Dye sublimation printers are leading to produce stylish and bright images and have become a default choice for many people. Nobody wants dull and lousy designs, which are not possible without using the best dye-sublimation printer. Enterprises and artists, especially photographers, prefer due to their ability to produce impeccable designs.
What is a dye-sublimation printer? A printer that employs dye sublimation ink to transfer sublimation photos on the intended media. Besides that, if you have decided to buy a printer for dye sublimation, you need to look at various factors like print resolution, print size, and connectivity. In this post, we will take a look at some dye-sub photo printers in the market.
Canon TS6420 is an entry-level dye-sublimation printer with an elegant design and portable body. Moreover, it supports voice-activated printing through Amazon Alexa and Google Voice Assistant. Therefore, a first-timer can operate the printer with voice, which is very convenient.
It encompasses a 1.44 inch colorful OLED display and buttons on the display right side for easy control. The best part is Canon TS6420 has no specified duty cycle, which means you can print as much as you want without damaging it. The Bluetooth 4LE technology authorizes the user to print from different mobile devices at a time.
Impressively, the print speed of Canon TS6420 is 13 ppm for monochrome and 7.8 PPM for colorful prints. With this dye-sublimation photo printer, you can complete the large consignment shortly. Further, the integrated WiFi lets you connect this printer with your mobile device and print images from any other room of your house.
Pros
Economical price
With built-in WiFi
44″ control OLED display
Compact size
Voice-activated
Cons
High operational cost
No auto doc feeder
The LED status bar allows you to vie3w the printer status from another room of the house. Thanks to dual paper feeding, you are not required to print dual sides of the paper in equal reps. Amazingly, the affordable price of Canon TS6420 makes it the top-selling printer in the market.
Brother MFC-L3770CDW is an excellent dye-sublimation printer that can print at an outstanding speed of 25 pages per minute. Similarly, its scanning speed is also lightning fast which is 29 images per minute for monochrome and 22 images per minute for color print. Moreover, its rugged body ensures that it can last for years to come.
Flexible paper handling with 250-sheet adjustable tray results in hassle-free sublimation printing. You will get wireless and wired internet connectivity on this printer because of the onboard Ethernet port and Wi-Fi Direct. Controlling this powerful dye-sub printer is not a big deal as it has a 3.7-inch intuitive touchscreen display.
Do not worry if you have to scan papers in bulk because the 50-sheet auto doc feeder will accomplish the task in less time. In addition, it comes with the latest Gen USB port to share data and recharge peripheral devices. Apart from that, it comes with two years of ink-free, saving the user to spend extra.
Pros
Touchscreen display
Supports duplex printing
Incredible print speed
50-page auto doc feeder
With built-in WiFi
Cons
Slow start
Bulky
Brother MFC-L3770CDW is an all-in-one printer with a wireless connectivity option ideal for office or business level use. Besides that, the bulky body makes it inappropriate for DIY work, as it is problematic to carry it routinely. The only drawback I see in this premium printer is the lack of support for SD cards.
HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 has an excellent speed of 18PPM for monochrome and 14PPM for color print despite the first page out time of 11 seconds. Apart from that, the color accuracy of this best dye-sublimation printer is up to the mark. For easy control, it offers a 2.7-inch touchscreen display with sides protected by rugged bezels.
With this dye-sub printer, you can scan paper on both sides at 1200 DPI, which drops down to 300 DPI in the auto doc feeder. Impressively, the self-healing WiFi recovers dead zones and resolves connectivity issues. Other than that, the voice-activated printing technology lets the user print with voice through Amazon Alexa and Google Voice Assistant.
You don’t need to panic about storing paper because it has two built-in 250-sheet trays for that purpose. If we talk about connectivity options, it possesses a USB, Ethernet port, and integrated WiFi. Although it lacks onboard Bluetooth, you can still transfer data using the USB port.
Pros
Excellent print speed
Borderless printing
Great built quality
Low running cost
500 sheet tray capacity
Cons
It starts slow
HP OfficeJet Pro is an ideal printer for home and office owing to its portable body and excellent image quality. Notably, it prints tons of designs before you need to refill the cartridge, thanks to its low ink consumption. Moreover, it will transfer images with ultimate resolution as HP OfficeJet Pro 9025 manipulates extreme heat and pressure.
Epson is a renowned brand when it comes to the manufacturing of all types of printers, including dye sublimation. Its fine example is Expression Premium XP-7100, with a catchy design, compact body, and user-friendly functionality. Significantly, a 4.1-inch colorful display is convenient to operate with an intrusive touch system.
The best part is the display will automatically light up when you turn on this dye-sublimation printer. Besides that, the flatbed scanner can scan paper of 8.5″ by 11″ with 1200 DPI making it perfect for this job. But the printing speed of Expression Premium XP-7100 is 6 PPM for both black and colorful print, which is a little slow.
An onboard USB port enables the user to transfer data and charge computer peripherals at high speed. Apart from that, it has an Ethernet port and integrated WiFi for internet connectivity. With this printer, you can only use Epson’s reliable cartridges.
Pros
Stunning connectivity options
Easy to use control panel
Excellent output quality
Great scanning speed
Durable body
Cons
Low paper capacity
High operational cost
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 is a passable dye-sub printer due to its robust construction and endless features. Moreover, the scanner is perfect as it tends to scan both sides of the page at high resolution. To sum it up, I can say that it is a minimalist yet premium all-in-one wireless printer.
Mitsubishi has designed the CD-K60DW-S as a compact and full-fledged printer with a durable body meant to survive hard times. It does not have an LCD control panel because it can be controlled via a computer. The sunny side is it develops a peer-to-peer wirelessly hotspot when there are no WiFi signals available.
Unlike various printers in the market, it has two USB 2.0 ports for attaching peripheral devices like keyboard, mouse, USB Flash, and more. Apart from that, these ports can also be utilized for the transmission of data speedily. Besides that, the print speed is 12 seconds/print, which drops down to 9.3 seconds/print after ten images continuously.
You do not need to worry about storing a sublimation printer because it encompasses a dedicated paper tray. According to the manufacturer, this dye-sublimation photo printer can print 450 4″ by 6″ photos without any break.
Pros
Incredible paper size selection
It can print in bulk
Fast print speed
Low operational cost
Excellent print resolution
Cons
Flimsy output tray
If you are hunting for a dye sublimation printer to print at a mass scale, then CD-K60DW-S is for you. Moreover, it can print in four different sizes, which are 2″ by 2″, 4″ by 6″, 6″ by 6″, and 6″ by 8″ from the same media roll. Additionally, with the ultra-fine mode, you can produce top-quality prints.
Mitsubishi is a world-famous electronic company, and its dye-sub printers are equally good. CP-D70DW is designed to use 96 percent less energy in sleep mode, contributing to low operational costs. Moreover, it can print any format between 2″ by 6″ to 6″ by 9″ with a glossy finish.
The maximum resolution you will get when transferring images of any size are 300 DPI. To use this high-end printer, you must have a computer because it does not support mobile printing. Interestingly, it can continuously produce 400 images of 4″ by 6″ size, enabling the user to accomplish a bulk task in less time.
The printing speed of a high-resolution 4″ by 6″ image is 8.4 seconds. It does not support two-way printing because it is intended for top-notch photo printing. A unique cooling system is integrated to maintain the internal temperature resulting in smooth performance.
Pros
Extended duty cycle
Made for large scale use
Compact desk style construction
Ultime print resolution
It has multiple print modes
Cons
Bulky body
Without control panel
Do you own a dye sublimation printing business? If so, you need a heavy-duty printer like CP-D70DW because its body is designed to bear harsh circumstances. In addition, you can use this machine for decades as it comes with a 3-year extended manufacturer’s warranty.
When you look at this portable dye-sublimation printer for the first time, you will not realize what it owns. Photo printing with Liene DHP513 is excellent that can be shared with buddies, family, and colleagues. If the connection is stable, up to 5 devices can be connected with it.
Other than that, you can print photos with four stylish frames. Liene believes in genuine images. Due to this, it offers multiple filters and effects in this device. Most importantly, the printing process of Liene DHP513 is simple as it does not require expert-level knowledge.
You can pair it with any digital device regardless of the operating system that makes it universally compatible. With the Line mobile app, you can add much more to the picture before it comes out of the printer. Further, it comes with a multipurpose USB port to recharge peripherals, share data, and recharge it.
Pros
Affordable price
Compact body
High-Printing Speed
Supports up to five direct WiFi connections
Cons
Not for large scale use
Minimal duty cycle
If you have a limited budget and want to buy a wireless dye-sublimation printer, the Liene DHP513 is there. Impressively, the weight of this compact printer is just 4.3 pounds making it an easily portable device. In addition, this cheap sublimation printer is not suitable for professional use.
HP Smart Tank Plus 551 is a feature-rich printer with an outstanding print speed of 11 PPM at high resolution. In addition, the operation cost is low because it consumes significantly less power and ink than its competitors. If you own a dye sublimation printing business, then you can reap maximum profit utilizing it.
Easy refilling of ink tanks withsublimation ink for hp printer comes in reusable and spill-free bottles. With onboard WiFi and Bluetooth, you can perform remote mobile scanning and printing. With HP mobile app, you will get notifications when the ink level in the cartridges is shockingly low and perform mobile printing.
The flatbed scanner offered in this printer lets the user accomplish dual-sided scanning. Notably, the Voice-Activated printing makes the use of this best dye-sublimation printer effortless. Other than that, it comes with a multipurpose USB port for data transferring at a top-notch speed.
Pros
Minimal operational cost
Touchscreen controls
Sufficient paper handling capacity
Fast and reliable printing speed
Built-in WiFi
Cons
Without auto doc feed
HP Smart-Tank Plus 551 is a mid-range printer for dye sublimation with an eye-catching body and user-friendly functions. The package includes two years of ink, which is enough to print 8000 colors and 6000 monochrome images. Further, the automatic ink sensor detects and warns when the ink in the cartridges is at a low level.
Sawgrass SG500 is a classy sublimation printer with matchless features and a sturdy structure. Thanks to its compact size, it can simply fulfill your complex printing demands and fits on your desktop. At ultra-fine photo mode, you will get high-resolution images, but the print speed reduces sharply.
Excellent print speed, superior quality, and low running cost make it a good-to-go choice for any business. Besides that, a perfect-sized rectangular shape touchscreen display is there to give flawless commands to the printer. You can not print images on 100% pure cotton using this dye-sub printer.
SG500 is engineered to consume less ink and yield more. Additionally, it has a built-in Print Manager by Sawgrass, a color management tool created solely for printing. For better results, industry experts suggest using Sawgrass Ink which has been in the market since 1988.
Pros
Backward compatible
Heavy-duty machine
For high-quality prints
Easy to use
Cons
High running cost for occasional printing
Sawgrass SG500 should be your choice if you want to print large images with higher picture quality. Moreover, you will be able to complete your large order in time due to its speedy printing. If you have not used any printer yet, then you should follow the customer guide.
Picking up the best dye-sublimation printer is rigorous, considering its wide range of features. Not all features are essential for everyone as everyone has varying requirements. Whether you are a DIYer, hobbyist, craft enthusiast, or professional, you must have to assess some crucial features in the dye-sub printer, which are:
Mode of Use
Dye sublimation printers in the market come in different prices and specifications to meet the needs of all types of users. Firstly, you must be clear about which you need a dye-sub printer for, such as business, DIY projects, or professional photography. If you buy a premium device where your use is simple, you will buy a more powerful machine than your needs and vice versa.
Print Resolution
Dye sublimation printers are not cheap at all, so you can not take the risk of getting that one with below-par images quality. DPI or dots per inch refer to the sharpness, density, and clearness of the prints. Higher DPI printers result in high-resolution images with accurate colors, fewer grains, and a smooth tone. If you want a printer for routine use, then it must have a minimum of 300 DPI.
Print Size
Make sure that the size of the substrate is compatible with the printer for hassle-free sublimation printing. Let’s say you want to create a 15 by 15 inches sublimation photo with a printer having a maximum printing ability of 10 by 12 inches is not possible. Therefore, you must check the full print size of the printer if you do not want to waste your investment.
Connectivity Options
Always check for the available connectivity options in the dye-sublimation printer you are considering buying. Your initial evaluation should be whether the device has a wireless or wired connection. The USB port in the printer is handy as it offers data sharing and charging of peripherals. Interestingly, if the printer is Bluetooth enabled, then you will be able to transfer data wirelessly.
Weight
The weight of a printer for dye sublimation does not matter if you have to use it at the enterprise level, where you do not have to shuffle its position frequently. But if you are a DIYer, make sure that the device you are getting has a compact and minimalist body. The reason is carrying a bulky printer is problematic, which you surely want to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions About Best Dye Sublimation Printer
Q1. What is the difference between dye sublimation printing and sublimation printing?
Sublimation and dye sublimation printing techniques are used to transfer designs on items but are slightly different. Dye sublimation printers utilize high-quality waterless ink to last forever. Simply put, the sublimation printing technique can be said to print images on the surface of the media. Whereas in sublimation printing, the dyes penetrate the surface of the substrate to recolor the inner section.
Q2. What do I need to start dye sublimation printing?
With dye sublimation printing, you can print images on a wide range of stuff. Owing to this, it requires multiple apparatus to get started. These are:
High-quality dye-sub ink
Dedicated dye-sublimation printer
Heat press machine
An adequate work table
Scissors and Cutting equipment
Ruler and Measurer
Humidity and Heat monitor
Q3. What is the drawback of a dye-sub printer?
We all praise dye-sublimation printers for their premium image quality, but they are also not flawless like any other machine. For desirable results, print media must be white or light-colored because the designs on the dark or black materials are not apparent. In addition, images can fade if the printed item is continuously exposed to UV radiation.
Q4. Does dye sublimation fade away?
The specialty of this printing technique is it produces lovely and everlasting shades that are rooted in the printing media rather than its exterior. Even after several washes, the images seem fresh without any cracks or fading. By and large, the designs go on for decades, which shows the usefulness of this printing technique.
Final Verdict
Hopefully, after going through all dye-sublimation printer reviews, the buying guide has helped you determine which best dye-sublimation printer you should buy according to your budget and requirements. We have shortlisted these printers based on their performance, intuitive feature, design, and much more. If I were to pick a dye sub-printer, I would select any of the following.
Canon TS6420 All-In-One Wireless Printer
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100
Sawgrass SG500
All the reviews I have provided in this post are based on our in-depth research and extensive experience in using dye-sublimation printers. Again, I’m saying you should purchase the printer that fits your needs and your purchasing power as well.
