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An inkjet that prints for a heat press, not for a frame

The best sublimation printers for 2026

A sublimation printer lays special inks on transfer paper that turn to gas under a heat press and bond with polyester fabric or a coated blank. The first question on this shelf is where the printer came from. A factory sublimation printer is sold for the job, with its own inks and a warranty that covers them; a converted inkjet is an office model filled with sublimation ink by the seller or the buyer, and the original maker's warranty rarely survives the conversion — the listing should say which it is. Paper width caps the size of a transfer, and a wide-format model makes shirt-front prints possible in one sheet. The ink system is refillable tanks or cartridges, and the difference is the running cost over a year. Colour profiles matter because sublimation colours look dull on paper and only appear after pressing; a maker who publishes profiles for its inks and papers saves a box of test prints. Then connectivity, whether a driver exists for the computer in use, and what happens if the printer sits unused, since inks dry in the head. The result depends on the substrate too: cotton does not take sublimation, and a coated blank does. We compare factory or converted, paper width, ink system, published colour profiles, connectivity and ink cost.

The machines compared on this page

  1. Dr. Inkjet A4 converted sublimation printer starter set

    Converted inkjet, base model not named · A4 · 4 sublimation cartridges · 50 sheets of A4 transfer paper · optional colour profile on CD · email support

    An inkjet printer already converted to sublimation and sold as an A4 starter set with four sublimation cartridges and 50 sheets of transfer paper, whose listing names neither the original printer nor its connection.

    Best for: A beginner starting sublimation on T-shirts and mugs at A4 who wants a set that works out of the box.

    ≈ 205 €

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  2. Brother SP1 sublimation printer, up to 215 × 355 mm

    Sold as a sublimation printer · prints up to 215 × 355 mm · vivid and Eco print modes · sublimation inks and paper included · compact desktop design

    A compact desktop sublimation printer sold under Brother’s own name, printing up to 215 × 355 mm with vivid and Eco modes, supplied with sublimation inks and paper, and described in three short bullets.

    Best for: A crafter who wants a sublimation printer sold as one by its maker, for designs up to legal-paper length.

    ≈ £287 / 416 €

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