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One the least expensive ways to try out sublimation printing is by converting an inkjet printer into a sublimation printer. And the cheapest way to do that is with Epson printers — either Epson EcoTank or Epson Workforce. Of these two, I think the Epson EcoTank is the best choice. So today I’m going to show you how to convert an Epson EcoTank printer, and we’ll go from package to print to press. And you’re going to be amazed at how easy this is to do! I converted a brand new Epson EcoTank 4760 here, but this conversion technique works for ANY Epson EcoTank printer, regardless of what model number it is. The Epson ET-2720 is a popular choice at an affordable price! What matters is that it is an Epson EcoTank. So let me show you how to convert an inkjet printer into an Epson sublimation printer!
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Notice: JavaScript is required for this content.Watch my full Epson EcoTank sublimation setup, press, and test video here:
In addition to the Epson EcoTank’s price and ease of use, it has a high resolution, a compact design, and quality printers. The EcoTank printers have tanks that make it really easy to put in sublimation ink, rather than inkjet ink. It’s perfect for home use and, in the end, it is the cheapest sublimation printer. It is an excellent choice when you just want to try out sublimation, and aren’t ready for the high cost of the Sawgrass SG500. I think the Epson is the best option for those on a tight budget, whether it is for home use or small businesses.
Now I know it can be hard to pick an Epson EcoTank, but just know that the biggest difference is in paper size and whether or not it has a paper tray. The image quality should be the same between all EcoTank printers. So get the one that meets your budget and has the paper size you prefer.
One really important thing — start with a brand new Epson EcoTank printer and do not ever put the regular inkjet ink that comes with it into the printer. You want a clean and unused Epson printer for this conversion process. While I believe it is possible to clean and convert an Epson EcoTank that’s already had ink in it, I’ve never done it myself and so I’m not able to help you there. Your best bet is to start with a new Epson EcoTank printer to which NO ink has ever been added.
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full disclosure policy.
What you need to convert an Epson EcoTank into the best budget sublimation printer:Unpack your Epson EcoTank and remove the packing tape. In the box you’ll find its power cord here (don’t plug it in yet) and the Start Here guide that will walk you through what to do.
Remember, your Epson printer will likely have come with regular inkjet ink bottles — do NOT use the ink it comes with. Throw them away, recycle them, or find a new home for them — just don’t put them in your Epson printer!
Step 2: Fill Your Epson Tanks with Sublimation InkIn addition to the printer and power cable, you’ll want bottles of sublimation ink that work for your printer. You can order them online — my sublimation ink is Hippoo brand that I got from Amazon. Note that you can get them in two ways — there’s a bottle style with syringes, which requires you to poke the syringe into the bottle, draw out the ink, and fill each tank yourself. There’s also the autofill bottle style which acts just like the Epson brand of ink bottles and will fit right into the opening at the top of your ink tanks for super easy filling. I’m using the Autofill bottles today, and I HIGHLY recommend them over the bottles that need syringes.
The other thing you’ll need is some sublimation paper — there are a variety of brands, including A-Sub, DyeMaster, and TruePix. I’ll do a video later to compare sublimation papers — for today, I’ll just use the A-Sub brand.
So let’s get our Epson EcoTank set up, do our first print, and see how well it sublimates for us! I’ll be using a Mac to setup my Epson EcoTank, printer, but you can also use a Windows computer.
Step 3: Connect the Power Cord to the Sublimation PrinterYour next step is to connect the power cord to the back of the printer and then plug it into an outlet or an appropriately rated power cord. Do not connect it to your computer yet. Then power on your Epson EcoTank. You can raise the control panel and power it on with the power button.
When the message to see the Start Here sheet appears on the LCD screen, you either want to press the “OK” button, if you have one, or press and hold the “Help” button for three seconds.
The next step in the Start Here guide is to complete filling the ink tanks, so fill them up to the top line. If you still have ink left in my bottle, save them because when the levels drop again, you can use the rest of the ink to fill them up.
When the screen says to confirm that the tanks are filled with ink, tap on Done, or “OK.” Then it will initialize.
Wait while it initializes — do not power off your printer during this process. It says it’ll take about 10 minutes. During this time, it’s drawing up the ink into the printer. Ink gets drawn in through the tubes, and the levels can drop a little bit.
Once your Epson EcoTank has finished its initialization process, you’ll want to fill a paper tray with some paper. Print quality tests are next.
Step 4: Test Your Epson EcoTank Print QualityWhen your screen says that “Initialization is complete. Move on to print quality adjustments,” it’s ready to test. On my Epson EcoTank, I could just “Adjustments,” but yoou may need to use your arrow keys.
You can skip print quality adjustments, but I don’t recommend it.
Important: Be sure to load your paper in the proper way. If you’re using sublimation paper, you’ll want it face down in the paper tray (if you have one):
Watch my setup video to see how to test your print quality.
Step 5: Connect Your Epson EcoTank Sublimation Printer to Your ComputerOn the back of your printer, there are two connection— one is USB, one is Ethernet. I like to use USB because it is faster and more reliable. It is possible to print from mobile devices, too, though that’s not my first recommendation as it is harder to find software to print good sublimation designs.
A USB cable does not come in the box, but you can just use standard USB cable. The other end will go into your computer.
To install the software onto your computers, you can use either a Mac or a Windows computer.
Important: The instructions say that your printer should not be connected to your computer when you do this.
Where you go to download the software depends on which model number of Epson EcoTank you have. For my 4760, I’m going to go to epson.com/support/ET4760.
Click here to go to ALL of the Epson EcoTank printer downloads!
Now just follow the instructions on the computer screen to run the setup program.
First, choose your operating system and click on GO.
Download the “Drivers and utilities combo package installer.”
Once that’s downloaded, open it. If you’re using Chrome, click the arrow at the bottom of the screen beside the filename and choose Open.
This downloaded file gives you the installer, which you want to open and run.
Note: If you’re on a Mac, you may get a message that says, “EPSON is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?” You can safely click that you want to download it.
Read the license agreement and then click Continue and indicate that you agree to it. And then tap Install.
You can choose whether you want to be in their research participation, and then give it some time to download.
If you’re asked to put in your password for your computer, you should do that.
Click OK and it will install the Epson drivers and utilities. This is important. You can’t print to your Epson EcoTank without having the drivers installed on your computer.
When the installation is complete, click Start to begin printer setup. Be sure to confirm that the ink is charged, assuming you’ve followed all steps and actually put ink in your Epson EcoTank.
When asked to select your connection, note that you can connect wirelessly via USB, via USB, or via a wired network, such as an Ethernet. I am using a USB cable, so I’ll click that, but you’ll choose the option that works best for you. And then click Continue.
Now you need to connect the printer to your computer. If you’re using a USB cable as I am, now is the time to plug it into your computer. And if you have a MacBook like I do, you may not have a port that fits this USB cable. If so, use an USB-C to USB adapter. You can get them on Amazon and at Best Buy, and it goes right into the laptop to give you a USB port.
Once your printer is connected to your computer, you should see green check mark on the screen. Now it’s going to add the Epson print queue to the printer list. Verify that you can print from our computer by printing a test page.
The test page reads, “Congratulations, you have successfully installed your new printer.”
Note: This print quality and setup process used nine sheets of paper. So plan for that!
Tip: If you have an Epson EcoTank with a fax, you can skip right over the fax part, as it is not needed.
Your printer drivers should all be installed now!
Step 6: Print your first sublimation printFor the first print, I recommend you use my pretty Subliflower, which is a special design that I made just for sublimation printers. It allows us to test and see pretty much all color hues, vividness, alignment, gradients, text, sharpness, inconsistency, and black density. And it’s labeled with the hex color codes, which match up with the colors in other software, including things like Cricut Design Space. So you can see exactly what color you’ll get on your sublimation printer. You can get my Subliflower design totally free in my library — look for design #383.
Once you download the file and unzip it, you can open up this PDF. On a Mac, it will open in Preview and you can print right from there.
Just go to File > Print.
In your Printer Dialog system window, you will see your Epson EcoTank — be sure to select it.
Important: All sublimation prints must be mirrored to transfer to our surfaces properly. When you have a purpose-built sublimation printer, like the Sawgrass or Epson SureColor F170, it mirrors for you. But since we’re converting this printer, we’re going to need to do that ourselves. So to mirror your prints from the Epson EcoTank, you’ll want to click on the dropdown menu or one that’s similar to it and look for Print Settings. It might show up somewhere else on your screen.
When you are ready, click Print. Then give it some time to print — it can take over 2 minutes. Yeah, that’s a long time — slower printing time is one of the drawbacks of the Epson EcoTank.
When the sublimation print is finished, you’ll notice that it look a little bit different than what you expect. This is really normal. A sublimation print on paper will be more faded than the original artwork that you used.
Step 7. Press your first sublimation printTo press and transfer a sublimation print, you need a heat press. I’m going to use my Cricut Autopress, but you can also use your Cricut Easypress or a more traditional heat press, whatever you have.
You’ll also want a piece of white card stock to protect your mat, because it’s possible for sublimation to go right through the material when it sublimates. So you want to protect your pressing mat from any ink going through.
And you’ll need something to sublimate onto — I used an inexpensive piece of white polyester from JOANN, but another good option for sublimation practice is a cheap white polyester shower curtain.
So first preheat the polyester fabric for five seconds at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This removes moisture and makes for a better transfer.
Once your polyester is pre-heated, put your sublimation print face down on your polyester. I recommend using some heat resistant tape to keep the print in place, because if it moves around at all during the sublimation process or shortly thereafter, it can cause ghosting, which is just sort of a shadowy fuzzy look. I put one piece of tape on the top and bottom.
Important: Be sure to use heat resistant tape, not regular tape.
Then we cover our print with white uncoated butcher paper— do not use freezer paper, wax paper, parchment paper, or a Teflon sheet. Just use white uncoated butcher paper or inexpensive copy paper in a pinch. This protects your platten, which is the heat plate on your heat press from any sublimation ink blowout. We don’t use the others, like a Teflon sheet, because it can trap moisture or worse, transfer something to our fabric!
Press the sublimation print to the polyester for 60 seconds at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The Cricut Autopress opens for you as soon as it’s done.
Once the press is done, you can remove the top paper right afterwards, but you want to just let the sublimation print cool down a little bit before you pick up the paper with the sublimation prints on it, because for 10 to 15 seconds afterwards, it’s still sublimating. As it cools down, it goes from a gaseous state to a solid state, and we want to avoid moving it during this time, or else we can cause the ghosting.
Once you feel confident that it’s no longer sublimating, carefully remove the tape to see how we did.
This is the very first press off of the Epson EcoTank, and this is without any adjustment.
For more information, please visit 90gsmsticky sublimation paper.
Optional: Install an ICC Printer Profile
Now you may notice that the sublimated colors aren’t quite the right colors. If that’s the case, you’ll want to install an ICC printer profile just for your ink for the best results. ICC files are specific to the ink brand that you used. So for example, I’m using Hiipoo brand ink, and I can find its ICC file by going to Hiipoo.com, and then click on “Get ICC Files.” The files for the various printers will appear.
To install an ICC printer profile on a Windows computer:
Download the printer profile.
Right click it after you’ve downloaded it and choose Install Profile.
To install an ICC profile on a Mac:
Go to your Finder and then click on Go > Computer
Open Macintosh HD > Library >
ColorSync > Profiles
Drag your downloaded printer profile into this Profiles folder
If you are asked to type your password, go ahead and type in your password.
To print with the installed profile, first, open an image editor such as GIMP (free) or Photoshop (not free).
To use the printer profile in GIMP, open up your image. Then go to Image > Color Management > Convert to Color Profile. And then click Select color profile from disc. Then navigate to the ICC profile that you downloaded and selected. You can keep your Rendering Intent on Perceptual and then click Convert. Now just go to File and choose Print. Choose your printer, and then click on Preferences to set your paper type as Premium Matte. And then for your quality, it should be on High. Then click on More options, and under Color correction, click on Custom. Click on Advanced and choose No Color Adjustment. And then click OK. Then make sure that High Speed is turned off, but Mirror Image is turned on. Then click OK. And then click Print.
To use a printer profile in Photoshop, open up Photoshop. Open your image and then go to File and select Print. We see these options. Now I want you to notice the Color Management section. This is what matters. So we want to use a printer profile. So we’re going to allow Photoshop to manage the colors, and then we’re going to choose our Printer Profile from here. And we want the Hiipoo Epson printer profile. Let’s go ahead and click Print. You’ll want to click on this dropdown menu or one that’s similar to it, and look for Print Settings. You’ll want to change your Media Type to Premium Matte and then change your Print Quality to Best, and then check the option next to Mirror Image.
Once your printer profile is installed, print your Subliflower again and be sure to also press it again. I recommend you use the same material so you can directly compare it to your first one!
Once I installed my ICC printer profile, it made a gigantic difference. The new print has vibrant colors, is super bright, and appealing to me. The ICC profile really does make a difference in creating quality prints, but it’s really entirely up to you.
The Epson EcoTank is the Best Budget Sublimation Printer!Converting an Epson EcoTank sublimation printer is really very simple to do — the only real difference between setting up the EcoTank as an inkjet printer and a sublimation printer is the ink you charge it with initially. This makes the Epson EcoTank the best cheap sublimation printer on the market today!
Now, the first print off the printer pressed with colors that weren’t quite as vibrant as my original Subliflower. But I was able to correct that by getting the ICC profile for the ink I’m using — the Hiipoo ink — and installing that into my computer, then selecting it in my image editor before printing. And it’s definitely more vibrant when using the ICC profile. BUT … honestly, I suspect I would have been overjoyed with how my print had turned out even without it. So I think it’s really up to you and how true and vibrant you want and need your colors to be. I personally prefer them more vibrant and I’ll be using the ICC color profile for my sublimation ink from now on.
If you’re doing sublimation for business use or you want to start a printing business, I think the Epson EcoTank is a great starter sublimation printer. Eventually, you may want something with a faster printing speed in the long run, however. Something to keep in mind!
One thing to consider: a dedicated sublimation printer is going to be better at maintenance, as the sublimation ink in your Epson EcoTank may dry out over time if you do not use it frequently. But if you print with your Epson EcoTank often, you should have no issues maintaining excellent print quality.
I’m really pleased with how well the Epson EcoTank printed! It seems just as good as the prints from my Sawgrass printers at first glance. Now, it isn’t as plug and play as the Sawgrass, and I won’t have any official support for it, but it did cost me less money — we get what we pay for, right? Whether the Epson EcoTank is right for you, or you’d prefer a more plug and play printer with support like the Sawgrass, is all up to you. Check out my sublimation printer comparisons here for a list of the best sublimation printers!
Answers to Your Questions About Converting an Epson EcoTank to SublimationQ: Can I use the printer for both sublimation prints and regular prints?
No, once you convert a printer, it’s pretty much sublimation only from here on out. While it MAY be possible to convert it back to regular ink, it is a long, expensive process and there is no guarantee of success.
Q: Do I have to use sublimation paper to do my printer setup tests?
No, you can use regular copy paper for those.
Q: I converted my printer, but it’s not printing or not printing well. What do I do?
First, let it sit overnight and try again tomorrow. If that does not work, print five copies of my printer purge files.
Sublimation Startup
Need a little extra help understanding how to get started with sublimation? Join Sublimation Startup for a logical, step-by-step guide to getting setup for success with sublimation! You can ask questions and feel confident that you’ll get help! The Sublimation Startup mini-course is also great for those who enjoy learning from Jennifer’Maker’s easy-to-understand, calm, and clear method of teaching. This is a no-fluff, no-mess, no-distraction workshop … it’s like sitting down with Jennifer in her craft room to learn directly from her! We work in logical steps to build your understanding and confidence with sublimation, and then provide support to keep helping you as you continue on your journey! Register now!
I’d love to know what you think is the best budget sublimation printer! If you have an opinion on what is the best printer, please share a photo in our Facebook group, email it to me at [email protected], or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.
Love,
This post and photos may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Any supplies used may be given to me free of charge, however, all projects and opinions are my own.
Are you ready to start your sublimation journey? I’ve been testing out sublimation printers to help you figure out which one is the best sublimation printer for your crafts.
Before we start, I did want to note that the best sublimation printer will really depend on your needs and where you are in your sublimation journey. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about picking the right sublimation printer for you.
If you’re brand new to sublimation check out my Sublimation Beginner’s Guide here.
In my craft room right now I have 3 sublimation printers: an Epson EcoTank printer that has been converted for sublimation, an Epson F170 sublimation printer, and a Sawgrass SG500. I’ve been using all of these for a while so I really know how they work. I know how they compare to each other and the pros and cons of each one. I’m ready to share my honest opinion on which printer you should pick.
The best sublimation printer for your particular crafting will likely depend on how much sublimation you’re doing. Keep reading to learn more about each printer if you can’t watch the video or just need more information.
Epson EcoTankThe Epson EcoTank printer is what I consider a budget-friendly sublimation printer. Epson EcoTank is actually a regular printer that can be converted for sublimation. When you buy the EcoTank, it’s set up for regular inkjet printing. You need to buy separate sublimation ink and add it to the printer instead of the ink that comes with the printer.
When you convert the EcoTank, it becomes a sublimation printer. After conversion, you can print sublimation prints with it. However, because you’re using the printer for something it wasn’t intended for, there are some drawbacks. Epson EcoTank converted sublimation printers are the ones that have the most issues. Let’s talk about what some of those issues can be.
Common Epson EcoTank Sublimation IssuesHere are a few issues that I regularly see from people that use an Epson EcoTank printer for sublimation:
I don’t believe that one EcoTank model is better than another when it comes to converting to sublimation. The models reference printer features and don’t relate to how the ink flows through the printer. However, if you want a printer that prints larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches, you may want to do some research here as there are some EcoTank models that can print large format.
If you decide to go this route, I recommend finding a model that is in stock and on sale vs. worrying about model numbers. I’ve seen people have similar issues and successes with all the different models. I think it’s just hit or miss, you may get one that is amazing and you may get one that just doesn’t convert well.
With any sublimation printer, you should probably print about once a week. With a converted EcoTank, it is extremely important that you print at least once a week to avoid clogging issues. That means if you go on vacation or are going to be gone for more than a week, you will need to figure out a way to print.
The great thing is that you’re not wasting that ink or supplies, you can save those prints and use them later. Just remember, set an alarm if you need to, but remember to print at least once a week. If you forget and let it sit for a while, you can expect to spend a lot of time trying to get it unclogged and working correctly.
I really recommend you do your research ahead of time, talk to your friends that use an EcoTank for sublimation and find out what printer model and ink they are using and if they like it or not.
Epson EcoTank BenefitsNow that we’ve talked about the cons let’s talk about the pros of the Epson EcoTank and why it may be the best sublimation printer for your craft room.
The main benefit is the price. The Epson EcoTank is very budget-friendly. The ink is also relatively inexpensive. I do recommend you choose an ink to use and then stick with it. It’s very difficult to switch ink brands and I really don’t recommend it.
If you are looking to get started with sublimation on a budget, an Epson EcoTank is the way to go! Just go into it aware of the issues that you may experience and realize that it may take you longer in the beginning to get projects you love.
Epson F170 Sublimation PrinterThe next step up from the EcoTank is the Epson F170 Sublimation printer. This printer is a dedicated sublimation printer. It was made for sublimation and comes with sublimation ink. Using a dedicated sublimation printer eliminates a lot of the issues that you may have using a converted EcoTank.
These printers come with a printer driver where you easily pick either rigid or textile for what you’re pressing on. That choice will adjust the colors for you. I personally have had great luck with this printer. The colors look amazing without having to do any extra settings.
Cons of Epson F170 Sublimation PrinterFirst, let’s discuss the drawbacks of the F170 printer.
The benefits are that it’s really easy to use and set up. You can print from any program by just selecting rigid or textile to get the color changes you need. You can be making gorgeous projects with this printer in minutes as it really is that easy to get started.
NOTE: I would recommend that you still print every one to two weeks. I don’t find this as critical with the F170, but keeping that ink flowing and keeping those lines moving is never a bad idea.
Sawgrass Sublimation PrinterThe Sawgrass SG500 is the most expensive of the three printers. It is also a dedicated sublimation printer and I consider Sawgrass the top-of-the-line for a home crafter sublimation printer. It is the easiest to set up, comes with its own software, and is perfect for those of you that may be running a home-based business.
Sawgrass ProsLet’s talk about the pros of this printer first as that is where it really shines!
The biggest con of the Sawgrass printers is startup cost. The inks and the printer itself are more expensive. I have the SG500 which prints up to 8 1/2 x 14 sized prints. If you want to print larger, you would need to look into something like the SG1000 and the start-up costs would be even greater.
Which Sublimation Printer Do You Need?Now that we’ve talked about all three printers which one do you need? Which is the best sublimation printer? Please note that I’ve had great results with all three so this choice is more about your personal needs rather than making a right or wrong decision.
The Epson EcoTank was much harder for me to get those great projects out of because I had to play with my colors some to get it looking the way I wanted. This can get frustrating for many people. And there are MANY people that end up giving up on an EcoTank and upgrading at a later date due to clogging and color issues.
With both the Epson F170 and the Sawgrass sublimation printer, the projects looked great immediately after setup. That is a HUGE benefit as often you want to just start creating rather than fixing issues from the start.
For my needs, I would pick the Sawgrass printer if I had the budget, especially if I was using it for a business. I feel like the warranty, the customer support, the software, and the ease of use all lead me to a Sawgrass printer.
If you don’t have the budget for a Sawgrass, I would go for the Epson F170 if you can find it in stock, at someplace you trust to purchase it. If you can’t afford the F170, the other option would be an Epson EcoTank. So it does fall at the bottom of my list, personally, because so many people have issues using it.
I will say that my Epson EcoTank hasn’t been bad. It was the hardest to set up, the hardest to get going, and the hardest to make the projects that I had in my mind that were Pinterest-worthy. It was the hardest to get to that point, but once I got it there, my printer has been fine.
Because so many people have problems, I don’t like recommending an Epson EcoTank printer for sublimation as it is an investment. When that investment only lasts a few months before it starts acting up and you have to buy a whole other setup, then the cost of that Epson EcoTank goes up exponentially. This is why I always put the Epson EcoTank at the bottom of my list of the best sublimation printers even though mine has been great. If you don’t want to gamble with your money, I would get something that is intended for sublimation.
Where to Purchase Sublimation PrintersFinding these sublimation printers can be difficult. I’m sharing links to the places I recommend purchasing them below:
Final Thoughts on Which is the Best Sublimation PrinterI hope this helps you pick a sublimation printer that is right for you. As you can see, picking the best sublimation printer for your needs will depend on a few things like your budget, how often you’ll be printing, and even the size of the projects you may need to make.
I do believe, if you have the budget, going with a dedicated sublimation printer is the best choice. You’ll have the warranty and support to help make sure your prints are exactly what you need.
If you’re ready to start your sublimation journey, make sure and join my new sublimation course Sublimation Prep! You’ll find everything you need to know about sublimation including how to choose supplies, heat presses, and so much more. Don’t miss Sublimation Prep and start sublimating like a pro!
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