Best Cheap Sublimation Printer 2023 – Top 12 Reviewed & Buying Guide

Sublimation is a profitable business and an interesting hobby too. The printers are the main character in this work. You are low on budget and want to buy the best cheap sublimation printer?

The following reviews will help you to find out the printer that will fulfill your needs in your required budget.

OUR CHOICE
Epson EcoTank-ET-2800-Our Best cheap sublimation printer
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
9.7
  • Cheap Machine With Multiple Features
  • Easily Connectable With Mobile Devices
  • High Quality Prints
BUDGET PICK
Selphy CP-1300
9.8
  • Small & Cheap Unit
  • Thermal Dye Sublimation Technology
  • Wireless, Battery Operation Available
PREMIUM PICK
Best value to money cheap sublimation printer
Epson HD XP-15000
9.8
  • 5-Color Ink
  • Deep Color Details on Media
  • Easy Operations
  • Lab Quality Sublimation Printouts

Best Cheap Sublimation Printers

1 – Epson Expression Home XP-4100 – Cheapest Sublimation Printer

Epson Expression Home XP-4100-Cheapest Sublimation Printer

Specifications

  • Small size
  • 100 sheet tray
  • Wireless and Wi-Fi
  • Voice activated printing
  • Maximum paper size: 8.5”x44”

This is a sublimation printer by Epson, accomplished with the best features making it efficient for everyday printing for a home sublimation business.

It is all in one cheap sublimation machine with simple setup and easy navigation features. We get excellent images and prints on substrates with its instant dry inks.

You can sublimate mugs, shirts and a lot of substrates using this printer. The sublimation ink is available and you can convert it easily. The printer use cartridges, to save the cost of replacement, you can also install continuous ink system (CIS).

Our recommendation to keep the printer efficient is to carry the print heads maintained. If you have not used the machine for a couple of weeks, run the cleaning and maintenance program.

For easy connectivity and control, wireless printing supported by Wi-Fi is provided. A highly responsive color LCD makes the navigation easy.

Pros
  • Fast
  • Borderless prints
  • Smart devices connectivity
  • Handle various media types and size
Cons
  • Copying speed is slow

Epson XP-4100 is the best cheap sublimation printer for small businesses. You can also use it for bigger projects with CIS ink system. It is small and easy to operate.

2 – Epson Workforce WF-2860 – Best for Heat Transfer

Epson Workforce WF-2860- Best for Heat Transfer

Specifications

  • Color LCD
  • 30 sheets ADF
  • 150 sheet tray
  • Wi-Fi, Wireless
  • Max paper size: 8.5”x 47.2”

We have another sublimation printer by Epson which performs better than laser printers with precision core printing technology.

This is the unit with next generation print head technology introduced, which enables it to produce invincible image quality with faster speed. About 40 million precise dots are placed per second with accuracy and without distortions.

With a paper tray of 150 sheets capacity and a 30 sheets auto document feeder, it is best for handling medium and large business. It reduces the time of reloading paper if you are dealing with a large quantity of print media.

You can connect iPhone, tablets, smartphones, androids and other smart devices with printers by Wi-Fi. Not only this, it is compatible with near field communication (NFC) printing. It made remote printing easy.

Pros
  • Perform better than laser
  • Compatible with CIS ink system
  • Print a lot of media types and size
Cons
  • Nil

The WorkForce-2860 is a small and best sublimation printer under 150$ with advanced features, delivering amazing prints in less time.

3 – Expression Home XP-5100 – Desktop Sublimation Printer

Expression Home XP-5100- Desktop Sublimation Printer

Specifications

  • Color LCD 2.4”
  • PC free paper support
  • SD cards compatibility
  • Small size and low weight
  • Maximum paper size: 8.5”x 47.2”

This is a newly introduced dye sublimation desktop printer by Epson. It has a simple but beautiful design and is small in size and weight.

The printer is best for all kinds of sublimation projects. You can sublimate mugs, hard substrates and other things easily. The prints it produced are sharp and clear.

It has the capacity of handling large quantities of media with 150 sheets of paper tray. The printer is faster than the previous units.

It was easy to set up and add to our LAN. You can also print remotely with smartphones and tablets, without any internet connection. Insert your SD card in the slot and print borderless photos.

The paper size it supports are 3.5”x5”, 4”x6”, 5”x7”, 8”x10”, letter, legal, A6, half letter, executive and user definable. You can also get borderless prints of these sizes.

Pros
  • Hassle free
  • Save time and cost
  • Individual ink cartridges
Cons
  • Small cartridges

We would recommend the Epson Expression-5100 printer to anyone who is looking for an inexpensive and efficient sublimation printer for businesses and home use.

4 – Canon Selphy CP-1300 – Best for Mugs

Canon Selphy CP-1300-Best for Mugs

Specifications

  • SD card
  • Photo layout app
  • 3.2” adjustable LCD
  • Compatible with cameras

This is a very beautiful, modish and attractive little dye sublimation printer by canon, comes in white and black color. It delivers professional quality prints in a very short time.

The printer is compatible with smartphones and cameras allowing you to print the photo instantly. It is compatible with SD cards. You can also connect it to your computer and Mac.

It is best for sublimation projects with small print sizes. We used it for sublimating mugs, stickers, packaging’s, gifts and other small sized substrates. These are durable and long lasting, protected by special coating.

Due to its small size, you can take it anywhere. Connect a battery and it will print 54 postcard sized images in one charge.

Make a photo collage and edit using canon free app, selphy photo layout. A new feature is introduced by which you can now print 2×6 inches images.

Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Fast printing
  • Handle many paper types
  • No sublimation conversion
Cons
  • Not friendly with mac

If you are working on projects which require small sized prints, Selphy CP-1300 is the best cheap sublimation printer you can get with astonishing features.

5 – Epson Workforce Pro-7820 – Best affordable Printer

Epson Workforce Pro-7820-Best affordable Printer

Specifications

  • Wide format
  • Data security
  • 250 sheet tray
  • Low energy consumption

This is a wide format sublimation printer with compact design and high productivity. Run with 4 color inks cartridges and heat free printing technology.

To amplify the production of a business, this Epson sublimation machine helps you out with 250 sheet paper trays. You can also save your time with its auto document feeder of a capacity of 50 sheets.

It can print wide media up to 13×19 inches efficiently with vivid colors and detail with print resolution of 4800×2400 dpi. It delivers borderless print up to A3 size. The unit also supports a large variety of media sizes and types.

Making it easy to control and operate, a color touchscreen is introduced. Connect with smart devices using Bluetooth. Wi-Fi and wireless features are provided for convenient printing.

Pros
  • All in one
  • LCD control
  • Fast printing
  • Handle large volume
  • Compatible with many media types
Cons
  • Large size

WorkForce Pro-7820 is the best affordable sublimation printer for handling large volumes of prints easily. It’s a workhorse for wide format printing.

6 – Epson EcoTank ET 2800 – Best Buy

Epson EcoTank ET 2720-Best Buy Cheap Printer

Specifications

  • 1.44” LCD
  • Voice printing
  • Borderless prints
  • Wi-Fi and wireless

EcoTank printers are launched by Epson to save the cost of ink cartridges efficiently. Once a tank is filled, it will be enough to print about 4000 prints.

This all in one printer comes with a power cord, manual, cd rom and ink bottles. Setting up the printer is easy. It is a low weight sublimation machine upgraded from EcoTank-2720 printer.

The printer produces astonishing images, we use this printer for sublimation of mugs, apparel and other materials. Dye sublimation ink is available and you can convert it easily.

You can print various sizes from 3.5×5 in to 8.5×14 in, A4, A6 and more. It supports plain paper, sublimation paper, different types of glossy papers and others efficiently.

Pros
  • Easy ink load
  • Cartridge free
  • Excellent print quality
  • Easy to operate and control
Cons
  • Low paper capacity

With stylish white color, convenient operating and excellent print outs, the Epson EcoTank-2800 sublimation printer is worth its price.

7 – Epson WorkForce WF-7310 – Best for T-shirts

Epson WorkForce WF-7310-Best for T-shirts

Specifications

  • 2.2” LCD
  • Brilliant prints
  • 500 sheet tray
  • Automatic 2S printing

This is one of the widely used best and cheap sublimation printers. It delivers shop quality graphics with awesome color gradation.

The printer is used for sublimation of almost every type of material. These prints are not only beautiful but also durable and resistant to fade, smudge and heat.

We get brilliant borderless prints up to 13 by 19 inches with this large format printer. The printer supports user definable paper size with a maximum size of 3.5”x47.2” in length.

It delivers prints in less time, consumes less energy and performs better than laser units. For handling large volumes, XL cartridges are also available.

There are three paper trays in the printer. Two with the capacity of 250 sheets for bulk prints, and a rear feed for specialty paper.

Various connectivity options are given for the convenience of users. It includes USB, Wi-Fi, wireless, Ethernet and NFC. Connect iPhone, tablets, smartphones and other devices easily. The printer is compatible with windows 7, 8, 10, vista and Mac.

Pros
  • Fast
  • Economical
  • Save time and cost
  • Easy setup & control
Cons
  • Large size

WorkForce-7310 is a highly demanded and easy to convert machine. It worked great as a sublimation printer.

8 – Epson EcoTank ET-2850 – Best Budget

ET-2850-cheap sublimation printer

Specifications

  • Wi-Fi
  • 2S printing
  • Voice printing
  • 1.44” color display

This printer is designed to combine the value and convenience in a single unit. The cartridge free eco tank sublimation printer saves 90% of the ink cost.

Easy to fill supersized ink bottles make it very simple to convert it to a sublimation printer. You can regularize the ink level which is displayed at the bottom.

Its excellent print quality makes it suitable for sublimation printing of fabrics, mugs and other substrates. It has the ability to print media up to 8.5×47.2 inches.

With the Epson iPrint app, you can connect androids and iOS. Google cloud print and Air print connectivity options are also given. It also accepts USB and Memory cards.

Pros
  • Little weight
  • No cartridges
  • Reduce operating cost
  • Various connectivity options
Cons
  • Touchscreen issues

This would be the best buy sublimation printer for home use or startups. It saves time and minimizes the cost of operating.

9 – Epson WorkForce WF-2830 – Best Cheap printer for Beginners

Epson WorkForce WF-2830-Best Cheap printer for Beginners

Specifications

  • 1.44” color LCD
  • 100 sheets paper tray
  • Wireless, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
  • ADF (auto-document feeder)
  • Maximum media size: 3.5”-44”

This is a little, best cheap sublimation printer for beginners to use in homes and small business startups. It runs with four color individual ink cartridges and micro piezo printing technology.

To tackle the problem of replacing little ink cartridges, we installed the continuous ink system with it and it worked well for us.

The printer has two paper trays, a normal with the capacity of 100 sheets and a 30 sheets auto document feeder(ADF). Printing speed is amazing.

Print quality is satisfactory. There are many options of media printing. You can get borderless images of various sizes, normal prints of your defined size and a lot of media types.

All the advanced connectivity options for smart devices and operating systems are provided. For navigation, an LCD is also displayed. Voice activated printing is also supported by the printer.

Pros
  • Fast
  • Cheap
  • Better than laser
  • Easy configuration
Cons
  • Small cartridges

If you are low on budget or want to start sublimation, WorkForce-2830 is the sublimation printer you would go for.

10 – Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 – Good Deal

Epson Expression Premium XP-7100- Good Deal

Specifications

  • PictBridge
  • Five color ink
  • Wireless printing
  • Creative print app

This is a 5 color cheap dye sublimation printer. It is a productive and versatile machine that delivers unmatched quality prints at this price.

With other four colors, a special dye based photo black ink is installed, which gives extra defined black shades when you print images. This makes the prints durable and long lasting.

The printer is compatible with many sizes of media from as small as 3.5” to large as 47”. It also produces borderless prints.

With fast printing speed, it print 4”x6” photos in just 12 seconds. Auto document feeder with 30 sheets capacity increase its production capacity.

Connect a USB or SD card, edit and control the print operation through a 4.3” inches LCD touchscreen. Print easily from smartphones and tablets with Wi-Fi.

Pros
  • CD/DVD printing
  • Fast and convenient
  • Touchscreen control
  • Small size and low weight
Cons
  • Low capacity paper tray

The Expression XP-7100 sublimation printer is a good deal as it offers more features with relatively low initial cost.

11 – Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830 – Dye Sublimation Printer

Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4830- Dye Sublimation Printer

Specifications

  • Wireless, Wi-Fi
  • 4.3” touchscreen
  • Paper tray capacity: 500 sheets
  • Max. print resolution: 4800×2400 dpi

This is a versatile and full featured cheap sublimation printer with all premium features. 4 color individual cartridges are installed to deliver bright photos.

Heat free printing technology makes it efficient and highly productive. It saves time and cost, consumes low energy and performs finer than laser printers.

The printer holds up to 500 sheets with a top loading paper tray. A separate ADF is also provided. The types and sizes of media it handles is impressive.

Like all the present day printers, it is accomplished with wireless printing and Wi-Fi connectivity. Data security is also assured with wireless connections.

This printer comes with a power cord, setup guide, CD rom with drivers and ink cartridges.

Pros
  • Compact design
  • Easy to assemble
  • Responsive touchscreen
Cons
  • Wi-Fi connectivity problem

The WorkForce Pro-4830 would be a good option to make your sublimation projects valuable.

12 – Epson Photo HD XP-15000 – Best Value to Money

Epson Photo HD XP-15000-Best Value to Money

Specifications

  • Color LCD
  • Top-grade photos
  • Hands free printing
  • Auto function output tray
  • Wireless and wired connectivity

This is one of the top Epson printers for sublimation printing used to handle all kinds of materials. With a decent design and smaller size than its forerunner, it is easy to place and use it anywhere.

The prints we got on t-shirts, mugs, packing materials, gifts, electronics and various other substrates using this dye sublimation printer are just incredible. It uses 6 color inks to give the highly detailed photos with astonishing grading.

With a front tray of 200 sheets capacity, it is also equipped with a rear feed with 50 sheets potential for specialty paper.

The printer is best capable of dealing with wide format media up to 13 inches wide. You can easily get artistic borderless prints from 4”x6” up to 13”x19”.

To make printing easy, it is furnished with Wi-Fi connectivity. Bridge your iPad, iPhone, smartphone, tablets and other devices and enjoy remote management.

Pros
  • Easy setup
  • Tilt up display
  • Auto 2S printing
  • Borderless prints
Cons
  • Rear feed make trouble sometimes

The Epson XP-15000 is the best value to money sublimation printer, delivering more than expectations. If you want to magnify a professional business or a startup, this would be the best choice.

Buying Guide for Best Cheap Sublimation Printer

1 – Print Media

We have reviewed some cheap sublimation printers. Every printer has its own ability of handling the type of media. You can print small, medium and large format designs using them.

Check that the printer you are going to buy is compatible with the size and type of media you want to print from it.

2 – Print Quality

There are all types of printers which use 6 inks, 5 color inks and 4 color inks. Go for the one which gives the best quality and falls within your price range.

3 – Sublimation Ink

Check the accessibility of sublimation ink before buying. For all above reviewed printers it is available easily.

Some of the printers are small and have little ink cartridges. Install continuous ink system to get rid of replacing cartridges.

4 – Connectivity

The printers have various connections for smart devices and operating systems. Make sure your best cheap sublimation printer is reconcilable with your devices.

Conclusion

All the above reviewed are best cheap sublimation printers under 400$ with good and high quality output. Buy the printer which is well suited with your requirements and budget.

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