What is Sublimation Printer? – A Complete Guide

Hey Guys,

Hope you are doing well! All of you know about the sublimation the equipment and the supplies needed to make it happen. And the sublimation printer is one of those. I must say that it is the heart of sublimation. So today we’re going to discuss the what is sublimation printer?. How does it work? If you want to purchase it then what will be the promising factors you have to look for and all the other information related to the sublimation printer? So without delay let’s go!

Understand What is a Sublimation Printer?

A sublimation printer is a machine. These are the specialised printers, specifically designed for the purpose of sublimation.

 It uses sublimation ink (a special type of ink, converted directly from solid to gaseous form with the application of heat) to print the design onto the sublimation paper. It helps you to print your own designs. There are many printers available in the market, some are specific sublimation printers and some printers that can be converted to the sublimation printer.

These are specialised printers that use sublimation inks to print your designs onto the paper. There are printers that are already made for sublimation and there are some printers that you can convert to sublimation printers

How to select the best sublimation printer?

Anything is best when it does your work best. And there will always be some factors which make things best. The factors which you have to take into account while choosing the sublimation printer are:

1)    Size of the printer:

It depends on your needs. How much work you have to do with that printer and what will be the print size?

2)    Brand of the printer:

The brand also matters. While choosing the brand you have to see the factors like the brand’s product history, their services, the warranty they provided with the equipment and most importantly the features they offer.

3)    Size/format of the printer:

Printers usually come in the 3 formats:

• Narrow Format printer: Used in the home or in the office for printing, normally prints A4 size. This is a beginner-friendly printer as our sublimation paper comes in A4 format.
• A3 Printer: used for bigger print sizes and in sublimation for clothes printing it is normally used.
• Large/ wide format printer: prints up to 74” wide images.

 4)    Select the printer with more ink tanks, (as it is costly but worth it as it can print complex designs and colours very efficiently with quality)

5)    Always go with the inkjet printer

Can I use sublimation ink in a normal printer?

Yes, You can, but it won’t look as good. Because of the process that goes on during printing, regular paper makes for a poor carrier of the ink.

You may also check – What Is Sublimation Ink

What are the pros of sublimation printing?

The pros of the sublimation printing are:

1. Print on any surfaces, like mugs, crockery, glass, cloths, etc.
2. It is very Quick and easy
3. Provides users with a wide variety of colours while printing
4. You can print as many as you want. There is no need to limit the minimum print
5. Objects will not lose their colour as after sublimation, the printing is integrated into the substrate

What are The cons of sublimation printing?

The cons of the sublimation printing are:

1. You can print only on the 100% polyester fabric
2. Sublimation items must have a white or light-coloured print area
3. printing may lose its colour if exposed to UV rays very long
4. Print heads are prone to clogging if they are not used frequently.

You may also check – What is Sublimation Printing

What is The best sublimation printer?

The best sublimation printers available in the market are:

• Epson SureColor F170 (A4 paper)
• Sawgrass SG500 (A4 paper)
• Epson SureColor F570 Pro (print size up to 24-inch roll)
• Mimaki TS100-1600 (for large format printing)
• HP Stitch S500 (for large format printing)

You may also check – What Is Sublimation Paper

How to do maintenance & care of the sublimation printer?

Everything needs its maintenance and the printer is not an exception for that. The maintenance tips for the printer are:

1)    Use the printer regularly so that the ink cartridges won’t dry up & try to replace it if feel necessary.

2)    If an ink tank is half filled, fill it and empty the waste tank regularly.

3)    Run the nozzle check

4)    Align the print head

5)    Clean paper feeder rollers

Always go for test printing before going to final printing.

You may also check – What is Heat Press Machine? 

Conclusion:

I hope you got complete clarity about the what is sublimation printer. How does it work? It’s maintenance and all the other things you need to know. So refer to and read the article carefully. And select & use your sublimation printer wisely. Till then Happy printing! Happy sublimation!