What type of printers can be used for sublimation printing?
Considering an Epson printer for sublimation?
In order for a printer to be used for sublimation, it has to have a specific type of print head. The printers with the Piezo print heads work for sublimation and those with the Thermal print heads won’t work.
Thermal Print heads – Not For Sublimation Printing
Thermal print heads use heat to boil the ink and create an air bubble of ink vapor. This bubble is forced through the print head nozzle where it explodes and comes out of the chamber. It is quickly cooled at the end of the process as the ink gets deposited onto the paper. Thermal print heads use water-based inks to help with this heating process. Printers such as Canon and HP use this type of print head.
Piezo Print Heads
Piezo print heads have a thin film on its head that is exposed to an electric charge and in turn, causes it to vibrate. This vibration is a signal for the film to bend and flex, build up the pressure which forces the ink from the nozzle onto the paper. The quick vibration and flexion of the film gives it a more precise control of how fast the ink gets pushed out. This type of print heads are compatible with water-based, oil-based, eco-solvent, solvent, and gel-based inks. Printers such as Epson, Sawgrass, and Roland have this type of print head and can be used for sublimation. Just to note, there are other printer brands that have this Piezo Print Head but there are no sublimation inks for them.
Should you convert an Epson printer to a sublimation printer?
There are printers that are sublimation ready. Why are people choosing to convert an Epson printer? Price is simply the answer. When someone is trying a new hobby or starting a small business, price and cost is always important to consider.
Epson Printers That Need To Be Converted For Sublimation Printing
One of the main reasons why some decide to convert Epson printers to use for sublimation is because they are readily available at major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, Adorama, and more. Printers can start at $250 so this low cost is another major factor for their decision.
The disadvantage to keep in mind is that these printers do not come with tech support if you use it as a sublimation printer. And adding sublimation ink to it voids the manufacturer warranty too. So if you have any problems, you would have to figure out how to fix it on your own. But don’t fret because there are tons of social media and public forum groups where you can try to get help.
How Easy Is It To Convert An Epson Printer To A Sublimation Printer?
You may be surprised at how easy it is to convert a regular Epson printer for sublimation.
When you purchase your Epson printer, make sure to buy sublimation ink. This sublimation ink could be from Epson or likely from a third party ink vendor.
Here’s the simple part about printer conversion. When setting up your printer, make sure to install the sublimation ink first, instead of the regular inkjet that comes with the Epson.
Printer conversion with Epson Ecotanks is that easy. You now have a converted sublimation printer. This simple conversion only works for the EcoTank series.
Why?
Ecotanks have the ink tank already installed. Just make sure to fill the ink tank with sublimation ink first.
Converting a used inkjet printer will have residue in the tubes and printer head that are chemically incompatible and will create poor quality prints.
The WorkForce series needs a little more work to convert. You will have to buy the ink and cartridge from your sublimation ink supplier. These cartridges need to be filled with the ink using a syringe. Then install these cartridges instead of the regular inkjet ink.
One problem that most converted WorkForces have is when Epson updates their firmware. When that happens, the chip in your third-party cartridge will not be recognized and your printer will not print. Because of this, most people do not update their Epson WorkForce printers.
Disclaimer: Once you use a sublimation ink in your Epson printer, it is no longer under warranty by Epson. This is because those EcoTanks and WorkForce printers are not designed for sublimation and using them for that voids the warranty. One way to avoid this loss of warranty is to purchase a printer that is made for sublimation and does not require a conversion.
Additional steps for conversion
Before you start printing sublimation transfers, you may need to download and install the sublimation ink’s ICC profile to your computer. These are available from the vendor that you purchased your sublimation ink from. There are also some ink that do not require these ICC profiles too which makes things a little easier.
What is an ICC profile and is it needed?
ICC stands for International Color Consortium and it is a set of standard data that manages the color output of your printer. The color profile’s main goal is to get the printed output as close as possible to your design software’s color instructions. Remember that what you see on your screen may not be printed exactly because other factors such as screen calibration and design software play roles in the final printed output of your newly converted Epson printer.
To find out more about sublimation designs and how ICC profiles play a role on how vibrant your images print out, our easy to understand guide, Sublimation Designs And Color Basics, will be helpful.
Epson Workforce or Epson Ecotank
Now, you have the option of choosing between Epson WorkForce and EcoTank printers to convert to sublimation. The main difference between the Epson WorkForce vs the EcoTank is the type of ink cartridge it requires.
The WorkForce printers require an entire ink cartridge with a sublimation ink to be inserted into the printer whereas the EcoTanks have a built-in ink tanks that you just fill with the sublimation ink.
Since the WorkForce printers require ink cartridges, problems such as cartridge chip errors can occur. So with the EcoTanks only requiring an ink refill into their already built-in tanks, it is the easiest type of Epson printer to convert to sublimation.