Brother SP1 vs. Sawgrass SG500
Both sublimation printer compared directly. Highlighted in green is the lower price, if both prices come from the same source. If a machine has no value in a row, it says “not specified by the manufacturer”.
The key differences
- The Brother SP1 is in a lower price class (€300 to €600) than the Sawgrass SG500 (€600 to €1,200).
- The prices for Brother SP1 and Sawgrass SG500 come from a specialist retailer, not from the manufacturer's shop. Scope of delivery and bundles may differ.
- Format according to the manufacturer: “215 x 355 mm (according to DE page)” for the Brother SP1, “A4 in the main tray (EU version); up to 215 x 1,295 mm with the optional bypass tray” for the Sawgrass SG500.
- The manufacturer only lists cotton for the Sawgrass SG500, in the materials list as “Cotton and natural fibres (only with VersiFlex ink)”.
- Warranty according to the manufacturer: “2 years (commercial use 1 year)” for the Brother SP1, “3 years (purchase from 01.10.2025), print count limit stated inconsistently” for the Sawgrass SG500.
| Brother SP1 | Sawgrass SG500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Device type | Sublimation printer | Sublimation printer |
| Price range | €300 to €600 | €600 to €1,200 |
| Price | €388.90, at the retailer office-partner.de; with ink cartridges and paper (As of 12 Oct 2026) | €606.90, with SubliJet-UHD ink set and 100 sheets A4 TruePix, at the retailer TransfertPress; Retailer shows €510 excl. VAT, converted here with 19% VAT (As of 12 Oct 2026) |
| Max. design size | 215 x 355 mm (according to DE page) | not specified by the manufacturer |
| Resolution | up to 1,200 x 2,400 dpi (according to Brother Canada) | up to 4,880 x 1,200 dpi |
| Ink system | Cartridges, 4 colours (black, cyan, magenta, yellow), SP01 series | Cartridges, SubliJet UHD (sublimation) or VersiFlex (also cotton) |
| Ink volume | 47 ml per cartridge (according to Brother USA) | Sets with 31 ml cartridges |
| Paper feed | 100 sheets (according to Brother Canada) | not specified by the manufacturer |
| Print speed | 2 ipm ◇ ENERGY STAR | approx. 15 s (600 x 600 dpi), 48 s (1,200 x 600 dpi), 120 s (4,880 x 1,200 dpi) |
| Connections | Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi Direct (according to Brother Canada) | Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz |
| Software | any graphics software, optional Artspira app (partly paid subscription) | Printer driver for Windows and Mac, Print Utility (free) |
| Operating systems | Windows 10 and 11, macOS 11 to 14 (according to Brother Canada) | not specified by the manufacturer |
| Power supply | 220 to 240 V | 220 V (EU version) |
| Warranty | 2 years (commercial use 1 year) | 3 years (purchase from 01.10.2025), print count limit stated inconsistently |
| Max. paper size | not specified by the manufacturer | A4 in the main tray (EU version); up to 215 x 1,295 mm with the optional bypass tray |
| System requirements | not specified by the manufacturer | Windows 8 or macOS 10.13, Intel or AMD processor |
| Materials (according to the manufacturer) | Sublimation paper for transfer onto polyester textiles, coated household goods and gift items (transfer with heat press) | Polyester textiles, coated mugs and cups, coated hard goods (sublimation blanks), Cotton and natural fibres (only with VersiFlex ink) |
| Dimensions | 343 × 435 × 159 mm | 399 × 437 × 213 mm |
| Weight | 8 kg | not specified by the manufacturer |
Who is which one suitable for?
Brother SP1
For hobby users in the Brother ecosystem (ScanNCut, Artspira) who print sublimation transfers up to Legal size.
- Built for sublimation at the factory, ink and paper included
- Drivers for Windows and macOS
Sawgrass SG500
For small businesses that want A4 sublimation with manufacturer-side colour management on Windows or Mac.
- Built for sublimation from the factory, own ink systems
- Driver for Windows and Mac
Facts, not a buying recommendation. This page summarises manufacturer specifications and our assessment. If we recommend a device, it is explicitly marked “Our recommendation”. Figures marked ◇ do not come from the manufacturer; the source is linked. How we work
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