sublimation Ink
MERRYWORK · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
An EcoTank without sublimation ink is just a printer, so this is not an accessory — it is half the setup. Refill-bottle sublimation ink is far cheaper per page than cartridge systems, and the thing to choose on is not the brand name but whether the seller supplies an ICC color profile, because an unprofiled setup prints colors that are visibly wrong rather than subtly wrong. Two honest warnings: this is what puts the printer outside Epson's ink-damage coverage, and the conversion is one-way.
What works
- Turns a cheap printer into a working sublimation printer
- Far cheaper per page than cartridge sublimation ink
- Most sellers supply an ICC profile for color accuracy
What does not
- Voids Epson's coverage for damage caused by non-genuine ink
- Color accuracy varies a lot by brand without a good profile
- There is no going back to regular printing
Not for you if
The printer is also your household document printer. Once it is converted, that is over.
Key specs
- Type
- Dye-sublimation ink in refill bottles
- Used with
- Refillable-tank inkjets, most commonly Epson EcoTank
- Color profile
- An ICC profile from the ink maker matters more than the ink brand
- Reversible
- No — a converted printer stays converted
Price as of November 12, 2026
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4. Best for the transfer paper to start on
A-SUB Sublimation Paper
A-SUB · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
Sublimation paper is a real variable rather than a commodity: it controls how much ink the sheet holds and how completely that ink releases under heat, which together decide how saturated your colors come out. A-SUB is the paper most beginners are pointed at, and for good reason — it is widely stocked, consistent enough to rule out as a cause when something looks wrong, and cheap enough to practice on. Buy the weight that matches your work rather than the heaviest available.
What works
- Consistent results across shirts, mugs and hard blanks
- Dries quickly enough that sheets do not smudge when stacked
- Cheap enough to practice with
What does not
- Only works with sublimation ink — regular ink will not transfer
- Printing on the wrong side wastes the sheet and the ink
Not for you if
You are printing on dark fabric. Sublimation does not work on dark fabric at all, whatever paper you use.
Key specs
- Type
- Dye-sublimation transfer paper
- Weight
- Commonly 125 gsm
- Sizes
- Letter and larger sheets
- Transfer rate
- High — most of the ink releases to the blank
- Printed side
- One side only — the coated side
Price as of November 12, 2026
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5. Best for not converting anything
Sawgrass SG500
Sawgrass · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
Included because the honest answer to "which Epson" is sometimes "not an Epson". The SG500 is sold as a sublimation printer, arrives with sublimation ink in it, comes with its own software and color management, and has a support line that will not ask whether you have modified the machine. If a warrantied, supported setup matters to you — and for anyone selling, it reasonably might — that is worth the price difference. It costs materially more than a converted EcoTank and its consumables are proprietary.
What works
- No conversion, no warranty question, no community workaround
- Color profiles supplied and supported by the manufacturer
- Manufacturer support when something goes wrong
What does not
- Much higher purchase price than a converted EcoTank
- Cartridge ink costs considerably more per page than tank ink
- Same 8.5 in width limit as the cheap option
Not for you if
You are experimenting to see whether you like sublimation at all. That is a lot of money to spend on a maybe.
Key specs
- Type
- Dedicated sublimation printer
- Sold as
- A sublimation printer — no conversion involved
- Max print size
- 8.5 x 14 in from the main tray; up to 8.5 x 51 in via the bypass tray
- Resolution
- Published at up to 4880 x 1200 dpi
- Ink
- Sawgrass SubliJet UHD sublimation ink cartridges (non-refillable)
- Connectivity
- Ethernet, USB and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi
- Support
- 3-year or 100,000-print warranty with lifetime tech support
Price as of November 12, 2026
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The printers side by side
| Printer | Sold as | Max print size | Ink | Support position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | A regular refillable-tank inkjet | 8.5 in wide (letter) | Four refillable tanks, converted with third-party ink | Warranty excludes non-genuine ink damage |
| Epson EcoTank ET-15000 | A regular refillable-tank inkjet | Up to 13 x 19 in via rear feed; borderless to 11 x 17 | Refillable tanks, converted with third-party ink | Warranty excludes non-genuine ink damage |
| Sawgrass SG500 | A sublimation printer | Letter and legal | Proprietary sublimation ink | Supported sublimation setup |
What else you have to buy
A printer alone makes nothing. The complete minimum setup is the printer, sublimation ink, sublimation paper, a heat source, and blanks that are actually sublimatable — which in practice means polyester fabric or a polymer-coated hard surface. Sublimation startup costs sets out the whole list in order, and a sublimation printer and heat press together covers pairing the two.
The constraint people hit first is not the printer, it is the blanks. Sublimation needs polyester or a coated surface and it needs the surface to be white or very light. A cotton shirt will not hold it and a dark shirt will not show it, which is a hard physical limit rather than a technique problem — can you sublimate on cotton and can you sublimate on dark shirts both go through it.
Which Epson, decided in three questions
1Do you need transfers wider than 8.5 inches?
No for mugs, tumblers, coasters, left-chest and standard center-chest designs. Yes for full-front shirt prints and large wraps. If no, the ET-2800 is the answer and you can stop here.
2If yes, can your press apply a 13 by 19 transfer?
A 15 by 15 press cannot use the full width in one pass. Either plan the bigger press into the same budget or buy the letter-width printer and design within it. What size heat press do I need works through that.
3Do you need to be able to call someone?
If you are selling, or if a printer you cannot get help with would genuinely stop you, the supported route is worth its premium. Sawgrass versus Epson EcoTank is the direct comparison.
The cheapest pick on this list is also the one most people end up buying, so it is worth reading in full before you commit. The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 review goes through its published specification, the three things conversion permanently costs you, and the point at which a supported printer is the cheaper answer.
If you would rather not convert anything, Epson EcoTank alternatives covers the printers sold for sublimation out of the box, plus the transfer-sheet route that skips the printer entirely.
Common questions
Which Epson printer is best for sublimation?
Does Epson make a sublimation printer?
Can you convert any Epson printer to sublimation?
Can you go back to normal ink after converting an EcoTank?
Is a Sawgrass better than a converted Epson?
Sources
- Epson — EcoTank ET-2800 product page — Confirmed the ET-2800 is a current, cartridge-free refillable-tank inkjet sold as a general-purpose printer, with letter-width printing - checked 10 October 2026
- Sawgrass — SG500 product page — Confirmed the SG500 is a current product sold as a dedicated sublimation printer with its own sublimation ink system - checked 10 October 2026
How we picked
We verify every product is currently sold by reading the manufacturer's own catalog, compare published specifications rather than marketing copy, and rank on what a first-time buyer has to decide. We do not run lab tests and we do not claim to, and commission never affects the order.
Read this next
The Best Sublimation Printer for Beginners
Convert an EcoTank or buy a dedicated printer — the honest trade-off between cost and support.
The EcoTank Conversion, Honestly
What converting an EcoTank actually costs you in warranty and reversibility, stated up front.
Sawgrass vs Epson EcoTank
Dedicated printer or converted EcoTank — cost, warranty, support and which suits which user.
Sublimation Printer and Ink
Convert an EcoTank or buy a dedicated sublimation printer: what each route really costs, and the paper and blanks both still need.
The Best Sublimation Printer for Large Prints
Wide-format sublimation printers that reach 13 by 19 inches, and what else the width commits you to.
Sublimation Startup Costs
Every purchase a working sublimation setup needs, which ones are optional, and the four running costs that surprise people after the printer arrives.
Back to Sublimation.