How to Turn an Epson Printer into a Sublimation Printer
Epson EcoTank printers are the go-to choice for sublimation because they use refillable ink tanks rather than cartridges, and they use piezoelectric print heads. That second point is the important one. Piezoelectric heads use electrical pulses to fire ink droplets, unlike thermal print heads (used by HP and Canon) which heat the ink. Sublimation ink does not respond well to heat-based firing, so Epson's technology is what makes the conversion possible.
Which Epson Models Work for Sublimation?
Any Epson EcoTank printer with four-colour CMYK ink tanks can be converted for sublimation. The most popular models in the UK are:
- ET-2810 - the most affordable A4 option, prints the same quality sublimation output as the more expensive models
- ET-2850 - adds a colour LCD screen and auto document feeder for convenience
- ET-2862 - similar to the ET-2850 with minor feature differences
- ET-16150 - A3 capable, for larger transfers and all-over garment prints
The print quality for sublimation is the same across all of these models. The differences are in convenience features and print size. If you only need A4 transfers (mugs, phone cases, small garment prints), any of the A4 models will do the job perfectly well.
What About the Warranty?
This is worth being upfront about. Filling an Epson printer with third-party sublimation ink technically voids the manufacturer's warranty. Epson's warranty covers the printer when used with Epson-branded inks, and sublimation ink is not an Epson product. In practice, EcoTank printers are reliable machines and problems are rare, but you should be aware of this before you start. It is one reason many people opt for a pre-converted starter bundle rather than converting a printer they have already been using for regular printing.
Converting a Brand New Printer
If you have just bought a new EcoTank printer and it has never been filled with Epson's own ink, the conversion process is as simple as it gets. Instead of filling the tanks with the Epson ink bottles that came in the box, you fill them with sublimation ink instead.
Each ink tank is colour-coded (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black), so fill each tank with the matching sublimation ink colour. Once the tanks are filled, run the initial charge process as normal. The printer will draw ink through the system and into the print head. After the initial charge, run a nozzle check to confirm all four channels are flowing cleanly.
That is genuinely all there is to it with a brand new printer. You have not had to flush anything out, you have not wasted any ink, and the sublimation ink is the only thing that has ever touched the print head.
Converting a Printer That Has Already Been Used
If you have been using your EcoTank with regular Epson ink and now want to switch to sublimation, the process is more involved. You need to flush all the standard ink out of the system before sublimation ink goes in. Any regular ink left in the lines or print head will contaminate your sublimation prints and affect colour accuracy.
The simplest flushing method is to print large solid colour blocks (full-page cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) repeatedly until the old ink is exhausted. You will go through a lot of paper and waste a significant amount of ink doing this. It is not a quick process, and you will know the old ink is gone when the prints start coming out very faint or blank, indicating the tanks are empty.
Once the tanks are empty, refill with sublimation ink, run the printer's charging cycle, and then print more test pages until the colours come through clean and consistent. The whole process can use a fair amount of sublimation ink as well, because you are pushing it through lines that still have traces of the old ink.
This is honestly the main reason we recommend starting with a new printer if possible. The cost of the wasted ink and paper, plus the time involved, often makes it more economical to just buy a fresh EcoTank and fill it with sublimation ink from the start. Pre-converted bundles like the ET-2810 Starter Bundle come with the printer already filled with sublimation ink, an ICC colour profile, sublimation paper, and everything else you need to start printing straight away.
After the Conversion
Once your printer is running sublimation ink, you will need to install an ICC colour profile and configure your print settings. The ICC profile ensures your printer reproduces colours accurately with the specific sublimation ink you are using. Without it, colours will be noticeably off. Your ink supplier should provide the correct profile for their ink set.
You will also want to keep the printer in regular use. Sublimation ink can dry in the print head if the printer sits idle for extended periods, which leads to clogged nozzles. Printing at least a small test page every few days helps keep the ink flowing. If you do get a clog, run a nozzle check and head cleaning from the printer's maintenance menu.
For a deeper look at which printer models suit different needs, see our guide on what kind of printer is needed for sublimation.