Should I Buy a Sublimation Printer: 5 Things to Know to Avoid Buyers Remorse

[@blondiez28]

you can sublimate onto 100% cotton but you need to use either white glitter HTV or sublimation HTV to sublimate onto first. And if the cotton is dark then if you are just using the sublimation HTV then you need a white HTV base first.

[@msBjones002]

I siser subli to do it

[@SilhouetteSchool]

That’s not sublimating onto the shirt, that’s sublimating onto a different material then applying it to the shirt. It's a "hack" / process that adds multiple steps and has a different result (hand vs no hand) than sublimating onto a shirt.

[@Travel.Mj44]

Thanks for the info

[@Sylvieb60]

Great Video, very informative . I'm a cricut beginner and realize that sublimation is not for me yet. I need to focus on easy task first. Thank you

[@SilhouetteSchool]

It's awesome that you're focusing on mastering the basics first. Sublimation will be there when you're ready for it!

[@veronicawilliams9204]

Melissa thanks for always enlightening people. I wish I saw this video a year ago when I bought my Sawgrass sublimation printer.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Thank you so much!! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@JD-72191]

I did a lot of research prior to converting an Epson EcoTank into a sublimation printer. I haven’t heard one person say their converted printer only lasted a short time. Perhaps most ppl buying these printers do so because it’s less expensive and they only intend to use it for their own personal projects. Not a business, meaning low volume.

[@joditrovato9348]

I'm on year 4 and going strong ..

[@MKIV_ELM]

@@joditrovato9348care to share which model of epson printer u are using? Thank you

[@heidifoil1142]

What model has been going for 4 yes. Newbie overwhelmed!

[@kathydowell3168]

Buy an EPSON DO NOT BUY SAWGRASS Ordered ink that was sold stated was for my printer, after installing it sawgrass has blocked me out of using my printer, blocked me out of all software. I have made hundreds of designs and found out even before I was blocked there was no way to save them, now they have changed their software and everyone will loose all of their work that is in the older version. they left me with no warning, just blocked me from any use of all products, so all money I have invested, is gone. I just would not want anyone else to be in that place.

[@AmysExquisiteGifts]

@@joditrovato9348what brand and model are you using?

[@alidadebruyn36]

My sawgrass lasted 8 years, it never gave up I upgraded, 5 years later again the second sawgrass never gave up I upgraded to an Epson L1800 because it was A3 plus size, still going strong. Don’t be discourage, sublimation like any other product has wear and tare but it is awesome to get into, I started small and now full into it with my own website selling made back my money for my printers heat presses etc now living off the profits

[@SilhouetteSchool]

That's incredible! Thank you for sharing your success story. It's inspiring to hear how far you've come with sublimation.

[@veronicawilliams9204]

Which country are you in Alida? I’m in South Africa and there is not a lot of information for what is available here.

[@donnav645]

Great video as always Melissa! People should always do their homework before purchasing anything!

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Absolutely!!

[@rashidahrichardson8274]

2023 March and I’m doing mine

[@angelmika2010]

Thank you for this video! I was researching if I should purchase it and came across your video. This really helped with my decision.

[@celtic5764]

I finally got my EPSON Eco Tank ET 2720 out of it’s box since I bought it like 4 years ago. This is probably the cheapest route I could afford. I have done a lot of researching so I know what I can and can’t sublimate on and even though I haven’t sublimate on anything I have told a lot of people 90% of what you just said in this video. I feel like I’m a broken record when I say you can’t sublimate on cotton or dark fabric unless you have some sort of polyester and or polyester with some sort of a white coating or base to sublimate on darks. I’m trying to think what is the right sublimation ink to buy. Thanks for your time.

[@jerseyjoes]

This is a great video and wish I knew all this before I bought my vinyl cutter, sticker maker. So to print tumblers or mugs, about time I buy everything and years later when my equipment wears out is when I will break even cost wise on everything I bought. So in reality, it's cheaper to print and cut vinyl and coat with epoxy resin for tumblers.

[@shutsquad]

Great video, but I would draw the distinction that if you go the CONVECTION OVEN route, IT IS FOR CRAFTING ONLY. It can no longer be used for food. Some people may see this and think they can just dual purpose their food convection oven and that's not the case.

[@asheryl1966]

Thanks for the video. I was thinking of learning how to do sublimation but now I think I'm going to just stick to using a cutting machine.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mechaem1426]

What projects do you do with the cutting machine?

[@elainecongo3827]

LOL MY THOUGHTS ALSO...I'M NOT READY FOR ALL THIS AND FOR WHAT I DO I REALLY DON'T NEED TO USE SUBLIMATION

[@jozefabelintie8097]

Thank you so much for this information🙏🏾💯❤️. God bless you💯❤️

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You're welcome! I'm glad you found it useful.

[@bernardskerrett7350]

I found you video to be informative. It was clear and concise and you did not hold back. I appreciated that. Thanks for the enlightenment.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I appreciate that!

[@FkNutZ2]

cheap sublimation tumblers Amazon has 4 pack for 19.00

[@barbmac8572]

Very good information, Melissa. Helps me a ton. Thank you

[@shawndajones66]

That’s interesting to know because no one tells you this information

[@raychelschultz6518]

If you google pros and cons of anything you buy, they will tell you. I researched this easily myself. I always suggest anything that you're going to purchase research the pros and cons before doing so.

[@RenataBka]

Yes and no, we have a lot of hacks that is possible to sublimate in cotton. I love the clear mate or gloss htvront cut the htvront first press in the shirt then put the sublimation design and press it. It just do the trick

[@shereadsmysteries]

Maybe this is just me, but the reason I want to sublimate is to make it a little safer to wash. HTV kind of defeats that purpose for me. But again, that may be just me!

[@selvin9845]

Hi Melissa, thank you very much for this video, it gave me the right information I needed before buying a Sublimate printer. I now know I should not buy it for the purposes I wanted it for. Thank you very much pretty lady!!

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You are so welcome! I'm glad it was helpful

[@Ateeg]

Direct to the point.. very helpful 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@Travel.Mj44]

Awesome video. It was very informative and means more research😂 thanks so much

[@unsilentzone3357]

Can you sublimate onto paper? Like if I wanted to make my own playing cards, could I sublimate onto the playing cards?

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Yes, you can sublimate on paper specifically designed for sublimation, such as playing card sublimation blanks.

[@angelafintonis5493]

I was told you can use any printer for sublimation as long as you have sublimation paper is that correct?

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there, no, you will want to buy a sublimation printer that has print heads that are designed for sublimation ink and then use sublimation paper. I have a full sublimation starter list here: www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/p/sublimation-supplies-for-beginners.html

[@Jeany829]

For me at Moment i cant afford a Sublimation Printer so today i went to a Professional Printer Shop where each Print Out for Shirts or textile it Costs each Print 10€ at moment i do Not have any Order at my shopify Store 😮iam still learning 😮🎉🎉the Sublimation on the mugs make me a headache i will learn this as well😊

[@tbncbn7143]

so what printer you recommend for sublimation?

[@rockannm]

Really appreciate this video! Thank you for the info!

[@reeed_nation]

0:00 omg u scared me asf 🥶 hhhh thank u for the video ❤

[@WaioluUkulele]

Hi, I’m new to silhouette. Do you have a calibration video?

[@jennamb87]

You can use a spray jennifer maker says

[@charlenepidhany2767]

Extremely helpful. Thank you😁👍🏻

[@maureendanda3435]

Thank you. I thought you jist buy any printer and start to cruise

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You are very welcome, there are a lot of things to consider for sublimation printing.

[@ketxyoung6399]

U can if u used the htvront white hack

[@gamingdestruction2918]

What printer number do you recommend to use to print on mugs? And I know the cup machine I'll use. Pioneer works, (Sublimation Mug Heat Press Printer Machine | Automatic Mug Press DIY | Use with Infusible Ink Materials & Coffee Mugs (11oz - 15oz) | One-Touch Setting | Auto-Off Safety Feature ) just need to mske sure get right printer for the job.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I'm not sure what you mean by printer number. Are you asking which sublimation printer to get?

[@gamingdestruction2918]

@@SilhouetteSchool yeah sorry there is alot of printer, and I can't find the exact one online, for making mugs. I know is a Epson but there so many different one's. Yes what printer exact please.

[@rocknrollkitchen]

very helpful thanks

[@Don_2773]

Why then do they sell sublimation paper for cotton ? I'm thinking about trying this but I hate poly shirts.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there, sublimation ink needs a polyester material of some sort to bond to. Products that make it possible to sublimate "on" cotton are providing some sort of polyester barrier for the ink to bond to. If you would like to print for cotton consistently, I'd check out DTF or White Toner instead. Check out this blog post comparison: www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2023/04/sublimation-vs-dtf-what-is-difference.html

[@Don_2773]

​@@SilhouetteSchool thank you, I appreciate you taking your time to provide the information. Have a wonderful day.

[@kwedjie20]

very informative.Thanks!

[@MikeGravs-vg2bi]

I want an Epson f570 but didn’t know you need to leave it running. Plus being in the military I move more than the usual person every couple years. I wouldn’t use this machine all the time but also wasn’t the capabilities of the f570 compared to the smaller printers? Now I don’t know what to do, any suggestions

[@MikeGravs-vg2bi]

Want the capabilities**

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hi there- they all need to be left plugged in. There's more info here on the F570 www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/p/epson-f570-sublimation-printer.html

[@johnbarnette3916]

thanks

[@audreygray3691]

You can now they made a spray for dark shirts

[@cathypeterson2874]

Can you tell me where to buy the polyester shirts in bulk , at a discounted price? I haven't gotten the printer as of yet. Just trying to get all the info i can .. before i start out buying things. Thanks in advance ☺️

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there! You can purchase wholesale sublimation blanks in a large variety of places! I have a list of blanks you can use for sublimation here too: www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/2019/08/10-non-cricut-infusible-ink-blanks-you.html

[@lobo4950]

How are people sublimating on black shirts? I see it on etsy all the time. just curious...

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Sublimation won't show on dark-colored fabrics like black shirts. If you're seeing designs on black shirts, they're likely DTF transfers or screen prints or a combination of HTV and sublimation. Another option is bleaching a small area of the black shirt and then sublimating onto the bleached portion.

[@lobo4950]

@@SilhouetteSchool great. thank you for the info

[@enlovegyjourney]

Thank you some much ❤❤❤

[@alidadebruyn36]

About the warranty on sublimation printers, that is incorrect I bought printers from both sawgrass and Epson both from reputable sublimation companies and both suppliers gave warranty with it

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I am referring to converting inkjet printers for sublimation in this video. Adding sublimation ink instead of the provided printer ink is what voids the warranty.

[@eudaimonia359]

I literally sublimated on 100% cotton yesterday and it worked so what do you mean that it won’t work? (I used StarCraft sublimation paper)

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Sublimating on 100% cotton directly will not last long...

[@Handmadelovelycustoms]

It will go on cotton and start fading badly after a few washes

[@SombodyToJesusNobodyToTheWorld]

This was great, thank you!

[@dkastra26]

why not eco solvent? easier and better quality or not?

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I have other videos on ecosolvent, this video is specifically about sublimation

[@MrRenoman2011]

Thanks very much

[@jamierussjr]

My niece started sublimation. She sublimated on Black shirts and shorts for her son

[@SilhouetteSchool]

She did not sublimation directly...b/c it's not possible. She probably cut white flock HTV and sublimated onto that and then applied that to the shirt

[@rashidahrichardson8274]

Thank you so much not purchasing one unless my business is booming

[@Goldie1201]

Thank you very much for this video.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You are very welcome

[@TonyMaverickSaint]

You're THE BEST! 🙏

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Thanks

[@taniabarrowman266]

Can you use sublimation for jandals

[@SilhouetteSchool]

I'm sorry I do not understand what you are asking

[@trscsaeg]

What’s the best paper cutter to get straight cuts for tumblers

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there! I have this one and it's great: amzn.to/3VkLMuE (afil).

[@donnav645]

Can you do a video recommending a really good all in one Tumblr press

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there! I love this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIrPfq2Gd9WnhdU

[@mydotes2456]

I believe you can still sublimated on dark fabrics , that's why there is an option for sublimation paper for white and dark shirt!

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You cannot sublimate directly on dark fabrics. You would need an additional medium like Easy Subli (that is white) to provide an underlay for the design. Otherwise it will not show up.

[@Wrightn221]

You can't sublimate on dark unless there's a white background as she stated.

[@khoffman9046]

@@SilhouetteSchool have you done a tutorial on using the Easy Subli on dark shirts along with a Silhouette?

[@lindamarie6651]

Could you do a more in depth video on the Epson f170 please? I was planning on purchasing one but you had mentioned in your video that it won't really work for the tumblers. Is there a way to work around that? I'd appreciate any info, thanks

[@narchitek]

It works just fine for tumblers. I have F170, 2800 (one with Hippo Ink and another with ASUB ink), 8550 (with Cosmo Ink), and F570. The F170, F570 and Hippo ink print very well, colors are accurate and require very little pressure. Not sure why she would the F170 is not great for Tumblers. I would recommend the F170 to get up and running without issues. Also the F170 uses the Precision Core print head that is used in all of Epsons higher end printers, including their DTG F2100 printer.

[@lindamarie6651]

@@narchitek if I remember correctly I think she had said the print wouldn't be big enough to wrap around a tumbler. It's been bit since I watched it. I did end up buying the F170 and I absolutely love it! Thanks for your input though!

[@TamiT3]

Great videos!

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Thanks!

[@skeetasutherland]

Thanks for sharing this important information ❤

[@cliffart7398]

so there were 6 things, or maybe 7? That's okay, i watched some of your videos before this one and bought my F170. Not a production shop or a business. I have a new granddaughter so t-shirts and tumblers are my future.

[@narchitek]

It transfers on tumblers just fine. The Epson paper is thinner and looks like it prints less ink, but the colors are accurate and are vibrant.

[@shalbsara4326]

Tooo late I just bought it 😢

[@MAXPRESS_S-Corp]

Good Job !!!

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Thanks!

[@xenancy8725]

Thank you for saving me from myself. 😅

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Any time!

[@momabthatsme7888]

Well this was discouraging

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Hey there! Not sure which part is discouraging? If you need additional information about sublimation, we have a section on the blog here: www.silhouetteschoolblog.com/p/everything-to-know-about-sublimation_9.html

[@amandadominci4492]

Right... not that the information was discouraging... but like #2 the black... I wanted to sublimate on a black hoodie... but now I'm like... nope nevermind...

[@Marthisdil]

...and if you DO buy a dye sublimation printer, get an Epson F170 or F570 :)

[@SilhouetteSchool]

Preach lol

[@stanceworks7995]

@@SilhouetteSchool still busy watching this video but saw this comment - why specifically these models?

[@HVACRTECH-83]

@stance works because for consumers those are probably the best options, they're great printers and are made for sublimation and you'll have full warranty unlike any conversion printers,

[@coolvideos8864]

very shouty!

[@hppress4636]

❤

[@lorrielarribas5738]

Info is great but I feel you’re yelling AT me. Please tone it down a bit. I had to stop and go cuz of palpitations. lol Just down a bit.

[@edwardanthony3613]

I actually followed and retained the instruction better from her tone. I was like “Yes mom! Geesh!”

[@LaplacianFourier]

Damn, this lady is intense… I like it!

[@xlrationmarine]

Who’s on first?

[@RVS214]

This was good until you said sublimatiom ink destroys an printhead. This is wrong information. I have mine over 4 years and it never clogs or gives me problems. I have 8 printers with different inks Et 8550 does not clog with sub, pigment and inkjet ink.. et15000 doesn't clog with sub ink, ink jet Et15000 clogs terribly with eco rush ink.... et2760...clogged with Epson Ink Jet ink that came with it. I wouldn't use this for sublimatiom because it clogs all the time. With Epson ink. So please stop giving false information to sell your printer. I was interested in sawgrass to try it...but you turned me off. Cartridges are ridiculous to deal with. As a photographer of 30 years do you know how many times I would install and manufacturers Cartridge and it wouldn't work... More times than I can count.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

While there are printers that can handle sublimation ink well, some are more susceptible to clogging, and it's best to research thoroughly before choosing one.

[@seferart1972]

I will sell all tools printers and cutter machine. Better hand drawing.

[@mdalexander1440]

I started watching this video and the woman is highly annoying, JC 😂, that's 2 minutes I can't get back, she's like annoying co-worker

[@nixis9935]

It is kinda logic most of this stuff. If you just go buy printer and other stuff like press and spend 1000+ without educating then you are idiot and shouldn't start business.

[@0780156668]

I need Sawgrass ink. So expensive in south Africa

[@annbrogan2700]

Thank you. This was very helpful.

[@SilhouetteSchool]

You're welcome!