Are you looking for a cheap sublimation printer that has long-lasting features and high-resolution printing quality?
As you know, the sublimation printer prints vibrant, the everlasting motif on fabric, apparel, and advertising display. Inexpensive sublimation printing is good for small businesses too. You can print onto T-shirts, mugs, fabric, sportswear, and tumblers.
Various sublimation printers are available, from expensive to low-budget. For beginners who are looking for inexpensive sublimation printers for their business, we have made a list after research that will definitely help you to opt for the best cheap sublimation printer.
What Is the Sublimation Printing Process?
The sublimation process started with printing a decorative design or pattern onto special paper.
Sublimation printing is a specific printing in which design or pattern is printed onto a special paper first, then this pattern is transferred onto another material such as polyester or a polyester mix material and clothes.
Sometimes shirt printing cost through the sublimation process is more than other methods but the advantage of this process is that it is the last longer stable printing method. The printing design and color will not crack or peel over time.
Can we sublimate onto anything?
Generally, polyester materials are best for sublimation printing but, can be used on various materials that have a polymer coating such as mugs, coasters, and mouse pads.
It is also true that another effective digital print method like DTG printing is gaining popularity for small or newly started businesses. But cheap DTG printers are much more costly compared to sublimation printers, so for beginners, cheap sublimation printers are best.
How to Select an Economical Sublimation printer?
Some key parameters need to be careful while selecting a budget printer for sublimation-
- The first parameter is Brand, a good brand offers the best service and durability. Currently, Epson and Sawgrass are the best brands for sublimation printing.
- The second key factor is the cost of used ink in printing, the economical ink can reduce your printing cost.
- Printing speed is also a crucial parameter, especially when you have a large volume of orders.
Which are the best cheap sublimation printers?
| Preview | Cheap Sublimation Printers | Features | Price |
 | 1. Sawgrass SG500 Sublimation Printer | The best customer and technical support Higher resolution | Check Price |
 | 2. Epson EcoTank ET-3760 | Maximum media size of 8.5″ x 47.2″ For both regular printing and sublimation | Check Price |
 | 3. WorkForce WF-7710 | Low-cost dry sublimation printer Ultra-ink cartridges | Check Price |
 | 4. Epson Stylus C88+ | Borderless print for t-shirts Economical printer | Check Price |
 | 5. WorkForce WF-7210 | Perfect for the beginners2.2″ LCD for easy setup and navigation | Check Price |
1. Sawgrass SG500 Sublimation Printer
Features: Max Media Size: 8.5″ x 51″ | Max Resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi | Warranty: 2-year | Connectivity: Wi-Fi | OS Compatible: Windows 8, 8.1, 10; MAC 10.13 or Later
Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 is our top pick and one of the best cheap sublimation printers.
The best customer and technical support also provide an upper edge to SG500. SG500 is an upgraded version of SG400.
SG500 is more energy-efficient and has a higher resolution compared to its predecessor.
The updated SG500 offers WiFi connectivity, easy connection with your computer without wire, and provides you to print your design from anywhere in your home or shop.
SG500 is the best economical desktop printer for sublimation, the Sawgrass SG500 allows to print on media up to 51-inches or 1295 mm.
Sawgrass is well known for its low-cost maintenance; similarly, SG500 has its automatic maintenance cycle.
For beginners, it is a perfect choice. The cost-effectiveness and freedom of creating customized products with HD images make SG500 ideal for low start-ups.
The best sublimation printer offers good quality and efficiency. The SG500 minimizes ink and power consumption while maximizing the output.
The SG500 offers creative studio online designer features for product designers and provides flexibility for creating motifs or beautiful patterns without additional software.
For best printing quality, you need good quality inks, It is also true for Sawgrass SG500.
For best sublimation printing on t-shirts, you can use Easysubli ink or other best HD printing inks. But avoid using cheap or low-quality inks, it can damage printing quality as well as the printer.
The Sawgrass Print manager software offers to easily manage multiple-color printing, optimize color output for vector graphics, and spot colors.
The print manager software is compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.
The SG500 comes with Ultrafine photo mode that allows high-resolution printing. The 4800 x 1200 dpi images or designs look brighter on substrates.
According to resolution, the full-page print speed varies. On 600 x 600 dpi, 15-seconds are required to print full-page, while on Ultrafine mode approximately 6 minutes are required for full-page printing.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good technical and customer support | Inks are a little expensive |
| Best high-quality sublimation printer | |
| High durability and 2-year warranty |
2. Epson EcoTank ET-3760 Wireless Color All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer
Features: Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB | Max Print Size: 8.5″ x 14″ | ADF: Yes | Technology: Inkjet
The Epson-3760 is a good quality printer that delivers consistent results for the home and sublimation business. The best thing about the printer is the cost of the printer. In the low-cost series of Epson, it is perfect for the budget dye-sublimation business.
With a maximum media size of 8.5″ x 47.2″, you would be able to print good size designs for your fabrics or t-shirts.
The control panel of ET-3760 is good and easy to use, but the screen size is a little bit small, so you get some issues while tapping.
In this segment, we are focusing on the 3760 as a dedicated sublimation printer, while no doubt that the 3760 is perfect for home use too.
The Supertank ink reservoir increases cost-effectiveness and reduces your plastic waste. So, the cartridge-free ink refilling avoids buying any expensive cartridges.
The ET-3760 is a great option for both regular printing and sublimation. ET-3760 is not a sublimation printer, but it can be perfectly converted for sublimation printing. Many small business owners are using 3760 as a sublimation printer, So it is one of the best low-cost printers for sublimation.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cost-effective printing For large Volume | Originally not for sublimation printing |
| Good print speed | |
| Ideal for beginners and start-up |
3. WorkForce WF-7710
Features: Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB | Max Print Size: 8.5″ x 14″ | ADF: Yes | Technology: Inkjet | Item Weight: 40.80 lbs
Epson 7710 is one of the best cheap printers for sublimation while it is an Inkjet printer, but you can convert the printer into a sublimation printer through a converter kit.
Various converter kits are available on the market for Epson printers, and by using a converter kit, the printer would change into the low-cost dry sublimation printers, great for beginners and small businesses.
The PrecisionCore technology of the Epson printer supports borderless printing. Epson WF-7710 supports borderless print, so print size would be more than the size of 8.5″ x 14″ that is the maximum supported paper size. The printer offers borderless print shop quality, and can print up to 13″ x 19″.
Epson WF-7710 comes with a 4.3″ color touchscreen, the intuitive touchscreen offers an easy-to-use experience.
The printer offers wide connectivity to support prints over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The printer is eco-friendly too and consumes less power compared to its competitors.
The Epson 7710 comes with 4x Ultra-ink cartridges-Black, Yellow, Cyan, and Magenta. This printer supports a variety of sublimation inks for perfect and stylish sublimation printing.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy-to-use, good print quality | Convertor kit required for sublimation printing |
| Best limited budget printer for sublimation | |
| Easy-to set up, and eco-friendly |
4. Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer
Features: Connectivity: Wired, USB | Duplex: No | OS: Windows, MAC | Weight: 10.14 lbs
Epson C88+ is another Inkjet printer that perfectly works for sublimation, and the advantage of this printer is that you can use this printer for both pigment and sublimation inks.
C88+ is a cheap printer for sublimation. This printer offers a borderless print for t-shirts and other products.
This economical printer is eco-friendly as well as easy to use. The sharpness of the printer is awesome and perfect for sublimation.
Like the above Epson printers, this printer is primarily made for pigment ink but can be worked for sublimation printers, so the ink cartridge is cheaper than other sublimation printers.
No doubt that this printer offers vibrant and high-quality sublimation prints and is useful for your home as well as shop. This printer works excellent with multiple substrates.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy-to-use and Portable sublimation printer | Not designed for sublimation printing |
| Compatible with Windows and Mac | |
| Easy-to set up, and eco-friendly |
5. WorkForce WF-7210
Features: Connectivity: Wi-Fi | Tray: Dual | OS: Windows, MAC | Weight: 32.8 lbs
WorkForce WF-7210 is another best economical printer for sublimation, and 7210 wide-format color inkjet printer works for both normal and sublimation printing.
As we discussed earlier, you need a converter to use this printer as a sublimation printer. Many conversion kits are available, as a sublimation printer, you could easily print designs for your t-shirts and other fabrics.
The borderless printing and quality color graphics make it perfect for the beginner. It consumes 80% less power compared to other color laser printers.
The dual trays and versatile paper handling features add comfort in operation, Epson-7210 printers can print up to 13″ x 19″.
The printer comes with a 2.2″ LCD for easy setup and navigation. The 10 ISO ppm fast printing for color output. The ultimate wireless printing offers seamless printing from your smart devices.
| Pros | Cons |
| Dual tray printer | Not designed for sublimation printing |
| Supports Windows and Mac | |
| High print quality and good for t-shirts printing |
Buying Guide for Sublimation Printer
Buying any product is totally your preference and priority, but it is important to consider some key factors before buying a sublimation printer for your small business:
1. Match your requirement
Choosing a good printer doesn’t mean that it also works best for you. It is better to find the best sublimation printer that is capable of fulfilling your requirement and should be able to meet your objective or purpose.
For small businesses, you can go for a higher work rate capacity printer while for personal or home use you can choose a user-friendly and good resolution printer.
2. Resolution
Resolution of the sublimation printer indicates the quality of printing, it is the hook for catching fish!. If you want good clear and quality printing then, you have to narrow down your focus on resolution dimensions. Generally, 4800 x 1200 resolution is a better option.
3. Size
According to your printing size requirement, you can select your printer. For example, if you need to print a logo on a t-shirt then you do not need a high size printer, 4 x 6-inch printing size can fulfill your requirement.
4. Speed
Printing speed is an important factor, but it is also true that print with a lower resolution takes less time than a print with high resolutions. Speed also depends upon various parameters such as color.
5. Budget
It is our recommendation that before buying, fix your budget, by this you would be able to find a good sublimation printer in your budget range. Do not purchase high features sublimation printers, if you don’t need advanced printing, if you are a beginner then you can choose any printer from our recommended list, these all are budget sublimation printers that offer great quality.
Bottom Line
Selecting a good product is always important, and in the case of a sublimation printer, it is also most important. We have recommended only top-rated cheap sublimation printers that will help you in starting your sublimation business. All listed sublimation printers are perfect for beginners.
As we already informed the listed Epson printers are not sublimation printers, but can be converted and many sublimation business owners are using Epson WF printers for their business without any worry.
One most important thing that I want to share with you is that selection of sublimation ink is very important, so select ink very carefully, otherwise, it impacts the quality of print.
A passionate blogger and technology hunger by Mind. I have more than 15 years of experience in tech product research and consumer relation. Started BestDigiProduct as Journey to connect Consumers to the right product. The mantra of life is “Life is like ice cream, eat it before melting”.