Do you want to start sublimation printing as a business, but it’s hard for you to buy a new sublimation printer, or do you have a very limited budget for your new home-based work? You cannot buy a new sublimation printer Because the prices of sublimation printers are ridiculously high.
Don’t worry! We have a piece of good news for you. If you are looking for a cost-effective and useful alternative. You have come to the right place; here in this post, we will guide you on how to convert an HP printer to a sublimation printer within minutes without any hassle, quickly, and easily.
Our team converted an HP printer into a sublimation printer and got the incredible results we aimed for. So, here we share our experience, tips, and tricks we used to convert our HP printer for a sublimation printing project. The whole process is easy and costs less than 40-50 bucks. The conversion process goes quickly and easily if you have the required printer type. So let’s get started!
How to Convert HP Printer into Sublimation Printer?
Follow these simple steps.
Pre-requisite to Convert HP Printer to Sublimation
The following things are required to convert a Hp printer into Sublimation
• Printer
• Sublimation Ink
• Heat Transfer paper
• Heat Press
Start Process With A New HP Printer
The first and most important thing to consider before converting your hp printer into Sublimation is that you have never used the printer for regular printing. It must be in its prime condition and unused. If you converted a used HP printer, the sublimation ink and ordinary ink mix up and lead you to lose all of its benefits.
Pour The sublimation Ink into the Tanks.
The next and most important hot stuff you need to convert the Hp printer to Sublimation is to arrange the sublimation ink. The sublimation ink gives better quality results than regular ink and usually comes in four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow).
You can purchase it from any good supplier or read our detailed review on the best sublimation ink.
Once you arrange the best quality sublimation ink, pour it into the tanks and fill them up accordingly. Another thing you also take into account to convert your Hp printer into a sublimation printer is that it must have a tank system to remove and refile the ink.
Because the Hp printers that are based on ink cartridges are not converted into Sublimation. The main reason is that compatible ink cartridges are not easily found in the market.
Sublimation papers
After pouring the ink into tanks, you next need sublimation paper. Sublimation paper is specifically designed porous paper used in sublimation printing; they allow the sublimation ink to pass through paper easily without bleeding.
They also provide eye-catching and vibrant printouts of your final project compared to ordinary printing paper. So, using the best quality sublimation paper to get high-quality prints is suggested because the low-quality paper may damage your Hp printer or not give the required results.
If you face any difficulty in finding good quality sublimation paper, also read the best sublimation paper.
Download The Desired Image
After that, you need to download and install the free Sublimation software.
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- CorelDRAW
This software helps you to customize the desired images you want to sublimate on your t-shirt, mugs, mobile case, pillow cover, and many more. With this software’s help, you can customize the colours of your final image or use ready-made templates for your home or office-based projects.
After selecting the perfect picture, adjust its size and proportions. You can also set the orientation of your image from portrait to landscape that you want in your final design.
Proceed To Print
To complete the printing process follow the steps carefully
• After selecting the desired image, proceed to print and click on the “file” tap. Then a dropdown menu appears; select print from this menu.
• Right after the selection of print, a new window “printing options” will appear to choose the option “Sublimate” Printer from the printer list.
• Then click the ‘Print’ button at the bottom and wait for the print to come out.
Inspect The Image
Closely inspect the printed image that comes out of the printer. Check it carefully; the image has no lines, wrinkles, or gaps. If any lines or holes appear, waste them and print them on another piece of paper. Repeat the process until you get a clear image without any intervals and wrinkles.
If the printed image comes lighter, don’t worry, sublimation inks brighten up and show better coloration when heat is applied to the fabric with the help of a heat press machine.
Iron the fabric
After getting the clear printouts, heat press and transfer the image on a t-shirt or any other required item you want to sublimate; ironing is the most important and must to do step before sublimating the t-shirt or any different fabric. Ironing removes the crease lines and provides a clear, wrinkle-free surface.
This will also help achieve a smooth image transfer on the fabric. So, for a clear and neat output, iron the t-shirt or any desired fabric and proceed further.
Heat Press
After ironing your t-shirt, heat press the image. Before placing it, take a simple paper or butter paper underneath the t-shirt where you want to sublimate the image. This will prevent dies or ink from sticking on the other side of the t-shirt.
Place the image on the top side, then place another piece of butter paper on it and tape it to the shirt. Next, start the heat press machine dyes melt with heat and transfer from the page and stick on the fabric permanently.
Wait For Cool Down
After all the hard work, remember not to peel off the sublimation paper quickly to see the results. Wait for sixty seconds and let the paper and heat press cool down completely. This will help settle the colour and get a crack-free DIY t-shirt.
FAQS
What type of printer can be used for Sublimation?
Inkjet printers are normally used for Sublimation. These printers use specific types of sublimation ink and paper to transfer the image onto different substrates such as mugs, mobile covers, t-shirts, ceramics, and many more.
Earlier, only a few types of printers are used for sublimation printing. But with the passage of time and technological advancements, almost all inkjet printers can be converted and used for Sublimation.
Which type of Printers are easily Converted to Sublimation?
The Epson EcoTank Series inkjet printers with piezo print head technology and Epsin workforce printers are easily converted to Sublimation. You can select any of these Epson EcoTank Series printers. The example of the most common and high-performance Epson printers include
- ET-8550
- ET -2760
- ET-3750
- ET-2800
- ET-2700
- ET-16000
- ET-15000
- ET-4700
- WF-7710 &7720
- WF-2750
- WF-7310 and many more.
Can I Use a Brother Printer for Sublimation?
You can use Brother printers with piezo printing technology for Sublimation easily. But the biggest problem is the non-availability of compatible sublimation ink for Brother printers. Your printing quality may suffer due to a lack of refill ink or third-party ink.
Can we convert any printer into a sublimation printer?
First of all, your existing printer should be unused and in its infancy condition to convert any printer into a sublimation printer. Moreover, it should be based on ink tanks instead of cartridges so that you can easily refill ink into the tanks, which were also not used before. Using any used or old printer will damage your printer, and you will not get the desired results.
Do I need Particular or Special ink for Sublimation?
Yes, for Sublimation, you need special ink. Because the sublimation printing process less or more looks like dyeing. The sublimation ink directly turns into gas when heat and pressure are applied.
The dye ink has bonding properties and becomes an integral part of the printing product. These sublimation inks are water resistant and do not fade and wash off over time. All these properties make sublimation ink highly durable and reliable for sublimation printing projects.
Conclusion
We help all these steps in this guide help you to convert an HP printer into a sublimation. Before completing the process, double-check all actions and use high-quality sublimation inks and paper to produce durable and beautiful images that will last for years. If you have any questions or difficulties, feel free to comment.
