Sublimation printing needs a printer loaded with sublimation ink, and there are three routes to one: a dedicated Epson SureColor, a Sawgrass bundle, or a converted EcoTank. They cost very different amounts and the advertised prices are not comparable.
This guide compares the current options with prices from each manufacturer's own page, explains why one number is not like another, and says which route suits which situation.
Browse sublimation designsFree community designs ready to print and press.See the designsKey Takeaways
- Epson quotes printer-only prices; Sawgrass quotes bundles with ink and software included.
- Entry point is the Epson F170 at $399.00, or the Sawgrass SG500 bundle at $699.95.
- Converting an EcoTank is cheaper and voids the printer’s warranty.
Read the Prices Correctly First
This is the single most misleading thing about sublimation printer comparisons, so it belongs before the products rather than after them. If you are still working out whether this is the right process at all, start with what a sublimation printer is, and note that the ink question — dye versus pigment — is a separate decision covered in dye sublimation.
Epson prices are for the printer alone
The F170 at $399.00 does not include ink. You buy cartridges separately, and they are a recurring cost.
Sawgrass prices are bundles
The SG500 bundle at $699.95 includes the printer, SubliJet ink and Sawgrass software.
So the real gap between a $399.00 F170 and a $699.95 SG500 bundle is smaller than $300.95 once ink is added to the Epson side. Anyone putting those two figures in one column without saying this is comparing different things.
And neither price includes the press
A sublimation printer produces a transfer, not a finished product. A heat press is required, and that is another purchase entirely — typically the second-largest line in a starter budget.
Sublimation Printers Compared
Prices from each manufacturer's own product page on 2026-08-05.
| Printer | Price | What that price covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epson SureColor F170 | $399.00 | Printer only | Cheapest start, small items |
| Sawgrass SubliJet SG500 Bundle | $699.95 | Printer, ink and software | Beginners wanting one purchase |
| Epson SureColor F570 Pro | $3,099.00 | Printer only, 24-inch width | Production-scale transfers |
| Sawgrass SubliJet SG1000 Bundle | $1799.95 | Printer, ink and software, wide format | Wide-format production |
| Converted Epson EcoTank | Varies | Printer plus third-party ink | Lowest cost, at a real cost |
The Epson SureColor Printers
Purpose-built dye-sublimation machines, sold as printers with ink bought separately.
1. Epson SureColor F170
Cheapest dedicated sublimation printer
The lowest-priced way into sublimation from a manufacturer that designed the printer for it. At $399.00 it undercuts every bundle, and the trade is that ink is a separate purchase from day one.
Desktop width limits transfer size, which in practice means mugs, coasters, tumblers, name plates and left-chest designs rather than full shirt fronts.
Pros
- Cheapest dedicated sublimation printer here
- Built for sublimation, so no conversion and no warranty question
- Small footprint
Cons
- Ink is not included in the price
- Transfer size limits you to small items
- No bundled colour-management software
Epson SureColor F170: the right start if the budget is firm and your products are small.
2. Epson SureColor F570 Pro
Widest, and priced accordingly
Twenty-four inches of width, which is what matters if you want full shirt fronts, larger signage, or several transfers nested across one sheet. At $3,099.00 it is also in a different price class from everything else in this guide.
Note the jump: this is not a modest step up from the $399.00 F170, and it sits well above the $1799.95 SG1000 bundle too. It is production equipment, and ink is still a separate purchase on top.
Pros
- 24-inch width handles garment-sized transfers
- Nesting several transfers per sheet saves paper and time
- Same Epson sublimation ink ecosystem
Cons
- $3,099.00 puts it far above the bundles
- Ink still separate
- Needs real bench space
Epson SureColor F570 Pro: a production purchase, not a bigger version of a beginner machine.
The Sawgrass Bundles
Sawgrass sells systems rather than printers, and that is the whole proposition: one purchase that arrives ready to print.
Sawgrass SubliJet SG500 Bundle — $699.95
Printer, SubliJet ink and Sawgrass software in one bundle. Against a $399.00 F170 plus ink, the price difference narrows considerably, and what the premium buys is not having to assemble a colour-managed workflow yourself.
That matters more than beginners expect. Sublimation colours print dull and shift when heat is applied, so software that knows what the ink and press will do to a colour is doing real work.
Sawgrass SubliJet SG1000 Bundle — $1799.95
The wide-format bundle, at $1799.95. Same integrated proposition at larger transfer sizes, and it sits in the gap between the two Epson machines — well above the $399.00 F170, and well below the $3,099.00 F570 Pro.
Two things to note about sourcing. Sawgrass has no separate per-model product pages: both model URLs redirect to one products page that lists the SG500 and SG1000 bundles by name with the prices quoted above. And it publishes no usable product photograph, so there are no images of these machines here.
The Converted EcoTank Route
A large share of people searching for a sublimation printer are really asking whether they can fill a cheap Epson EcoTank with sublimation ink instead. The honest answer has three parts.
It works
EcoTank models use refillable tanks rather than cartridges, and third-party sublimation inks are sold specifically for them. Plenty of people run this setup successfully.
It voids the warranty
Filling the tanks with anything other than Epson ink ends your warranty cover. If the printhead clogs — and sublimation ink is more prone to it — that is your problem entirely.
Colour management is on you
No bundled ICC profiles, no vendor support for the colour shift sublimation causes. Expect to build your own profiles or accept approximate colour.
It is the cheapest route and it is a genuine trade rather than a free lunch. For a hobby it is defensible; for anything a customer pays for, the lack of support and colour certainty is the thing that bites.
What Else the Budget Has to Cover
None of the prices above gets you to a finished product. Four more items do.
A heat press
Required, not optional. This is usually the second-largest cost after the printer.
Sublimation paper
A consumable, and a different product from ordinary inkjet paper.
Ink, unless you bought a bundle that includes it.
Polyester blanks or coated items
Sublimation only bonds to polyester and to specially coated surfaces — the reason it cannot decorate plain cotton at all is explained in what sublimation is.
Which Sublimation Printer Should You Buy?
Cheapest way to start properly
Epson F170 at $399.00, plus ink. It is a real sublimation printer with no warranty question, and it suits mugs, tumblers and small transfers.
You want one purchase that just works
Sawgrass SG500 bundle at $699.95. Printer, ink and colour-managed software together, which removes the part beginners find hardest.
You need full-size garment transfers
The SG1000 bundle at $1799.95 is the affordable answer, since it includes ink and software. The Epson F570 Pro reaches 24 inches but costs $3,099.00 printer-only, which is production money.
Purely a hobby and money is tight
A converted EcoTank, accepting the voided warranty and doing your own colour management. Do not build a paid product line on it.
Conclusion
Compare like with like before anything else. Epson quotes printers, Sawgrass quotes systems, and the $300 gap between an F170 and an SG500 bundle largely closes once ink is on both sides of the ledger.
For most beginners the choice is the F170 at $399.00 if you are comfortable assembling ink and profiles yourself, or the SG500 bundle at $699.95 if you would rather buy the problem away. Both are legitimate; the $3,099.00 F570 Pro is a different conversation entirely.
And budget the press and the paper from the start. A sublimation printer on its own produces transfers, not products.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sublimation Printers
What is the best sublimation printer for beginners?
The Epson F170 at $399.00 if you are happy buying ink separately, or the Sawgrass SG500 bundle at $699.95 if you would rather have printer, ink and colour-managed software in one purchase.
Why is Sawgrass more expensive than Epson?
Because Sawgrass quotes bundles and Epson quotes printers. The SG500 bundle at $699.95 includes ink and software; the $399.00 F170 does not include ink at all, so the real gap is smaller than it looks.
Can I use a normal printer for sublimation?
Only by converting an EcoTank-style refillable printer to third-party sublimation ink, which voids the warranty and leaves colour management entirely to you. Dedicated sublimation printers avoid both problems.
Do I need a heat press as well as a printer?
Yes. A sublimation printer produces a transfer; the press applies it with heat and pressure. No printer price in this guide includes a press, and it is usually the second-largest cost.
What size transfers can each printer make?
The F170 is a desktop machine suited to mugs, tumblers, coasters and small designs. The F570 Pro is 24 inches wide, which covers full garment fronts and larger signage, but costs $3,099.00 printer-only.
Does sublimation work on cotton?
No. It bonds to polyester and to specially coated surfaces only. For cotton garments you need heat transfer vinyl or DTF printing instead.
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