The Best Sublimation Printer for Large Prints

Wide format means up to 13 by 19 inches, and it is a two-part purchase. The printer is the obvious half; the press is the half people discover afterwards. A 13 by 19 transfer needs a platen that covers it, so budget for a 16 by 20 press at the same time or the extra width buys you nothing.

Quick picks

#	Product	Best for	Price
1	Epson EcoTank ET-15000The wide-format version of the printer everyone converts — it prints up to 13 by 19 inches through the rear...	Wide format at the lowest cost	Check price on Amazon #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify
2	Sawgrass SG1000A purpose-built wide-format sublimation printer with no conversion involved — the supported answer for anyo...	Wide format, supported	Check price on Amazon #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify
3	Large-Format Clamshell Heat Press (16 x 20)A 16 by 20 inch platen is the size at which hoodies, oversized prints and full DTF transfers stop needing t...	Actually using the width	Check price on Amazon #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify
4	A-SUB Sublimation PaperThe paper most beginners land on, and a sensible default: high transfer rate, dries fast enough to handle, ...	The paper, in the larger size	Check price on Amazon #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. We do not publish prices — they move constantly, and a stale number is worse than none.

What letter size actually costs you

Most sublimation printers — including the ones we recommend to beginners — top out at 8.5 inches wide. That is enough for a great deal of work and it rules out a specific set of products.

That last row is the one that pays. Wide format is not only about printing big things — it is about fitting more small transfers onto a single sheet, which reduces waste and the number of print cycles per batch.

How we picked

We ranked on published maximum print size first, then on whether the machine is supported for sublimation or requires conversion. Print sizes and availability were read from each manufacturer's own product pages on the date in the byline — Epson list the ET-15000 at up to 13 by 19 inches via the rear feed, and Sawgrass list the SG1000 at 11 by 17, or 13 by 19 with the bypass tray. Our methodology.

Our picks in full

1. Best for wide format at the lowest cost

Epson EcoTank ET-15000

Epson · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29

The wide-format member of the printer family most people convert. Epson list it as printing up to 13 by 19 inches through the rear-feed tray, which is the size that makes oversized front prints and larger hard blanks possible, and its refillable tanks keep the running cost low once converted. The caveats are the familiar ones and they still apply: converting with third-party ink puts it outside Epson's coverage for ink-related damage, and the conversion is one-way.

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

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2. Best for wide format, supported

Sawgrass SG1000

Sawgrass · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29

Sawgrass state it prints up to 11 by 17 inches, or 13 by 19 with the bypass tray, and it is sold as a sublimation printer with no conversion involved. For anyone whose output has outgrown letter size and who cannot afford downtime, that combination of width and manufacturer support is the point. It costs substantially more to buy than a converted wide-format tank printer, and cartridge ink costs more per page.

What works

• Wide format without a conversion or a warranty question
• Color profiles supplied and supported by the manufacturer
• Manufacturer support when something goes wrong, which matters once orders depend on it

What does not

• Substantially more expensive to buy than a converted wide-format EcoTank
• Cartridge ink costs more per page than refillable tank ink
• Large footprint — this is a permanent bench installation

Not for you if

You are still finding out whether you enjoy sublimation. Start letter-size and convert; come back when the width is genuinely the constraint.

Key specs

Type

Dedicated sublimation printer

Sold as

A sublimation printer — Sawgrass states no conversion is needed

Max print size

Up to 11 x 17 in, or 13 x 19 in with the bypass tray

Ink

Sawgrass sublimation ink

Support

Manufacturer support and warranty for sublimation use

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3. Best for actually using the width

Large-Format Clamshell Heat Press (16 x 20)

Various · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29

This is the part people forget, and it is why wide format is a two-part purchase. A 13 by 19 inch transfer needs a platen that covers it — a 15 by 15 press cannot, and pressing a wide transfer in two overlapping passes risks a visible seam, which shows far more in sublimation than in vinyl. A 16 by 20 platen covers a full sheet in one press.

What works

• Presses a hoodie front or an oversized design in a single pass
• Covers a full 13 x 19 transfer, which a 15 x 15 platen cannot
• Clamp pressure repeats exactly, which matters most on thick garments

What does not

• Heavy, and it needs considerably more bench space than a 15 x 15
• Overkill for standard adult front prints, which fit a smaller platen
• Takes longer to reach temperature than a small plate

Not for you if

You press standard adult t-shirt designs a few times a month. A 15 by 15 platen already covers those, for less money and less table.

Key specs

Type

Clamshell or swing-away heat press

Platen size

Commonly 16 x 20 in

Pressure

Adjustable clamp — repeatable every press

Bench space

Permanent, and more of it than a 15 x 15

Typical use

Hoodies, DTF transfers, oversized prints, batch work

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4. Best for the paper, in the larger size

A-SUB Sublimation Paper

A-SUB · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27

Sublimation paper is sold in larger sheets as well as letter, and a high transfer rate matters more on a big print because there is simply more ink to release. Heavier paper also cockles less on a large, densely saturated design, which is exactly where cockling shows up.

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

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The limits do not change with width

A wider printer prints a bigger transfer. It does not change what sublimation can bond to.

It still works only on polyester or a polymer coating, and only on white or very light blanks. A 13 by 19 inch design on a dark cotton hoodie is exactly as impossible as an 8.5 inch one. If that is the product you want, you want heat transfer vinyl or bought-in DTF transfers instead — and DTF is genuinely the better answer for large full-color work on cotton. The comparison, and presses for DTF.