Best Sublimation Printer for Beginners-With Sublimation Kits

When I started infographic printing in my graduating years as a beginner, the biggest challenge was finding the best sublimation printer for beginners to support my hobby. I was lucky enough to see some of the top-tier products that are especially suitable for beginners. Since then, my productivity and output in the sublimation printing business have been phenomenal for fifteen years. These sublimation printers helped me take the first steps towards polishing my skills and saving my time.

If you want to enter in sublimation industry and start want to start sublimation printing business, then bad products must not hinder your way towards accomplishing your goal. Then how can you identifies which is the best sublimation printer for beginners. According to your budget and requirements which sublimation printer is best for you. There are lot of options available. Each sublimation printer has its own functionalities, features and benfits.

To assist you in making the final purchase, we have used our decade’s long experience and experts’ opinion to compile this review and buyer’s guide on the best sublimation printer for beginners 2023. So, please scroll down and have a glance at the top notch printers!

Our Top Pick

There are many brands in market which are dealing in sublimation printers with different features and process. As sublimation printers are little bit expensive and required some expert knowledge to choose the right product. So, we are here to guide you to choose the right sublimation printer according to our requirements.

Keep the things easy and understandable. We have experienced many sublimation printers for beginners. Now you have to choose the best one for you as a starter by keeping in mind the price and features. We will review number of sublimation printer which will help you to start your sublimation printing business.

Best Sublimation Printer for Beginners – Inexpensive Printer

IMAGE	PRODUCT	RATING	PRICE
Editor Choice	Canon Pixma tr4520 Wireless – Best Entry Level Printer Features: 1- Auto power on off 2- Self healing Wi-Fi connectivity Benefits: 1- Savings of 10 percent on every reorder 2- Automatic Duplex	9.5	Check on Amazon
Premium Pick	Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless – Best Starter Printer Features:1- PrecisionCore Technology 2- Voice activated printing Benefits: 1- Save upto 90 percent on ink cartridges 2- Wide format print	8.7	Check on Amazon
Best Budget Pick	Kodak Dock Portable Photo Printer – Dye Sublimation Printer Features:1- One touch print 2- Maximum Device Compatibility Benefits: 1- 4” x 6” size fast and sharp print 2- Portable	9.5	Check on Amazon
	Canon MX492 Wireless – Canon Sublimation Printer Features:1- Air print feature 2- Automated document feeder Benefits: 1- Small size 2- Wireless connectivity	8.7	Check on Amazon
	Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless – Compact Photo Printer Features:1- Water resistant quality prints 2- 3.2 inches tilting LCD Benefits: 1- Portable 2- Printed photos instantly dry	8.7	Check on Amazon
	HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e – Best Buy Sublimation Printer Features:1- Protect data for encryption 2- Self healing Wi-Fi Connectivity Benefits: 1- 6 months free ink availability 2- Print upto 24 black and 20 color pages per minute	8.7	Check on Amazon
	Canon PIXMA TS6320 – All in One Photo Printer Features:1- Automatic expandable output tray 2- 1.44” OLED display for navigation Benefits: 1- 10% savings on ink reorder 2- Vivid color photos	8.7	Check on Amazon
	Canon PIXMA G6020 – MegaTank Inkjet Printer Features:1- Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connectivity 2- Borderless printing Benefits: 1- Light Weight 2- Canon MegaTank ink bottles	8.7	Check on Amazon

Before start discussion on sublimation printer for beginners, we should know what actually the sublimation process is. It is very simple and interesting. In sublimation printing process the design we want to print on material first print on special paper. After that we use heat press to provide heat so that design moves from paper to material. In this process, special type of ink is used, sublimation ink, it directly converts gaseous state from solid state, then transfer into the material. Here are the best sublimation printer reviews which we have experienced.

1- Canon Pixma tr4520 Wireless – Best Entry Level Printer

I had tested Canon TR 4500 in my friend lab before purchasing Canon PIXMA TR4520. I found its panal and automatic document feeder didn’t work fluently. Paper jam issue occurred. LCD display difficult to read but its button help you in printing Canon PIXMA TR4520 wireless sublimation printer has excelled in the sublimation printing market. Because it is matchless in advanced features like Mopria Print Service, compatibility with Alexa, and Air Print mode. Easily setup, very user friendly.

It works flawlessly. We haven’t faced any paper jam issue. Print with my iPhone and it will done with in a moment. Printing quality is good and perfectly print the photos with glossy paper. It provides USB and Wi-Fi connectivity option and you can print from anywhere in your home or office. I love this best sublimation printer for beginners because it gave me several connectivity options when I purchased it in the start years of my sublimation printing career.

As a beginner, you must opt for smart choices like Canon PIXMA TR4520. This printer comes with the Canon Print app to allow you efficient and worry-free wireless printing from your tablet or smartphone. Beginners can use it with easier features like auto power On/Off, Air printing, and self-healing Wi-Fi. You can use its auto duplex functionality and save your printing cost.

Scanner also works perfectly. But if you have to scan multiple pages, documents may go to different folders. You have to control it. Copying and fax quality is also good. I made many copies but doesn’t found any issue.

In terms of connectivity, you will connect it with the different operating systems running on your phone and perfectly work for both Windows and Mac. Its automatically connects to Wi-Fi and my cricut and when i click on print it prints at once without any delay. Also, you may use your USB for importing designs that you intend to print through it.

Final Verdict

If you are a newbie and want to start you sublimation printing business then i will recommend you go for Canon PIXMA TR4520. This wireless printing machine will make your life easy by offering user-friendly features in addition to high-definition prints.

Several connectivity options are available and its all in one print, copy, fax and scan functionality and all work perfectly and result is excellent. Automatically connect to Wi-Fi and my cricut. If you invest your money in this amazing printer, we assure you that it will deliver the best performance because it had done so in our case.

2- Epson Ecotank ET-15000 Wireless – Best Starter Printer

Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Supertank Ethernet Printer is unbeatable in sublimation printing because of its higher productivity, economic output, and variety of connectivity options. I have an old Epson 2850 it was good but it has high black paper yield. Its dispay screen size is 1.5″ where as Epson Ecotank ET 15000 has 2.6″. Paper tray capacit is low. Absence of auto document feeder and fax functionality.

Epson Ecotank ET-15000 sublimation printer is easy to setup. It uses a print chip with a higher density. That is why it can generate precise dots up to 40 million within a second. Well, this is reflecting the excellent printing efficiency and accuracy of the Epson ET-15000.

I have printed so many photos, flyers and brochures the result is sharp and outstanding. I have printed multiple prints up to 13″ x 19″ pages, it works flawlessly. You will get a powerful performance with this best sublimation printer for beginners. Printed on thicker paper, the result is excellent but sometime paper jam issue occurred. It is also compatible with MAC and windows. One of the most mazing feature which I like the most is, you can change every setting of printer like size, paper, color even the sound.

Another best feature is that you will prefer Epson ET-15000 over other choices in the market is voice-activated printing. It means you will printer to do work and it works perfectly. It will be saving 90% of the sublimation ink usage. Another associated benefit is the lower price incurred on the replacement bottle at very low cost of $20. You can print up to 6000 pages. With the color touch screen of the 2.7 inches size, you can preview, edit, and personalize the prints.

Final Verdict

Epson ET-15000 is here to amaze you with its excellent and advanced features of voice-activated printing, which is compatible with hands-free and eco-friendly printing, auto duplex printing, saving your time, money, and sublimation inks. Somehow it is little bit expensive but after testing its result and color contrast, purchasing decision was good.

Perfectly work with iPad, iPhone, smartphone and Android tablet printing. Specially designed for beginners or for small business start ups. All these features will be enhancing your skills and productivity as a beginner. Also, there will be zero waste generation with this printer.

3- Kodak Dock Portable Photo Printer – Dye sublimation Printer

The highly advanced feature of the one-touch printing is the strength factor of the Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable. Easy setup and very user-friendly even a 12 years old who is non technical or non practical can use it smoothly. Instant 4×6 photo printer distinguishing it from the rest of the choices in the market. This best sublimation printer for beginners is famous for its high definition photo prints.

The prints are colorful and sharp, This product will allure your heart if you are a photography enthusiast wanting to take excellent sublimation prints of your photos. You can print both border and borderless photos. Kodak Dock will help you in the bombastic initiation of your sublimation printing career with unique features. As a beginner, you will love this printer for easier and convenient use. It is compatible with IOS or Android system using the docking pin. It works perfect for smartphones but it doesn’t support C type smartphones.

You can connect via Wi-Fi stable connection with Bluetooth also. Download the app and print anywhere in your house, school or in office. I like its photo editing feature. It is when you printer your image you can edit and add sticker, templates or filters before printing. This printer has the capacity for printing 4” x 6” size in a faster and easier way.

The colors are amazingly brighter, and the details are truly stunning with this printer. Also, there will be no fading of the prints because Kodak Dock is using a technology that resists bleeding or fading. This technology is referred to as the D2T2 Thermal Transfer Technology. Not only these features, but you will be able to enjoy maximum connectivity options with the Kodak Dock.

Final Verdict

If you search for a user-friendly, efficient, and simultaneously charging printer, then Kodak Dock printer has best choice. The print quality is excellent, sharp color accuracy with border and borderless printing.

With the basic size printing, enjoy the brilliant and detailed photos by directly connecting this printer with your smartphone or other devices. Considering purchasing this printer will be the best decision that you can ever make, and we encourage you to go for it!

4- Canon PIXMA TS6320 – All in One Photo Printer

Canon PIXMA TS6320 wireless is the best sublimation printer for beginners because set up is very easy even a non tech savvy person can easily do this easily. It has a matchless OLED display screen of 1.44 inches. It helps me in navigation. The screen is not touched but the buttons around the screen is very easy to use.

There are multiple connectivity options like Wi-Fi which includes AirPrint and Google cloud print as well, Bluetooth, ethernet and USB. It helps me a lot to take print from multiple options. Mobile device support is super and it helps me to take sharp and vibrant prints from my IOS or Android phones or tablets. Canon PIXMA TS6320 wireless printer has a QR button. Just press the QR button it will link you directly to your phones via Wi-Fi.

Another exciting feature of the Canon PIXMA TS6320 is its ink system. Five individual inks cartridges (Magenta, Black BK, Yellow, Black Pigment PGBK, Cyan) will be give you prints with sharper and vibrant colors. The inks coming with the package are ample enough to work for many months.

Final Verdict:

If you search for a sublimation printer that is compact, efficient, and has a pack of the best sublimation inks, you should grab Canon PIXMA TS6320 as soon as possible. Very user friendly with impressive OLED, ink efficiency, and vivid colors will catch your heart.

Absence of touchscreen or media card port but it provides multiple other connectivity options. Print sharp photo colors without any paper jam issue. Considering our personal experience with this printer, we are delighted with its performance, and we recommend you to go for it.

5. Canon MX492 Wireless – Best Printer for Sublimation Printing

Canon MX492 Wireless Sublimation Printer is here for all enthusiastic printing hobbyists with outstanding wireless functionality. It has multitudinous connectivity options, and a larger printing capacity. Canon MX492 is one of the best sublimation printers for beginners because it is very user friendly with superb printing efficiency. Setup is easy but for newbies instruction can be more precised.

It is super portable. You will save energy and time by using it because it uses a document folder that is automatic and comes with full integration. This printer is a package of happiness for printing enthusiasts because it has many options like printing, copying, faxing, and scanning.

Thanks to the Canon manufacturers for using intelligent technology to use this printer. It connects with computer, tablet, smartphone or you connect it via cable with in no time. They are offering you the Canon PRINT app, which is completely free to download. It will be helping you in printing and scanning documents or photos from your smartphone. I used glossy photo paper and high resolution paper, the result is excellent. Also, they have introduced the feature of the Air Print. This feature allows you to accomplish your printing tasks in a wireless mode.

Final Verdict

Finding an efficient and smaller sublimation printer is indeed a wonderful stroke of luck. However, you are lucky to find such a printer in the form of Canon MX492. It will be occupying 30% less area than conventional Canon MX models. Also, it comes with extra-large ink cartridges allowing you to print uninterruptedly without worrying about the ink finishing. The print quality, fax, scan and copying is just awesome.

6- Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless – Compact Photo Printer

Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless AirPrint Printer has remained our personal choice for many years. It has excelled the market worthy competitors with its small size, power sublimation printing and water-resistant quality prints. All these features make it the best sublimation printer for beginners to consider purchasing in 2023. The quality of construction and reliability of the Canon Selphy CP1300 is also matchless.

This photo printer is ranked among the best starter sublimation printers because it has a user friendly design, even my 14 year old niece can easily handle it. One of the best quality which I like the most is, the prints taken with this fantastic printer will be drying instantly without taking much time. Also, they are resistant to water, so there are no worries about the quality deterioration of the prints with time.

You can directly print from your any device like memory cards, camera, PC or USB stick. I have made the collages of multiple photos by using Canon PRINT app and the result is excellent. You can easily connect your smartphone or tablet via Canon PRINT app and take print without any flaw. The photos colors are so sharp and vibrant.

If you are looking for a resolution output of this printer, we are glad to tell you that it can print to the extent of the 256 color levels. That means there are a total of 16.8 million colors that Canon Selphy CP1300 is capable of printing. Another good thing is that can print various sizes up to 4.0 x 6.0. With the tilting LCD of 3.2 inches, you can do the perfect customization of the prints you want to take.

Final Verdict:

Canon Selphy CP1300 is the perfect example of the small size photo printer but powerful action. Therefore, it will be an excellent addition to your printing studio, giving the best results every time you use it. Also, you will be able to use the smart connectivity options through smartphones, tablets, or the Canon printing app. It gives you the option of USB and memory card utilization for easier printing.

7- HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e – Best Buy Sublimation Printer

HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e Wireless Sublimation Printer is an economical choice offering exceptional features like professional quality prints with a faster speed. Therefore, if you are a beginner thinking about starting your home business of sublimation printing, entirely then this printer can be the best choice to go for. Unboxing and printer set-up is very easy. Instructions are clearly mentioned in document which is easy to understand.

It offers wide range of connectivity options like wireless, wired even you can easily print from USB. The print quality is vibrant and borderless. All you have to do is install the HP+ smart printing system on your phone and enjoy printing limitlessly with this printer. I have tried to take the print without using HP smart app and tried to connect it with my PC. It took me 2 hours to download the additional software.

I have printed brilliant colored flyers, brochures, and posters with excellent details. I love its upgradation feature, in terms of the 2x faster color printing. This is not just your printer companion, but you may also accomplish your faxing, copying, and scanning tasks with it too and the result is excellent. Its duplex functionality also works flawlessly for scanning and printing. I haven’t faced any paper jam issue.

You must not lose the opportunity of missing this printer because it comes with the instant inks, and that too with the six months free ink availability offer. I have printed about 24 pages black print and 20 color print per minute.

Final Verdict

If versatility and efficiency are your preference factors in purchasing a printer, you must not look beyond an exceptional choice like HP Pro 9025e. If you face any internet connection issues, then there are no worries because this printer comes with self-healing Wi-Fi that is an expert in detecting and resolving the issues. So, enjoy the perks of printing with this printer.

8- Canon PIXMA G6020 – MegaTank Inkjet Printer

Sublimation printing was never easy and economical before the best sublimation printer for beginners like Canon PIXMA G6020 Wireless Supertank Sublimation Printer. Calling it the most economical and inexpensive printer won’t be wrong because when I used it, it delivered an exceptional printing performance attributable to its smart design.

Now there is no need to incur higher costs on the ink cartridge replacement because this printer is offering you Canon MegaTank ink bottles in addition to the standard inks having black and grey colors. I have printed thousand of pages but still there is no need to add inks. I haven’t found any black spot or paper jam issue. The MegaTank of this printer will be getting over 30 times in comparison to other printers. This printer is a multi-purpose electronic gadget because it can help you print, scan, fax, and copy.

It can do borderless printing with the 3.5” x 3.5” square in addition to the lettering size of the 8.5” x 11”. The production speed of this printer is awe-inspiring because it can do it with matchless speed and accuracy. Thanks to the intelligent technology used inside this printer.

Printer will turn off itself after being idle and it will not turn on automatically again. You can disable auto power off or increase its time period up to 4 hours. I recommend you just enable the auto power on. It will set the printer in stand by position rather to turn off mode. So when the print request received it will turn back to auto power on mode from standby mod.

Final Verdict

If you are looking for a multi purpose sublimation printer, then Canon PIXMA G6020 is the premium quality product that awaits you. Extremely low print cost and two sided print quality is excellent but somehow dupelx speed is low. However, all the sublimation printers offer you exciting features, the good news about this printer is that it gives you a myriad of aspects at a very economical cost. You won’t be able to find such a great printer.

Pre Purchase Tips for Best Sublimation Printer for Beginners

Best starter sublimation printers are an integral factor for accomplishing your printing tasks if you have just started this business. After reading our review of best sublimation printer for beginners, now you are in a position for making the decision to choose the required printer. However, with these best products, you might be again in confusion about which one to go for among the products we have provided you the details of.

While choosing the best sublimation printer for beginners, consider the following main points:

Budget

Determine your budget and look for sublimation printers that fall within that range. Consider the initial cost of the printer as well as the ongoing expenses for ink and maintenance.

Easy to Use and Set Up

It is the most important pre-purchase consideration. As beginner we have to check that the printer which we are purchasing is easy set up and user friendly. You must understand that as a beginner, you do not have any prior experience with the sublimation printer. As a beginner, you’ll want a sublimation printer that is user friendly and easy to set up. Look for printers with intuitive interfaces, clear instructions, and helpful customer support. If we go for a printer that offers us fancy features in printing but are clueless about how to use it, then all of our money and energy will be wasted. That is the reason we need to check the previous users’ experience, specifications, and features of a sublimation printer in terms of ease of use and then finalize the product.

The good news is that the top brands like Canon, Epson, and HP are offering you user manuals and apps that will guide us step by step to set up your printer and use it in the future. However, some users complained about the terrible use of some sublimation printers despite following user manuals and apps, etc. In this regard, we can go for premium quality options that are helpful for beginners like Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless AirPrint Printer, Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable Instant 4×6 printer, and Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless Sublimation Printer.

Print Quality

Assess the print quality of the sublimation printer. Look for models that produce vibrant and sharp prints with accurate color reproduction. Read reviews and look for sample prints to evaluate the quality.

Printing Size Considerations

Another important aspect which we can not forget regarding the sublimation printer is printing different sizes and items. We will better aware of the items that we intend to print in the future. Therefore, making wise decisions regarding the size is essential. The good thing about the latest sublimation printers is that they offer us more smaller to larger printing size ranges. Yet, we suggest check the print size aspects and specifications of a printing machine before finalizing the purchase.

Another important factor to remember here regarding object size on which you are trying to sublimate our creative designs. If we do sublimation printing on the smaller objects, we don’t have to worry about the size. For example, if we want to customize the key chains, bookmarks, cover letters, etc., then any ordinary sublimation printer can do it for us. So, we can be forgetful about the size matters in this regard.

However, if we use our sublimation printer for more oversized items like fabrics, shirts, etc., we cannot overlook the size matters. In this situation, we can go for only choices like Epson Expression XP-15000 Wireless Wide Format Sublimation Printer. This printer offers us a diverse printing range as small as 4 X 6 inches and as large as 13 X 19 inches.

Printing Speed

Another most important feature is printing speed. We must consider the printing speed while purchasing sublimation printer. But printer speed is different for every sublimation printer. Printing speed also depends on printing quality. Higher resolution print will take more time as compare to lower resolution print. Printing speed is also different for color and monochromic print.

Resolution of the Sublimation Printer

This factor is essential to consider whenever purchasing a printer. Whether we are a professional printing enthusiast or a beginner hobbyist, we can not ignore the resolution aspect of a sublimation printer. After all, we all love to see our creative designs printed with higher vibrancy and brilliant colors. That is only possible if our printer has a good resolution and can give you details. DPI is the measure of the printer’s resolution, and it discloses essential information about the clarity, brilliance, and sharpness of an image.

For example, Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Supertank Ethernet Printer comes with the PrecisionCore Technology and can produce precise dots up to 40 million within a second. This is an exclusive example of a good quality resolution. Printers with a good resolution will be suitable for giving you excellent quality prints. However, that does not mean that you go for the most expensive printers. Printers with 600 DPI will be enough to satisfy your printing demands.

Connectivity Options

Ensure that the sublimation printer has the necessary connectivity options to connect with your computer or other devices. USB, Ethernet, and wireless connectivity options are common features to look for.

Easier Ink Replacement Procedure

At some point, you will need to replace our ink cartridges. Also, it will need refilling after some time. Therefore, we need to keep this consideration in our mind as we buy a sublimation printer. Based on our personal experience with some printers, we were highly troubled by the terrible ink refilling and cartridge replacement procedures. Therefore, we suggest you go for the printers that come with an ample supply of inks that do not require you to refill. If they do, then refilling should be easy. Some of the top-notch products in the market are coming with eco-friendly designs.

By this, we mean that these products save our ink to a greater extent and do not require you to do refilling frequently. You can opt for such good products that will be keeping your time and money. Also, they will be saving you from the hassle of refilling. In this situation, we may go for premium quality options like Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Supertank Ethernet Printer, Canon MX492 Wireless, Epson Expression XP-15000 Wireless Wide Format, Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless and Canon PIXMA TS6320 Wireless Sublimation Printer.

These all factors play a crucial role in rendering a sublimation printer to be best for beginners. Therefore, we strongly recommend you keep them in close consideration before making the final purchase. Good luck!

FAQs

What is the best sublimation printer for beginners in 2023?

After using several printers at our sublimation printing agency, we have chosen Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless Supertank Ethernet Printer due to the range of excellent features that it offers. This sublimation printer is matchless because it produces vivid photos with excellent details. In addition to this, it saves the ink and saves you from the hassle of refilling.

Can I use any printer for sublimation?

No, Sublimation printing can’t be done with any printer. Its required a sublimation printer that must be compatible with the ink cartridges. Special type of printing paper use for it.

How to use a sublimation printer for printing different items?

For using a sublimation printer, you need to check all kinds of accessories and items requires. Also, you must be aware of the media on which you need to do the printing. Check the ink system and do refilling if any ink cartridge is running short of. After that, install the program on your PC, tablet, or smartphone. In some cases, you will have to make an ID, and then the printer will work. Set up the printer according to the user manual. After that, navigate through the LCD screen and do the personalization of your design. After getting the command, your sublimation printer will be doing its job. When you are done with printing, let the printing medium dry for a few minutes and use it.

How does a dye sublimation printer work?

The dye sublimation printer works on a very simple principle of sublimating the inks/dyes on different media, e.g., fabrics, mugs, keychains, etc., employing heat transfer. In this regard, the sublimation printers make use of the heat press. This heat press will directly convert solid dyes to the gaseous forms and deposit them on polyester fibers.

Final Verdict

With this, we have arrived at the last section of our review and buyer’s guide on the best sublimation printer for beginners. We hope you must have learned a lot about top notch sublimation printers. Also, we strongly recommend you do not forget the pre purchase considerations that we have given you. Out of the ten premium quality products, we have chosen the top three on the basis of their consistent and excellent performance during our personal tests. They are:

• Canon PIXMA TR4520 Wireless  due to its sevral connectivity options and auto power on/off feature with self healing Wi-Fi.
• Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Wireless due to its multipurpose paper handling capacity, zero ink wastage guaranteed, and matchless productivity
• Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable Instant 4×6 Sublimation Printer due to its one touch-enabled printing dock, compatibility with the various devices, and unique dock supplies

We will be glad to read your feedback. That is why you do not forget to share your valuable view with us. Thank you & good luck with purchasing the best sublimation printer!