by Melissa Donovan
Dye-sublimation (dye-sub) printing is used by print shops for soft signage, backlit displays, trade show graphics, flags, retail graphics, and décor. A rising demand for customized textiles, the growth of ecommerce, and shift toward sustainable production methods make the technology attractive. This is discussed in detail in the November issue of Digital Output.
Here, we share various dye-sub printers available to help you enter this segment.
American Print Consultants distributes DGI wide format dye-sub printers, including the DGI Poseidon II. With a 72-inch print width, the printer achieves speeds of up to 8,180 square feet per hour (sf/h). It comes with a 10L high-capacity bulk ink system making in engineered for true unattended printing.
Durst Image Technology US, LLC’s P5 TEX iSUB is a dye-sub printer with inline fixation, ensuring excellent color consistency along with sharp details in images and text. With a maximum output of up to 4,540 sf/h the printer is not only limited to direct printing, but transfer papers can be printed and processed as well. The printer’s maximum printing width is 133 inches or 3.3 meters. The P5 500 TEX iSUB is the latest innovation in the company’s TEX platform, and represents a unique solution in the market, combining five-meter-wide sublimation printing with fully integrated inline fixation.
The EFI VUTEk FabriVU 340i+ 3.4-meter printer offers a wider application range, production-level speeds, and outstanding image quality. Inline fixation enables you to direct print to fabric and sublimate in one step, allowing for production runs that are immediately ready for finishing and shipping. Ultra-high resolution up to 2,400 dpi and three-level grayscale printing with 7pL, 12pL, and 18pL drop sizes for smooth transitions and perfect crispness. The result is dramatic four-color printing with a wide color gamut, rich blacks, and deep color saturation for exceptional high-quality, backlit fabric displays.
The Epson 64-inch SureColor F9570 and SureColor F9570H offer advanced dye-sub transfer printing for sports apparel and fashion, home décor, promotional and personalized products, and soft signage markets. It is designed from the ground up to deliver worry-free reliability in high-volume environments. Featuring an advanced, user-replaceable PrecisionCore Micro TPF printhead with Nozzle Verification Technology, coupled with UltraChrome DS ink technology, they deliver outstanding prints at high speeds up to 1,590 sf/h. The SureColor F9570H offers an expanded six-color ink set with multiple configurations, including CMYK plus either light cyan and light magenta for enhanced smoothness, fluorescent pink and fluorescent yellow for added brightness, or orange and violet for an expanded color gamut.
Global Imaging distributes both ATP and Durst dye-sub printers, of which they focus on speed, ease of use, and versatility. These offer inline fixation to eliminate the need for a separate heat press, streamlining workflow; up to eight colors—CMYK orange, blue, fluorescent yellow, and fluorescent pink; printers with widths up to 16 feet wide; printheads that deliver finer detail at higher speeds with less banding; as well as eco-focused designs utilizing water-based inks and reduced energy fixation units.
HP Inc. offers the Stitch S1000 dye-sub printer with superwide printing up to 126 inches or 3.2 meters. The printer is equipped with ten liter cartridges and can hold a roll of media up to 661 lb. Its maximum production speed is 2,370 sf/h.
Mimaki USA, Inc. offers the Tiger600-1800TS high-volume dye-sub printer. It enables production up to 5,920 sf/h for dependable, on-demand throughput.
Mutoh America, Inc.’s XpertJet 1642WR Pro 64-inch is a high-speed dye-sub inkjet printer with a new platform that inherits the properties of the XpertJet series. The XPJ-1642WR Pro features new extra-wide Mutoh AccuFine printheads with best-in-class dot placement accuracy, enabling high print speeds and quality. Mutoh’s original DH21 dye-sub transfer ink provides optimum media transfer, achieving high density colors with less ink consumption. Fast ink drying times enables printing on thinner and lighter transfer papers, while excellent jetting and color stability support prolonged print times. Mutoh DH21 ink is available in a CYMK configuration in 1,000ml or 2,200ml capacity ink bags.
Nov2025, Digital Output magazine
