5 Best 13×19 Sublimation Printers for Wide Format (2026)

Updated: May 14, 2026

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Looking for the best 13×19 sublimation printer for wide-format prints? Whether you want bigger shirt designs, photo-grade canvas prints, or banner-size projects, picking the right wide-format sublimation printer matters more than picking the right ink or paper. Choose wrong, and you end up with an expensive paperweight or a premium device you cannot use because the cartridges are empty.

I compared the 5 wide-format sublimation printers crafters most often consider: the Epson ET-15000, ET-8550, ET-16600, WorkForce WF-7820, and Sawgrass SG1000. This guide keeps the choice practical: which printer fits your projects, which ones are risky to convert, and where the real running costs show up.

Important: Most printers in this guide print 13×19 inches directly. The Sawgrass SG1000 prints 11×17 out of the box and reaches 13×19 only with the optional bypass tray. I included it because it is the strongest plug-and-play sublimation option for crafters who want to avoid Epson conversion entirely.

Best Picks by Situation

The best overall 13×19 sublimation printer for most crafters is the Epson ET-15000. Choose the ET-8550 for photo quality, the Sawgrass SG1000 with optional bypass tray for no-conversion use, and the ET-16600 for office/craft hybrid work. Here is the full quick-pick mapping:

Need	Best Pick
Best overall 13×19 sublimation printer	Epson ET-15000
Best photo-quality option	Epson ET-8550
Best no-conversion option	Sawgrass SG1000 with optional bypass tray
Best office/craft hybrid	Epson ET-16600
Best only if you already own it	Epson WF-7820
Avoid	Canon photo printers, HP DesignJet plotters

How I Chose These Printers

I focused on printers crafters realistically consider for wide-format sublimation. The selection criteria: 13×19 capability, refill or conversion path, ink availability, maintenance difficulty, running cost, and whether the printer makes sense for beginners. I did not include printers that are great for photo printing but poor choices for sublimation conversion (for example, the Canon PIXMA series), and I did not include 24-inch professional printers that overshoot the typical 13×19 crafter budget. I prioritized beginner-friendly conversion paths over raw photo-printer specs.

Why 13×19 Matters for Sublimation

13×19 gives you more room for adult shirt designs, oversized transfers, larger photo panels, tote bags, and gang sheets (multiple small designs printed on one sheet to save paper). Standard 8.5×11 or 8.5×14 printers can work for mugs and small designs, but they feel limiting once you start making full-front shirts or larger craft blanks.

Print Size	Best For
8.5×11 in (letter)	Mugs, small decals, small gifts, keychains
8.5×14 in (legal)	Tumblers, small shirt designs, larger keychains
11×17 in (tabloid)	Larger shirts, smaller signs, photo panels
13×19 in (super tabloid)	Full-front adult shirts, gang sheets, larger panels and signs, tote bags

5 Best 13×19 Sublimation Printers Compared at a Glance

Before the detailed reviews, here is the side-by-side comparison so you can spot the right pick in 30 seconds. The full breakdown for each printer follows below.

Printer	Max Print Size	Colors	Conversion	Best For
Epson ET-15000	13×19 in	4 (CMYK)	Easy (2/10)	Beginners on a budget
Epson ET-8550	13×19 in	6 (BK + PB + CMY + GY)	Medium (4/10)	Photo-grade prints
Sawgrass SG1000	11×17 standard / 13×19 with bypass tray	4 (CMYK)	None (0/10)	Plug-and-play, zero hassle
Epson ET-16600	13×19 in	4 (CMYK)	Easy (3/10)	Office multifunction (print/scan/fax)
Epson WF-7820	13×19 in	4 (Cartridge)	Hard (8/10)	Existing WorkForce owners

Each printer below gets a dedicated review with the honest pros and cons. Pricing tiers (budget, mid, premium) are explained without quoting specific dollar figures — check current pricing on Amazon as prices change frequently.

Best 13×19 Sublimation Printer by Project Type

Many crafters do not start by comparing specs. They start by thinking about what they want to make. This table maps the right printer to common sublimation projects.

Project	Best Printer	Why
Large shirt designs	Epson ET-15000	Easy 13×19 conversion, low running cost on Hiipoo ink
Photo panels and canvas	Epson ET-8550	Better tonal range and photo-style output (6-color photo EcoTank)
Etsy orders / daily use	Sawgrass SG1000	No conversion, less maintenance stress, lower-maintenance after idle days
Office + crafting	Epson ET-16600	ADF, larger trays, business workflow, better office handling
Existing WorkForce setup	Epson WF-7820	Only worth it if you already own one (cartridge-based conversion is harder)

1. Epson EcoTank ET-15000 — Best Budget 13×19 Sublimation Printer

The Epson ET-15000 is the printer most beginner crafters actually buy when they want wide-format sublimation without spending big. It is a 4-color EcoTank with built-in refillable ink tanks, support for prints up to 13×19 inches, plus the all-in-one extras (scanner, copier, ADF, fax) that make it useful beyond just printing.

Why it wins for budget buyers: The conversion is genuinely the easiest of any wide-format Epson. The EcoTank arrives empty, you fill the tanks with sublimation ink before the first power-on, and the printer never sees regular Epson ink. No cartridge resets, no chip workarounds, no warranty drama compared to flushing an already-used printer.

Honest watch-outs: Only 4 colors (CMYK) means it cannot match the photo-grade output of the 6-color ET-8550. The print resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi which is plenty for shirts, mugs, tumblers, and most hard substrates, but skin tones on detailed photo prints can look slightly less smooth. Also, like all converted EcoTanks, your warranty disappears the moment you put 3rd-party ink in.

Best for: Crafters who print on shirts, mugs, tumblers, hardboards, and tote bags. Anyone who wants a clear upgrade path from the ET-2800 entry-level converted printer but does not need photo-grade output.

Do not buy it if you are not comfortable voiding the Epson manufacturer warranty by using sublimation ink instead of regular Epson ink.

Print Speed and Practical Workflow: The ET-15000 prints around 17 pages per minute in black-and-white and roughly 9 ppm in color, which is realistic for batch sublimation. Wireless printing through the Epson Smart panel works on iOS and Android, plus Ethernet and USB for desktop setups. The 250-sheet front paper tray plus rear specialty-paper feed means you can keep regular bond paper loaded for office use and feed sublimation paper from the rear without swapping trays. That dual-feed setup is an underrated quality-of-life feature for crafters who still use the printer for normal office tasks.

Maintenance Reality: Like any converted EcoTank, the ET-15000 needs to print regularly. Plan on running a small print at least once per week to keep the print head from drying out. The built-in nozzle check pattern (accessed through the printer menu) takes 30 seconds and tells you immediately if any color is partially clogged. Catching a clog at “partial” stage is fixable with a head clean. Letting it progress to “fully blocked” is where the printer becomes a brick.

2. Epson EcoTank ET-8550 — Best Photo Quality (6-Color Photo EcoTank)

The Epson ET-8550 is the photo-quality pick in this list. It is a 6-color photo EcoTank with Black, Photo Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Gray. For sublimation projects where color accuracy and skin-tone fidelity matter (canvas prints, photo panels, premium signage), the ET-8550 is the printer to pick.

Why it wins for photo work: The 5760×1440 dpi print resolution combined with the 6-color ink system produces noticeably smoother gradients and richer tonal detail than 4-color machines. It also has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, dual paper trays, a built-in scanner, and supports prints up to 13×19. For canvas, metal panels, or photographer-style transfers, this is the converted printer of choice.

Honest watch-outs: The conversion is a step harder than the ET-15000 because there are 6 tanks to fill (not 4) and you need a 6-color sublimation ink set, not the cheaper CMYK-only options. The extra Photo Black and Gray channels also cost more per refill. And like every converted Epson, the warranty goes the moment you swap inks.

Best for: Photo enthusiasts, crafters selling premium canvas or photo panels, anyone whose work depends on accurate skin tones, smooth gradients, or detailed monochrome and shadow work. If most of what you print is shirts and tumblers with bold solid colors, the cheaper ET-15000 will give you indistinguishable results for the project.

Do not buy it if you mostly print simple shirts and tumblers. The 6-color photo advantage may not justify the higher setup cost and the bigger ink expense.

Why 6 Colors Actually Matter for Sublimation: The extra Photo Black and Gray channels are most useful for smoother tonal transitions, darker photo areas, and more nuanced grayscale or shadow-heavy designs. For projects featuring portraits, monochrome work, or high-contrast landscapes, the difference shows up clearly on canvas and photo panels compared to 4-color CMYK printers.

Software and Workflow Notes: The ET-8550 ships with Epson Photo Plus software which is decent for basic color profiles but lacks the granular control of professional RIP software. Most ET-8550 sublimation users eventually pair it with a custom ICC profile from the ink supplier (Hiipoo or Cosmos publish ET-8550 profiles for their inks). Without an ICC profile your prints will look “almost right” but with subtle color shifts on skin tones. Plan for the ICC profile setup as part of the initial workflow.

3. Sawgrass SG1000 — Best Plug-and-Play 13×19 Sublimation Printer (with Optional Bypass Tray)

The Sawgrass SG1000 is the only printer on this list designed for sublimation from the factory. No conversion. No warranty risks. Just plug it in, install the included SubliJet UHD cartridges, and start printing. For business-focused users who do not want to babysit a converted EcoTank, this is the obvious choice.

If you hate printer maintenance, the Sawgrass SG1000 is the safest 13×19 path because it needs no conversion and has built-in self-maintenance. Just remember: 13×19 requires the optional bypass tray, and proprietary ink costs more than EcoTank refills.

Why it wins for plug-and-play: Self-cleaning maintenance cycles help reduce the clogging issues that plague unused converted printers. Sawgrass provides utility software with preset profiles for common blanks (mugs, tumblers, shirts), so color matching is almost foolproof. The SG1000 prints up to 11×17 inches out of the box, or up to 13×19 inches when you add the optional bypass tray. That makes it a true wide-format option, but not the cheapest path to 13×19 because the larger format requires the extra accessory.

Honest watch-outs: Three real downsides. First, Sawgrass cartridges are proprietary, meaning you cannot save money with 3rd-party ink. Second, if any cartridge runs empty, the printer stops — even mid-job. Third, the upfront investment puts this firmly in the premium tier compared to a converted ET-15000.

Best for: Small businesses, Etsy sellers running daily orders, anyone burned by clogged converted printers before. If you sell sublimation products as a job rather than a hobby, the no-maintenance experience can be worth every dollar.

Do not buy it if low ink cost matters more than plug-and-play reliability. Sawgrass ink is significantly more expensive than 3rd-party EcoTank refills over the lifetime of the printer.

The Real Sawgrass Difference: The SG1000 is built around dye-sublimation chemistry from the ground up. The print head, ink delivery system, and firmware are tuned for sublimation, not adapted from a regular office printer. That manifests in two measurable ways. First, color reproduction is consistent batch-to-batch in a way converted EcoTanks struggle with after a year of use. Second, the printer firmware knows when it has been idle and automatically runs a brief maintenance cycle to help reduce clogs — you do not have to remember to print weekly.

The Cartridge Reality: SG1000 uses SubliJet UHD cartridges that cost noticeably more than 3rd-party EcoTank refill bottles. Sawgrass operates a proprietary ink-and-software ecosystem; the trade-off is higher running costs but less conversion guesswork and better plug-and-play support. For hobby use the math favors Epson EcoTanks. For Etsy seller use with consistent weekly print volume, the math often flips in Sawgrass favor because clogged-printer downtime kills sales velocity.

4. Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 — Best Office Multifunction

The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-16600 sits between the entry-level ET-15000 and the dedicated Sawgrass options. It is a 4-color converted EcoTank like the ET-15000, but with the office multifunction features cranked up: 500-sheet front paper tray, 4.3-inch color touchscreen, automatic 2-sided printing, ADF for scanning, and a more business-focused paper and workflow setup.

Why it wins for office multifunction: If you run sublimation alongside a small business that actually needs to print invoices, scan documents, and copy paperwork, the ET-16600 doubles as the office printer in a way the standard ET-15000 cannot. The larger paper trays and business-grade duty cycle also mean fewer interruptions when you produce hundreds of transfers per month.

Honest watch-outs: You will see the ET-16650 listed alongside the ET-16600. For sublimation, the ET-16600 is the better-value pick — the “pro” upgrade only affects color printing speed and color-nozzle count, neither of which matters when you are doing slow, controlled sublimation prints. Save the price premium for ink and paper. Conversion is slightly trickier than the ET-15000 because there is more ink volume to manage during the initial fill.

Best for: Crafters who run a side business with actual paperwork to print, anyone producing more than 50 transfers per week, and shoppers who want a workhorse rather than a hobby printer.

Do not buy it only for print quality. Buy it for office features, paper capacity, and workflow convenience. The output difference vs the ET-15000 on the same ink and paper is minimal.

What “Pro” Actually Means Here: The “Pro” designation on the EcoTank Pro line refers to the larger paper capacity, faster output (around 25 ppm B&W vs 17 ppm on the ET-15000), and business-grade duty cycle — not a photo-quality upgrade. For sublimation, both are 4-color EcoTank-style conversion candidates, so for typical shirts, tumblers, and hard blanks, the visible output difference should be small when using the same sublimation ink, paper, and ICC workflow. Choose the ET-16600 for office features, paper capacity, and workflow convenience — not because it magically prints better transfers.

Hidden Detail: The ADF Matters for Etsy Sellers. The automatic document feeder lets you scan multi-page shipping manifests, packing slips, and seller documentation without manually feeding each page. For an Etsy shop running 30+ orders per week, that small detail saves hours per month compared to a flatbed-only scanner on the ET-15000. It is the kind of feature you do not notice until you no longer have it.

5. Epson WorkForce WF-7820 — Best for Existing WorkForce Owners

The Epson WorkForce WF-7820 is the cartridge-based wide-format option. Unlike the EcoTank line, it uses traditional ink cartridges, which means the conversion process is fundamentally different: you cannot just dump new ink into tanks. The WF-7820 uses Epson 812-series cartridges in the U.S. market, so conversion requires compatible refillable 812 / 812XL cartridges, sublimation ink, and a willingness to deal with chip resets when the cartridges signal “empty” before they actually are.

Why it makes the list: If you already own a WF-series printer (the WF-7710, WF-7720, WF-7820 are all in the same family), converting it for sublimation skips the cost of buying a new printer. The print resolution at 4800×2400 dpi is on par with EcoTanks, the 13×19 max size is identical, and the build quality is solid.

Honest watch-outs: The conversion is genuinely difficult. You need refillable cartridges that hold sublimation ink, chip-reset tools (or replacement chips), and patience for the chip-reset cycle every time a cartridge “runs out”. If you have never converted a printer before, the WF-7820 is the wrong place to learn. Buy the ET-15000 instead.

Best for: Crafters who already own a WorkForce printer and want to avoid spending on a new EcoTank. Or anyone comfortable with the refillable-cartridge-plus-chip-reset workflow.

Do not buy it as your first conversion printer. The cartridge system and chip resets are the wrong place to learn sublimation conversion. Start with the ET-15000 instead.

The Honest Conversion Workflow: Converting a WF-7820 requires three things you do not need for an EcoTank conversion. First, refillable 812 / 812XL-compatible cartridges (the empty plastic shells with auto-reset chips that hold sublimation ink). Second, the actual sublimation ink to fill them. Third, a chip-reset tool or replacement chips for when the cartridge electronics signal “empty” before the cartridge is actually empty. None of this is hard once you have done it twice, but the learning curve is real.

When the WF-7820 Beats an EcoTank: The cartridge system has one underrated advantage. If a single color clogs badly, you can swap out just that color cartridge without flushing the entire ink system. With an EcoTank, a serious clog on one color usually means a multi-day soak-and-recovery procedure. The cartridge system is more modular, even if the day-to-day workflow is more annoying.

How to Choose Your 13×19 Sublimation Printer in 30 Seconds

For most crafters, choose the Epson ET-15000 if you want the easiest budget 13×19 conversion, the ET-8550 if photo quality matters, and the Sawgrass SG1000 if you want plug-and-play sublimation with no conversion. Use the decision tree below to land on the right one fast.

Your Situation	My Pick
Budget-friendly first wide-format printer	Epson ET-15000
Photo-grade canvas, panels, skin tones matter	Epson ET-8550 (6-color)
No conversion, lower-maintenance business use	Sawgrass SG1000
Small business with real office paperwork	Epson ET-16600
Already own a WorkForce printer	Epson WF-7820

Still on the fence? Most beginner crafters land on the ET-15000 because the conversion is so forgiving. Most working photographers and premium-product Etsy sellers land on the ET-8550 or SG1000. If your conversion budget worries you more than ink costs, EcoTank. If your time worries you more than money, Sawgrass.

Conversion Difficulty Compared

The easiest 13×19 sublimation setup is the Sawgrass SG1000 because it needs no conversion. Among Epson conversions, the ET-15000 is the easiest beginner pick. The WF-7820 is the hardest because it requires refillable cartridges and chip management. Not all converted printers are equally easy to set up. Here is the honest conversion difficulty score for each printer on this list, from “no work at all” to “do this only if you are comfortable with chip-reset workflows”.

Printer	Difficulty	What You Have to Do
Sawgrass SG1000	0 / 10	Install cartridges, plug in. No conversion needed.
Epson ET-15000	2 / 10	Fill 4 tanks with sublimation ink before first power-on. Never touch regular Epson ink.
Epson ET-16600	3 / 10	Same as ET-15000 but slightly more ink volume to handle during fill. 4 tanks.
Epson ET-8550	4 / 10	6 tanks (BK + PB + CMY + GY) to fill instead of 4. Requires a 6-color sublimation ink set.
Epson WF-7820	8 / 10	Buy refillable cartridges, fill with sub ink, manage chip resets when cartridges “run out” before they are actually empty.

My tip: if you have never converted a printer before, stay in the 0–4 range. The WF-7820 is fantastic for someone with experience, but a frustrating first project.

What NOT to Buy for 13×19 Sublimation

Printer	Why I Did NOT Recommend It
Canon PIXMA PRO-200	Excellent dye-based photo printer (ChromaLife 100+ ink), but not a beginner-friendly sublimation conversion path. Canon’s ink system is not designed for dye-sublimation.
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300	10-color LUCIA PRO pigment photo printer. Pigment ink does not sublimate, so this printer is not a sublimation candidate.
HP DesignJet T210	Technical drawing and plotter workflow with HP DesignJet ink cartridges. Wrong ink type entirely for sublimation. Not the right conversion path for crafters.
Sawgrass SG500	Great sublimation printer, but only prints up to 8.5×14. Not 13×19, so off-topic for this guide.
Epson SureColor F570	True dedicated sublimation printer, but 24-inch professional format. Overkill for 13×19 shoppers and far above the typical crafter budget.
Sawgrass F170	Excellent compact sublimation printer, but maxes out at 8.5×14. Not a 13×19 option.
Used WF-7710 / WF-7720	Discontinued. Used-market risk (clogged heads, no replacement parts). The current WF-7820 is the direct replacement and easier to support long-term.

If you see a Canon photo printer listed as a beginner-friendly sublimation pick on another guide, be careful. Photo quality and sublimation compatibility are not the same thing.

Total Cost of Ownership for 13×19 Sublimation Printers

Hardware price is only one part of the puzzle. Sublimation ink, refills, and replacement parts add up over time. Here is the honest cost tier breakdown without quoting dollar figures — check Amazon for current pricing on each item.

Printer	Hardware Tier	Annual Ink Tier	Year 1 Investment
Epson ET-15000	Budget	Budget (3rd-party Hiipoo or Printers Jack)	Low
Epson ET-8550	Mid-Range	Mid-Range (6-color set is pricier than 4-color)	Mid
Sawgrass SG1000	Premium	Premium (proprietary Sawgrass cartridges only)	High
Epson ET-16600	Mid-Range	Budget (3rd-party Hiipoo or Printers Jack)	Mid
Epson WF-7820	Budget-Mid	Mid-Range (refillable cartridges + sub ink + chip resets)	Mid

Check current pricing on Amazon for accurate budget planning. Hardware tiers shift seasonally and ink costs vary by brand.

My honest take: budget-conscious crafters save the most with the ET-15000 plus 3rd-party Hiipoo ink. Business users who hate downtime may get the best long-term value from the Sawgrass SG1000 because the self-maintenance workflow reduces clogging risk and setup frustration. Everyone else lands in the middle with the ET-8550 or ET-16600.

Print Quality Differences Between These 5 Printers

One question that comes up constantly: “Is the print quality really different between these printers, or is it marketing fluff?” Honest answer: most of the time it does not matter, but in three specific scenarios it does.

Solid-color shirts and tumblers: On bold, solid-color designs (logos, monograms, single-color phrases), the differences between these printers are usually much smaller than beginners expect. Ink quality, paper, press settings, and ICC profile often matter more than the printer model. Hiipoo ink in an ET-15000 and Sawgrass UHD in an SG1000 can both produce excellent solid-color t-shirt logos.

Detailed photo prints and gradients: Here the 6-color ET-8550 pulls ahead. Skin tones, sunset gradients, and shadow detail show measurable differences. The 4-color machines (ET-15000, ET-16600, WF-7820) handle this acceptably but not perfectly. The Sawgrass SG1000 with UHD inks is excellent for solid color but the 4-color limitation applies to gradient detail.

Long-term color consistency: Sawgrass SG1000 wins on consistency over the lifetime of the printer because its firmware actively prevents the slow color drift that affects converted EcoTanks after 12-18 months. If you need print A in January and print Z in December to look identical for a recurring product, the SG1000 saves you from re-calibration drama.

My take: for hobby use, the print quality differences are theoretical. For business use selling premium products, they become real and visible to customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

My Final Pick

If you want one straightforward recommendation and you are comfortable voiding the Epson manufacturer warranty by converting it, buy the Epson EcoTank ET-15000. It is the budget-friendly entry to wide-format sublimation, the conversion is the easiest of the group, and the print quality satisfies 90 percent of crafter needs.

Step up to the Epson ET-8550 only if photo-grade prints and skin-tone accuracy are central to your work. Upgrade to the Sawgrass SG1000 only if running a daily-order business and the cost of downtime exceeds the cost of premium ink.

For pairing with your new printer, you will also need a quality heat press, sublimation paper, and a sublimation-friendly workspace. Start with the sublimation troubleshooting hub if you hit problems, the beginner’s roadmap if you are starting from scratch, or the best heat press machines guide to round out your setup.

The 13×19 wide-format sublimation market has been stable for two years. The printers above represent the realistic choices for 2026. Pick based on your real needs, avoid the Canon and HP options that often show up in generic printer lists, and you will be printing wide-format transfers within an afternoon of unboxing.