Best Dye Sublimation Printer

Don't we all love a printer that can produce professional prints on any material with home comfort? I bet we all do!

Dye sublimation printer is such a kind of piece of tech that brings the best of many worlds. I mean, you get professional quality prints on the surface of any material; most importantly, you can do it from home!

Dye sublimation printers are ideal for small businesses, crafty consumers, photo booths. Even if you are just a hobbyist printer who likes to print photos, you can use one too!

I will review some printers here to save your time of research to choose the best dye sublimation printer. So, let's dig in!

Editor's Recommendation: Top Dye Sublimation Printer

List Of Top Dye Sublimation Printer

 List Of Top Dye Sublimation Printer
List Of Top Dye Sublimation Printer

1. Kodak Dock PD-450

2. Canon TS5120

3. Epson Photo HD XP-15000

4. Canon Pixma MG3620

5. Canon SELPHY CP1300

6. Workforce WF-7710

7. Canon Office Products IP7220

8. Canon Pixma iX6820

9. Workforce WF-7720

10. Primera Impressa IP60

Dye Sublimation Printer Comparison Chart

Name Print Speed Connectivity Technology Print Media Type Media Size Maximum Check Price
Kodak Dock PD-450
1 ipm USB & Wi-Fi Paper 4 x 6 inch Check
Canon TS5120
40 pages_per_minute USB Paper (plain) 8.5 x 14 inch Check
Epson Photo HD XP-15000
20 pages_per_minute20 pages_per_minute Wi-Fi Envelopes 13 x 19 inch Check
Canon Pixma MG3620
9.9 Wi-Fi Envelopes 8.5 x 14 inch Check
Canon SELPHY CP1300
1 ppm USB Labels, Paper (plain) 4 x 6 inch Check
Workforce WF-7710
18 ppm Hi-Speed USB 2.0, Wi-Fi (802.11n only), Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet Glossy photo paper, Envelopes, Paper (plain) 13 x 19 inch Check
Canon Office Products IP7220
12 ppm Wi-Fi Direct 8.5x14 inch Check
Canon Pixma iX6820
14.5 ppm Wireless; Ethernet; USB Envelopes 13 x 19 inch Check
Workforce WF-7720
18 ppm Wi-Fi 13 x 19 inch Check
Primera Impressa IP60
2x6 photo strips in 3-4 seconds, 4x6 photos in 7-8 seconds, 6x8 photos in 14-15 seconds USB Paper 6x24 inch Check

Best 5 Dye Sublimation Printers Reviews

1. Kodak Photo Printer Dock PD-450 | Best Dye Sublimation Printer For Photo Booth

You will love this printer if you are passionate about mobile photo printing.

Kodak is a renowned name in the photo printing industry. They are old and make high-quality printers in small sizes.

Kodak Photo Printer Dock PD-450 is an entirely dedicated printer to print from mobile devices and smartphones. It is suitable for iOS, Android, Digital Cameras.

It's a brick-sized printer cum dock for your phone. I can possibly write an extended essay about its features, but let's keep it short, for I need to talk about other printers as well.

Just put your phone on the dock, the printer's one-touch printing feature lets you print directly from your phone. Also, you can print wirelessly as well. It can recharge two of your phones simultaneously while doing the printing job as well.

Quick print and dry, fingerprint-proof printing, waterproof printing; there are so many exciting features, the printer comes with and makes it a convenient photo printer.

Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable 4x6” Instant Photo Printer, Premium Quality Full Color Prints - Compatible w/iOS & Android Devices
Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable 4x6” Instant Photo Printer, Premium Quality Full Color Prints - Compatible w/iOS & Android Devices

2. Canon TS5120 Wireless All-In-One Printer | Best Printer For Dye Sublimation

Canon TS5120 is an excellent choice for everyone who likes an affordable price tag with pretty decent performance.

If you have small businesses or you need a printer for your home office, Canon TS5120 is going to serve your needs pretty right. From document printing to concert tickets, school projects, or photos, it's an ideal choice for all.

It can do fast scanning and copying. It features fast duplex color printing. With FINE Hybrid Ink System, you can maintain the perfect balance between performances and printing costs.

There's a lot of flexibility while it comes to connectivity. The printer can easily connect to any of your devices using Wi-Fi, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and USB.

It is compatible with optional XL ink cartridges, which comes with great benefits, including saving printing costs and time of replacing ink.

Canon TS5120 Wireless All-In-One Printer with Scanner and Copier: Mobile and Tablet Printing, with Airprint(TM) and Google Cloud Print compatible, Black
Canon TS5120 Wireless All-In-One Printer with Scanner and Copier: Mobile and Tablet Printing, with Airprint(TM) and Google Cloud Print compatible, Black

3. Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 | Best Dye Sublimation Photo Printer

Are you a professional or hobbyist photographer? Looking for a printer that exceptionally focused on printing Ultra High Definition wide-format photos?

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 might be your new favorite thing to play with.

While it is outstanding in producing quality prints, it is almost 30% smaller compared to its predecessor. You can put it anywhere on your desk. The look is also very gorgeous.

It includes automatic two-sided printing with features like borderless printing and many more. The 50-sheet rear specialty tray can hold a variety of media, including cardstock, to make professional projects easier.

With 6-color Ultra HD Inks this wide format printer can produce stunning HD quality photos up to 13 ″ X 19 ″. The details in the prints are utterly insane. Colors look very natural, vivid, and bright.

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Wireless Color Wide-Format Printer, Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready
Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Wireless Color Wide-Format Printer, Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready

4. Canon Pixma MG3620 | Best Inkjet Printer For Sublimation

Another great piece of a printer from the Canon Pixma series. If you already used a Pixma printer before, you are already familiar with its extensive feature lists.

The Pixma MG3620 one of the best in this series under 50$. With its compact size and excellent quality graphics and document printing quality, it's one of the most popular printers amongst home users.

The print speed reasonably satisfactoryfor any home users; it can print 5 pages in just 47 seconds. The printer has an exclusive quite mode where the printers speed gets a little slower but allows printing without making any noises.

For connectivity options, there are quite a few, including Wi-Fi, USB, and Ethernet. Your smartphone, paired with the Canon PRINT app, can be quite a duo for printing and scanning photos.

If you are an iOS user, you can print using AirPrint, and for Android users, there are options available such as Morphia print and Google cloud print.

Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer with Mobile and Tablet Printing, Black
Canon Pixma MG3620 Wireless All-In-One Color Inkjet Printer with Mobile and Tablet Printing, Black

5. Canon SELPHY CP1300 | Best Printer For Sublimation Ink

As the title features the word "SELPHY," you might already get a vibe what this printer is for!

Yes, this is an instant photo printer for your portable photo devices, including smartphones and digital cameras.

The best thing about it is its portability. With an extra battery, you can power this device anywhere you go! Print your memories on the highway, on the mountain, on the sea, instantly.

The printed photo dries instantly and is water-resistant; also, can last for a century! What can be the best way to create memories than an instant picture that lasts 100 years!

With the Canon print app, its very simple to connect your smartphone to the printer and print with a few touches on the screen. The USB option will let you print directly from your Memory Card or Pendrive.

With a 3.2 inch LCD screen navigating through the menus is and setting up this thing is very convenient.

Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer with AirPrint and Mopria Device Printing, Black (2234C001)
Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer with AirPrint and Mopria Device Printing, Black (2234C001)

Dye Sublimation Printer Buying Guide

You don't need to pick a dye sublimation printer blindly. Follow these buying tips to ensure that you don't invest your hard-earned savings in a wrong printing tool.

Media Handling

Firstly, we all know that dye-sub printers are best for printing on T-shirts and other fabrics. However, what sizes of media can the device of your choice handle?

Well, the above question is not an easy one to answer. And, solving it will involve predetermining the media sizes that you intend to print.

Notably, dye-sub printing sizes come in three formats, so are dye-sub printers. Desktop options will most often accommodate print media sizes that don't go past A4 documents.

Narrow format models are mid-range options of wide-format models that will accommodate up to A3 media sizes.

Finally, there are true wide-format options that consist of freestanding devices. Most of them are roll-fed models that can accommodate more extended media sizes of up to 150 inches. The length is equally flexible.

So, the type of printer that you opt to purchase should conveniently accommodate the media sizes that you intend to use it for.

Transfer Method

Dye-sub printers use a different technology from that of lasers, LEDs, and inkjets. Traditional methods use a select type of paper or cotton sheet to transfer the media on to the T-shirt or fabric.

However, some more modern models can directly transfer patterns on to materials. It's a different ball game altogether, but this method shouldn't give you any headaches.

However, you'll need to be a bit more vigilant if your machine of choice requires a transfer medium. Find out the availability of the type of paper or cotton fabric that you will use as a transfer medium. It is also essential to look into its price and the cost-effectiveness of the entire process.

Printing Resolution

Price is an unwritten factor when hunting for an ideal dye-sub printer. However, the cost of a printing machine should not override the quality that you desire.

Often, you'll meet dots per inch (dpi) as the standard expression for print resolutions of printing tools. A higher signifies means better image quality, and the reverse is true.

Interestingly, most dye-sub printers with 300 dpi are perfectly fine for most dye sublimation tasks. Such a resolution conveniently meets the demands of most enterprises.

More detail and sharpness come from models that have a dpi of 600. Even more, machines with the highest resolution stand at a staggering 1200 dpi.

While shopping, consider what you need the printer for. Don't spend too much when a lower resolution printing tool can meet your needs.

Compatibility

Interestingly, all dye-sublimation printing devices are reliably compatible with Mac and Windows devices. So, compatibility shouldn't be a big deal if your media device has either of the two operating systems.

However, more advanced options are also compatible with iOS and Android devices. Be on the lookout if you intend to pair the printing machine with any of these operating systems. Some options are not compatible with these.

Final Words

From a photo printer to a document printer, I narrowed down your best options in the reviews above. I hope this helped with your valuable time.

I am a 'take a picture if you have a camera' type of a person. I personally loved the Kodak Dock PD-450 & Canon SELPHY CP1300, for creating instant photos and storing them.

Whether you need it for printing documents or instant photos or other media, dye sublimation printing is really a wise choice. Go now, choose the best dye sublimation printer for your home or business projects!

Buy on Walmart

Mitsubishi CP-D70DW Compact Professional Event & Photo Booth Portrait Digital Printer - Walmart Link

SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 sublimation printer. BUNDLE with complete set of Sawgrass - Walmart Link

DNP Event Photo Printer DS-RX1HS 6" Dye Sublimation, for Booth Portrait Printing, 290 - Walmart Link

Mitsubishi CP-9550DW Digital Color Thermal Photo Printer with 2.0 USB Interface, 346 DPI - Walmart Link

DNP DS40 Dye Sublimation Professional Color Photo Printer for 3.5x5, 4x6, 5x7, 6x8, 6x9" - Walmart Link

Canon SELPHY CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer - Walmart Link

HiTi P525L Compact Dye Sub Photo Printer - Walmart Link

1. Kodak Dock PD-450 - Walmart Link

3. Epson Photo HD XP-15000 - Walmart Link

4. Canon Pixma MG3620 - Walmart Link

5. Canon SELPHY CP1300 - Walmart Link

7. Canon Office Products IP7220 - Walmart Link

8. Canon Pixma iX6820 - Walmart Link

10. Primera Impressa IP60 - Walmart Link

Buy on eBay

Mitsubishi CP-D70DW Compact Professional Event & Photo Booth Portrait Digital Printer - eBay Link

SAWGRASS VIRTUOSO SG400 sublimation printer. BUNDLE with complete set of Sawgrass - eBay Link

DNP Event Photo Printer DS-RX1HS 6" Dye Sublimation, for Booth Portrait Printing, 290 - eBay Link

Mitsubishi CP-9550DW Digital Color Thermal Photo Printer with 2.0 USB Interface, 346 DPI - eBay Link

DNP DS40 Dye Sublimation Professional Color Photo Printer for 3.5x5, 4x6, 5x7, 6x8, 6x9" - eBay Link

Canon SELPHY CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer - eBay Link

HiTi P525L Compact Dye Sub Photo Printer - eBay Link

1. Kodak Dock PD-450 - eBay Link

3. Epson Photo HD XP-15000 - eBay Link

4. Canon Pixma MG3620 - eBay Link

5. Canon SELPHY CP1300 - eBay Link

7. Canon Office Products IP7220 - eBay Link

8. Canon Pixma iX6820 - eBay Link

10. Primera Impressa IP60 - eBay Link

About Dror Wettenstein

Dror Wettenstein is a software engineer and entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. He is the founder of TechTreeRepeat, a company that enables technical writers to publish their work faster and share it with readers across the globe. Dror has a master’s degree in computer science from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in physics from UC Irvine.

When he’s not working on software projects, Dror enjoys writing articles and essays on various topics. He also likes playing guitar and spending time with his wife and two young children.

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