Sawgrass SG500 vs SG1000
Same company, same supported-sublimation promise, very different price. The decision is almost entirely about how wide your designs are.
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These two printers are not a good-better pair — they are two widths. Both are sold by Sawgrass as sublimation printers, both come with manufacturer color profiles and a warranty that assumes sublimation use, and both use Sawgrass cartridge ink. The SG500 prints letter width, 8.5 inches. The SG1000 prints up to 11 x 17 inches, or 13 x 19 inches via the bypass tray. The price gap between them is large, and it buys width, not quality. So the whole decision reduces to one question: can you name, right now, a product you intend to sell whose design is wider than 8.5 inches?
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sawgrass SG500A real sublimation printer sold as one — you pay more up front and in ink, and in exchange nothing about it... | Mugs, tumblers, coasters and centered shirt designs | $599.95 · View on Amazon Price as of November 12, 2026 #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... | Edge-to-edge shirt fronts and large flat panels | $1,699.95 · View on Amazon Price as of November 12, 2026 #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify |
| 3 |  A-SUB Sublimation PaperThe paper most beginners land on, and a sensible default: high transfer rate, dries fast enough to handle, ... | The consumable that limits both of them | $19.99 · View on Amazon Price as of November 12, 2026 #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify |
| 4 |  SmarketBuy 16 x 20 Clamshell Heat PressA 16 by 20 inch platen is the size at which hoodies, oversized prints and full DTF transfers stop needing t... | The part people forget to budget | $249.90 · View on Amazon Price as of November 12, 2026 #ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify |
| 5 |  Epson EcoTank ET-2800The printer most people convert — cheap, refillable, and widely documented. Read the warranty section befor... | If you are not sure you want either yet | 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. Prices come from Amazon on the date stamped on each button and can change after that — check the listing before you buy.
What is actually different
| Sawgrass SG500 | Sawgrass SG1000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dedicated sublimation printer | Dedicated sublimation printer |
| Conversion needed | None | None |
| Max print size | 8.5 in wide — letter | Up to 11 x 17 in, or 13 x 19 in with the bypass tray |
| Ink | Sawgrass sublimation ink | Sawgrass sublimation ink |
| Color profiles | Supplied and supported by Sawgrass | Supplied and supported by Sawgrass |
| Warranty for sublimation use | Yes | Yes |
| Footprint | Desk-sized | Permanent bench installation |
| Relative price | The lower-cost model | Several times the SG500 |
Read that table again and notice how many rows are identical. Ink, profiles, support, warranty, the fact that neither needs converting — all the same. There is no quality tier here and no feature the SG1000 adds beyond the paper it can take. That is unusual, and it makes the decision cleaner than most printer comparisons.
What 8.5 inches actually covers
More than people expect, which is why the SG500 is the right answer so often. The mainstream sublimation blanks are small:
- An 11 oz mug needs a wrap roughly 8 by 3.5 inches. Letter, comfortably.
- A 20 oz skinny tumbler needs roughly 9.5 by 8 inches — which is why you print it in landscape on letter paper, and why it fits.
- Coasters, keyrings, luggage tags, pet tags, ornaments. Not close to the limit.
- A left-chest logo or a pocket design. Typically 3 to 4 inches wide.
- A centered front design on a shirt. A 7 or 8 inch wide graphic centered on the chest is a completely normal commercial design and prints on letter.
- Mouse mats, plaques, slate, photo panels. Most retail sublimation blanks in these categories are letter-sized or smaller.
What it does not cover is the all-over look: a design that runs seam to seam across an adult chest, a large back print, a big flat sign, a bag panel printed edge to edge. If you have seen those on a competitor's shop and that is the business you intend to build, you are in SG1000 territory and the SG500 will frustrate you within a month.
What the extra money really buys
Width, a bigger paper path, and a machine that occupies a permanent spot. It is worth being blunt that the price difference is not subtle — the SG1000 sits in a different bracket entirely, closer to a piece of business equipment than a desk printer. For a hobby, that is a lot of capital locked into a width you may not use.
And the printer is not the whole cost. Three things come with it that nobody puts in the comparison:
1A press that can close on the transfer
A 13 x 19 inch transfer needs a platen that can press it in one shot. A 9 x 9 or 12 x 10 inch press cannot, and pressing a large transfer in two overlapping hits leaves a visible line through the design. Price a large platen at the same time — the best large-format heat press covers the sizes that actually pair with a wide printer.
2Wide coated paper, which costs more per sheet
Large-format sublimation paper is substantially dearer per sheet than letter, and when you are learning you waste sheets. The running cost difference between the two printers is bigger than the ink difference alone.
3Bench space and a stable home
This is not a printer you put away between projects, and sublimation ink does not like sitting idle. A wide-format machine wants a permanent spot and regular use, which is a commitment in a spare room or a garage.
Running cost, honestly
Both printers use Sawgrass cartridge ink, and that ink costs considerably more per page than the bottled ink in a converted tank printer. This is the standing trade with the supported route: you pay more per print, and in exchange nothing about your setup is a workaround. Neither Sawgrass model escapes it, so ink cost is not a reason to pick one over the other — it is a reason to be sure you want the supported route at all.
Where they do differ on running cost is paper, and in the quiet way that large prints consume more ink per sheet simply by covering more area. If your volume is high and your designs are big, the SG1000 is the more expensive machine to feed as well as to buy. Sublimation startup costs adds the whole setup up rather than just the printer.
The third option you should price first
Before either Sawgrass, it is worth knowing exactly what you are paying for. The alternative is converting a refillable-tank Epson, which gets you the same letter width as the SG500 for a small fraction of the price — and gives up the warranty, the manufacturer profile, the support line and the ability to ever go back. Sawgrass versus an Epson EcoTank is the full version of that argument, and the EcoTank ET-2800 review covers what the cheap route is actually like to live with.
The honest rule: convert if you are finding out whether you like this, buy supported if a dead printer stops paid orders. Then, having chosen supported, pick between the two Sawgrass models on width alone.
How to decide in two minutes
- Name the widest product you intend to sell, in inches, today. Not someday — today.
- Under 8.5 inches? SG500. You would be buying bench space and a paper path you will not use.
- Over 8.5 inches? Check whether you own, or will buy, a press whose platen can close on that size. If not, you cannot use an SG1000 yet, and the press is the more urgent purchase.
- Still unsure what you will sell? Neither. Convert a cheap tank printer, make fifty things, and come back when you know. Capital spent on an unknown is the most expensive mistake in this hobby.
- Decided on wide? Budget the printer, a large platen press, and wide coated paper as one number, not three.
1. Best for mugs, tumblers, coasters and centered shirt designs
Sawgrass SG500
Sawgrass · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
The letter-width model, and the right one unless you can name a product you are selling that needs more than 8.5 inches. Everything the beginner end of this hobby makes fits inside letter: an 11 oz mug wrap, a 20 oz skinny tumbler, a coaster, a mouse mat, a left-chest logo, a centered front design. You get the same supported-sublimation proposition as the bigger model — sold as a sublimation printer, manufacturer profiles, a warranty that assumes sublimation use — at a fraction of the outlay.
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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2. Best for edge-to-edge shirt fronts and large flat panels
Sawgrass SG1000
Sawgrass · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29
The wide-format model, and the only one of the pair that solves the problem letter width creates. Sawgrass lists it up to 11 x 17 inches, or 13 x 19 inches through the bypass tray, which is the difference between a centered design and one that runs from seam to seam. It costs several times the SG500 and takes permanent bench space. Buy it when a customer has already asked for something the SG500 cannot print, not in anticipation of one.
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
Price as of November 12, 2026
#ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify
3. Best for the consumable that limits both of them
A-SUB Sublimation Paper
A-SUB · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
Whichever printer you choose, the transfer is only as good as the paper's coating, and paper is where a surprising amount of running cost hides. Worth noting before you buy the wide model: large-format coated paper costs considerably more per sheet, so the SG1000's running cost is higher than the price difference alone suggests. Letter paper is cheap enough to be generous with when you are still learning.
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
#ad · affiliate link · we never show a price we cannot verify
4. Best for the part people forget to budget
SmarketBuy 16 x 20 Clamshell Heat Press
SmarketBuy · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-29
A wide-format printer with a 15 inch press behind it is a wide-format printer you cannot use. If you buy the SG1000 to print 13 x 19 inch transfers, you need a platen that can press one in a single shot, because a large transfer pressed in two overlapping hits shows the seam. This is the real reason the SG1000 is a bigger decision than its price tag: the printer is only half the upgrade.
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
- High-pressure clamshell heat press, 1700 W
- Platen size
- 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
Price as of November 12, 2026
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5. Best for if you are not sure you want either yet
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
Epson · Currently sold · Verified 2026-09-27
Worth naming honestly, because both Sawgrass printers are a lot of money to spend on a hobby you have not tried. A converted EcoTank prints at the same letter width as the SG500 for a small fraction of the price, and the trade is real: no support, no supplied profile, irreversible conversion, no warranty for ink-related damage. If you cannot yet name what you will sell, start here and come back.
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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Common questions
What is the difference between the Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000?
Is the SG1000 worth the extra money?
Can the SG500 print a full shirt design?
Do the SG500 and SG1000 use the same ink?
Do I need a special heat press for the SG1000?
Should I buy a Sawgrass or convert an Epson instead?
Sources
- Sawgrass SG500 — current retail listing — Confirmed the SG500 is currently sold as a dedicated sublimation printer at letter print width, with Sawgrass sublimation ink and no conversion required - checked 22 October 2026
- Sawgrass SG1000 — current retail listing — Confirmed the SG1000 is currently sold, and the published print size of up to 11 x 17 in, or 13 x 19 in using the bypass tray - checked 22 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.
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Sawgrass SG500 Review
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Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Review
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