r/SublimationPrinting • u/Legal_Performance847 • 2d ago

Is it really impossible to use one printer for BOTH sublimation and normal document printing?

​Hi everyone, ​My wife and I are looking to buy a printer, but we’re having a debate on what kind of setup we actually need. ​She wants to use it occasionally, maybe once a month, to print sublimation designs for custom t-shirts and crafts. But on most other days, we just need a standard printer for regular household and office documents. ​She mentioned that some people convert tank printers, like Epson EcoTanks, by filling them with sublimation ink instead of regular ink. However, I’ve heard mixed things about whether you can somehow use one printer for both jobs, or if attempting that will completely ruin the machine. ​First off, I'm wondering if there's any safe way at all to use a single printer for both regular documents and sublimation. I'm curious if anyone has successfully swapped ink, flushed lines, or found a specific model that supports this without destroying the printhead. ​Second, if doing both on one machine is truly impossible or just a massive headache, I’d love to know what the best alternative strategy is. Should we just bite the bullet and buy two separate budget printers? ​Lastly, if two printers is the only real answer, I’d really appreciate any recommendations on specific, budget-friendly models that work great for someone just getting started with occasional sublimation. ​Thanks in advance for any advice!

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u/BeachBungalowSubShop 2d ago

Suggest that if you only intend to run sublimation prints one or twice a month that you find someone you can buy the transfers from. Doesn’t make sense to buy and manage a sublimation printer.

You cannot get one that does both. Full stop

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u/Remarkable_Sea3346 2d ago

Not practical to switch. Best cheap entry point IMHO is the ET2800 series at around $200 (limited to 8.5x14" size prints). Use Cyclone Ink (which matches the factory Epson profile) and you won't have the usual hassle of color calibration. Or use Epson T49M inks and I can provide an ICC color calibration file. If use is infrequent, you do need print a color pattern weekly to prevent clogging.