Sublimation Printer Types & Features

Common Printer Models

Printer Model Print Size Ink Type Price Range Print Speed Ideal Use
Epson EcoTank ET-2800 8.5” x 11” Sublimation ink refill $200-$300 10 ppm Beginners, small items
Epson EcoTank ET-4800 8.5” x 11” Sublimation ink refill $300-$400 15 ppm Home business, versatile
Epson WorkForce WF-7710 13” x 19” Sublimation cartridges $200-$300 18 ppm Wide format, posters
Epson SureColour F170 8.5” x 11” Dedicated sublimation $300-$400 17 ppm Professional, reliable
Epson SureColour F570 24” wide Dedicated sublimation $2,000-$3,000 21 sqft/hr Commercial, large format
Sawgrass SG500 8.5” x 11” SubliJet-UHD $600-$800 17 ppm Professional, color accuracy
Sawgrass SG1000 11” x 17” SubliJet-UHD $1,200-$1,500 28 ppm High-volume production

Heat Press Equipment & Settings

Heat Press Types

Heat Press Type Size Range Pressure Type Price Range Best For
Clamshell 9”x12” to 16”x20” Manual lever $150-$800 Flat items, t-shirts
Swing-Away 15”x15” to 16”x20” Manual lever $300-$1,200 Safety, thick items
Auto-Open 15”x15” to 16”x20” Automatic $600-$2,000 Production, consistency
Mug Press 11oz to 20oz Curved element $80-$400 Mugs, bottles
Tumbler Press 20oz to 30oz Curved attachment $150-$600 Tumblers, bottles
Cap Press Adjustable Curved platen $200-$500 Hats, caps
Plate Press 8” to 12” diameter Flat round $300-$800 Plates, coasters

Temperature & Time Settings

Item Type Temperature Time Pressure Cool Down
Polyester T-Shirts 385°F (196°C) 45-60 sec Medium Hot peel
Poly Blend (50/50) 375°F (190°C) 50-70 sec Medium Hot peel
Mugs (11oz) 400°F (204°C) 180-240 sec Firm Cool peel
Tumblers (20oz) 385°F (196°C) 240-300 sec Firm Cool peel
Phone Cases 365°F (185°C) 60-90 sec Light Cool peel
Mousepads 385°F (196°C) 45-60 sec Medium Hot peel
Ceramic Tiles 400°F (204°C) 120-180 sec Firm Cool peel
Metal Sheets 375°F (190°C) 60-90 sec Medium Cool peel
Puzzles 385°F (196°C) 90-120 sec Medium Cool peel
Keychains 365°F (185°C) 45-60 sec Light Cool peel

Sublimation Materials & Blanks

Fabric Requirements

Material Polyester Content Sublimation Quality Colour Results Durability
100% Polyester 100% Excellent Vibrant, true colors Excellent
Poly Blend 65/35 65% Good Slightly muted Good
Poly Blend 50/50 50% Fair Muted colors Fair
Cotton 0% Poor Washes out Poor
Polyester Coated Coated surface Excellent Vibrant Excellent
Product Category Item Examples Price Range Profit Margin Skill Level
Apparel T-shirts, hoodies, leggings $3-$25 200-400% Beginner
Drinkware Mugs, tumblers, water bottles $2-$15 300-500% Intermediate
Home Decor Pillows, blankets, wall art $5-$30 150-300% Beginner
Phone Accessories Cases, pop sockets, wallets $1-$8 400-600% Beginner
Office Items Mousepads, coasters, notebooks $2-$12 250-450% Beginner
Jewelry Pendants, earrings, bracelets $0.50-$5 500-800% Intermediate
Outdoor/Sports Flags, banners, keychains $1-$20 300-500% Beginner
Pet Products Collars, tags, bandanas $2-$15 300-600% Intermediate

Ink & Paper Requirements

Sublimation Ink Types

Ink Brand Compatibility Colour Quality Price/ml Shelf Life
Epson EcoTank Epson printers Good $0.15-$0.25 2 years
Hiipoo Epson printers Good $0.10-$0.20 18 months
Printers Jack Epson printers Very Good $0.12-$0.22 2 years
SubliJet-UHD Sawgrass printers Excellent $0.30-$0.50 2 years
Cosmos Ink Epson printers Good $0.08-$0.18 18 months

Sublimation Paper Options

Paper Type GSM Weight Release Quality Price/Sheet Best For
A-SUB 100-120 GSM Excellent $0.15-$0.25 General use, crisp images
TexPrint-R 120 GSM Excellent $0.20-$0.30 Textiles, vibrant colors
JetCol DHT 100 GSM Good $0.12-$0.22 Budget option, decent quality
Beaver Paper 105 GSM Very Good $0.18-$0.28 Hard substrates, mugs
Neenah JetPro 120 GSM Excellent $0.25-$0.35 Premium quality, archival

Design Software & File Preparation

Design Software Options

Software Cost Skill Level Best For Sublimation Features
Canva Free-$15/month Beginner Templates, social media Basic editing, templates
Adobe Illustrator $23/month Advanced Vector graphics, logos Professional color control
Adobe Photoshop $23/month Intermediate Photo editing, mockups Advanced image manipulation
Procreate $13 one-time Intermediate Digital art, iPad design Hand-drawn designs
GIMP Free Intermediate Photo editing Open-source alternative
Silhouette Studio Free-$50 Beginner Cutting machine integration Template library

File Preparation Guidelines

Setting Recommendation Reason
Resolution 300 DPI minimum Sharp print quality
Colour Mode RGB Sublimation printers use RGB
File Format PNG, JPEG, PDF Preserves quality
Bleed Area 0.25” around edges Prevents white borders
Mirror Image Yes (for hard substrates) Correct orientation after transfer
Colour Saturation 10-15% oversaturated Compensates for transfer loss

Business Applications & Pricing

Profitable Product Categories

Product Type Average Selling Price Material Cost Labor Time Profit Margin
Custom Mugs $15-$25 $3-$5 10-15 min 200-300%
Personalized T-Shirts $20-$35 $5-$8 15-20 min 150-250%
Tumblers $25-$40 $6-$10 20-25 min 200-300%
Phone Cases $15-$30 $2-$4 8-12 min 300-500%
Mousepads $12-$20 $3-$5 10-15 min 200-300%
Keychains $5-$12 $0.50-$2 5-8 min 400-600%
Coasters (Set of 4) $20-$30 $4-$6 15-20 min 250-400%
Pillowcases $25-$40 $8-$12 20-25 min 150-250%

Market Opportunities

Market Segment Target Audience Seasonal Demand Competition Level Profit Potential
Personalized Gifts Individuals, families Year-round peaks High High
Corporate Branding Small businesses Year-round Medium High
Sports Teams Schools, clubs Fall/Spring Medium Medium
Wedding Favors Couples, planners Spring/Summer High High
Pet Products Pet owners Year-round Low High
Memorial Items Funeral homes Year-round Low Medium
Holiday Themes General public Seasonal High Medium
Baby/Kids Parents, grandparents Year-round Medium High

Quality Control & Troubleshooting

Common Issues & Solutions

Problem Likely Cause Solution
Faded Colours Low temperature, short time Increase temp/time, check polyester content
Blurry Images Low resolution, printer settings Use 300+ DPI, check print quality settings
Incomplete Transfer Insufficient pressure/time Increase pressure, extend time
Ghost Images Paper movement, double pressing Secure paper, single press only
Colour Shift Wrong color profile Use RGB mode, calibrate monitor
Bleeding Colours Excessive ink, wrong paper Reduce saturation, use quality paper
White Marks Contaminated platen Clean heat press thoroughly
Uneven Transfer Uneven pressure Check press calibration, even pressure

Pre-Production Checklist

  • Printer nozzles clean and aligned
  • Sublimation ink levels adequate
  • Paper loaded correctly (coated side down)
  • Heat press at correct temperature
  • Substrate is clean and lint-free
  • Design is mirrored (if required)
  • Test print on scrap material
  • Protective paper/parchment ready

Post-Production Quality Check

  • Complete color transfer achieved
  • No white spots or missed areas
  • Crisp, clear image quality
  • Proper color vibrancy
  • No ghost images or bleeding
  • Substrate undamaged
  • Cool completely before handling
  • Remove any residual adhesive

Maintenance & Storage

Equipment Maintenance

Task Frequency Importance Time Required
Nozzle Check Before each use Critical 2 min
Head Cleaning Weekly High 5 min
Heat Press Cleaning After each session High 10 min
Temperature Calibration Monthly High 15 min
Platen Inspection Weekly Medium 5 min
Ink Level Check Daily Medium 1 min

Storage Guidelines

Item Storage Condition Shelf Life Notes
Sublimation Ink Room temperature, dark 2 years Keep bottles sealed
Sublimation Paper Dry, flat storage 2-3 years Protect from humidity
Blank Substrates Clean, dust-free Indefinite Avoid scratches
Printed Transfers Cool, dry place 1-2 days Use quickly for best results
Finished Products Standard storage Indefinite Wash care instructions

Startup Costs & ROI

Initial Investment Breakdown

Item Category Budget Setup Mid-Range Professional
Printer $200-$400 $600-$1,200 $1,500-$3,000
Heat Press $150-$300 $400-$800 $1,000-$2,000
Ink & Paper $100-$200 $200-$400 $500-$1,000
Blank Inventory $200-$500 $500-$1,000 $1,500-$3,000
Design Software $0-$100 $100-$300 $300-$600
Misc Supplies $50-$100 $100-$200 $200-$400
Total Startup $700-$1,600 $1,900-$3,900 $5,000-$10,000

Revenue Projections

Production Level Items/Week Average Price Weekly Revenue Monthly Revenue
Hobby Level 5-10 $15 $75-$150 $300-$600
Part-Time 20-40 $18 $360-$720 $1,440-$2,880
Small Business 50-100 $20 $1,000-$2,000 $4,000-$8,000
Full-Time 100-200 $22 $2,200-$4,400 $8,800-$17,600

This cheatsheet provides essential information for sublimation printing success. Always test settings on sample materials before production runs and prioritize quality over quantity for customer satisfaction.

Updated: