Main site nadinmacht.deDeutsch

Sublimation Printers: Convert an EcoTank or Buy Ready-Made?

Sublimation6 min readUpdated: 10/2026

are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.

For sublimation you need an inkjet printer that prints with sublimation ink. There are two ways to get one: fill an ordinary ink tank printer, usually an Epson EcoTank, with sublimation ink yourself, or buy a printer that is built for sublimation from the factory. Both ways work; they differ mainly in warranty, colour management and effort. How sublimation works is covered under Sublimation explained.

Way 1: converting an EcoTank

For a conversion, you fill the tanks with a third-party supplier’s sublimation ink instead of Epson ink. Suppliers sell kits with ink, paper and colour profile for individual printer models.

Warranty. On its US product pages for EcoTank printers, Epson writes: non-original ink can cause damage that is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. On the German product page for the EcoTank ET-2850, Epson states a 12-month carry-in warranty or 30,000 pages, and says nothing there about third-party ink. If you want to convert a printer, you should check the warranty terms for your model beforehand or ask Epson support.

Ink. The conversion is easiest with a new printer that has never seen ink. The British retailer Ink Experts writes about its conversion kit for the ET-2850: if the printer has already been filled with other ink, the tanks have to be emptied, after which about 40 full-colour prints are needed until the new ink has reached the print head.

Colour profiles. A converted printer does not know the colours of the foreign ink. Without a matching ICC profile, the colours after pressing are often wrong. Ink Experts supplies profiles matched to printer, ink and paper. The profiles come separately for Windows and macOS, are not interchangeable and do not run on tablets, smartphones or Chromebooks. If you later change ink or paper, you need a new profile. More on profiles in the glossary under ICC profile.

Maintenance. Sawgrass explains why its sublimation printers should stay switched on permanently: ink tends to clump in the print head and the lines if it stands for a long time. The Sawgrass printers therefore flush a small amount of ink through every 8 to 12 hours. According to Sawgrass, if you print rarely, you should print a nozzle check after a pause of a few weeks. How often a converted printer cleans itself depends on the model.

Advantage: Conversions are mostly done to save money on the printer or the ink. Epson itself writes that large ink bottles lower the cost per print, about the 140 ml bottles of its SC-F100.

Way 2: ready-made sublimation printer

These machines are built for sublimation from the factory. Ink, driver and colour management come from the manufacturer, and the warranty applies with the intended ink. The wiki lists four models. The manufacturers do not sell them themselves with a price; the prices come from specialist retailers.

Epson SC-F100Sawgrass SG500Sawgrass SG1000Brother SP1
FormatA4A4, with bypass tray up to 215 x 1,295 mmA3, with bypass tray A3+designs up to 215 x 355 mm
Inkink tank, 140 ml bottlescartridges, 31 mlcartridges, 31 mlcartridges, 47 ml according to Brother USA
Operating systemsWindowsWindows and macOSWindows and macOSWindows and macOS
Colour managementEpson driverSawgrass Print UtilitySawgrass Print Utilityany graphics software, optional Artspira app
Warranty according to manufacturer1 year or 6,000 sheets3 years for purchases from 1 Oct 20253 years for purchases from 1 Oct 20252 years, commercial use 1 year
Price€529.99 at Saturn, in-store collection only€606.90 at TransfertPress, with ink set and 100 sheets of paperfrom €1,586.09 at TransfertPress, with ink set and 100 sheets of paper€388.90 at office-partner.de, with cartridges and paper

Prices as of 12 October 2026. TransfertPress shows net prices, converted here with 19 % VAT. All data and sources are in the data sheets: Epson SC-F100, Sawgrass SG500, Sawgrass SG1000, Brother SP1.

What sets the machines apart:

  • Epson SC-F100: The only ink tank model of the four, with 140 ml bottles. Epson writes that set-up and operation are possible without prior knowledge. On the product page Epson names only Windows as an operating system, and the machine is not in stock at Epson itself.
  • Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000: Technically the same, only the paper format differs. According to Sawgrass, the Print Utility software suggests time, temperature and pressure to suit the blank. With VersiFlex ink and its own transfer paper, the Sawgrass machines can, according to the manufacturer, also print on light cotton textiles. The 31 ml cartridges make the ink more expensive per millilitre than with tank systems.
  • Brother SP1: Comes from Brother’s hobby and sewing division and fits with ScanNCut and Artspira. Many technical details are only on the Canadian Brother site; the German one lacks the price and ink quantity.

What to look out for

  1. Format: For mugs, coasters and small designs, A4 is enough. For shirts with a large design or cushions you need A3 or extra length.
  2. Operating system: For the SC-F100, Epson names only Windows. For a conversion it depends on the ink supplier’s colour profile.
  3. Colour management: Ready-made machines come with matched settings. With a conversion you have to keep profile, paper and ink together yourself.
  4. Warranty: With the ready-made machines, the manufacturer gives a warranty for operation with sublimation ink. With a conversion you carry the risk if Epson attributes damage to the third-party ink.
  5. How often you print: Sublimation ink copes badly with long idle periods. If you only print every few weeks, leave the printer switched on and run a nozzle check before printing.
  6. Running costs: The ink quantities range from 31 ml cartridges to 140 ml bottles. Calculate with the current prices for ink and paper for your model.
  7. Availability: The ready-made machines are mostly only available from specialist retailers. Check where you will be able to get ink and spare parts later.

Regardless of the printer, you need a heat press and blanks. The matching values are under Sublimation: temperature and time per blank, the presses in the device overview.

Sources