Your mind may have wandered to the subject of heat transfer. When you want to transfer artwork on T-shirts, heat transfer paper is the best choice.
Home delivery is convenient, safe, and affordable. To get the best heat transfers, you must have the best printer!
Seeing your designs on fabric is like no other experience. Print shirts, hoodies, bags, tea towels, and more with your own designs.
You can make some money doing it, as well as have a lot of fun. It just takes some investment in tools.
A good heat transfer printer is essential. No matter what you’re doing, whether it’s setting up a side hustle or trying out a new hobby.
You can sell your clothing designs as a graphic designer or illustrator and earn some extra money.
It can be overwhelming to compare the specs of hundreds of printers. In order to create art prints for you, I researched the best printers.
I have reviewed the top printers for your reference in my buyer’s guide.printers around!
The Best Printer for Heat Transfers: My Recommendations
We’ll start with the reviews.
- Printing monochrome documents with the Brother HL-L2320D laser printer
- WorkForce 1100 from Epson
- M452dw laser jet printer from HP
- Express Photo HD XP-15000 from Epson
- SILHOUTTE CAMEOT 4
Brother HL-L2320D Mono Laser Printer
It is best to use large volume printers
(Image credit: Brother)
Let’s begin with this laser printer from the well-known manufacturer, Brother. You can manage all your regular print jobs with it, as well as heat transfers.
Duplex printing and super fast printing are some of its advanced features. A laser printer of this type can print 30 pages per minute.
It’s ideal for printing heat transfer paper in large quantities, since it can handle large volumes. You can print up to 250 sheets at a time with the hands-free tray.
You should not encounter any problems since this printer is black and white. Your prints will look great if you print on colored transfer paper.
Brother laser printers offer excellent print quality and are economic and durable. Finished products look superior with Brother laser printers.
Printing fabric or custom t-shirts is an easy way to start a business. It is affordable and can handle large quantities.
Although it doesn’t have WiFi or Bluetooth, you can connect to it easily with a USB cord. It’s a perfect heat transfer printer because it combines these two features.
- Printing Technology: Laser
- Brand: Brother
- Printer Output: Monochrome
- Connectivity Technology: USB 2.0
- It is inexpensive and uses very little toner
- Ideal for regular printing and heat transfers
- Wireless or Bluetooth connectivity are not available
Epson WorkForce 1100
Heat transfer printers that are best for inkjet printing
(Image credit: Epson)
I’m going to introduce a new printer next, so there’s something for everyone! In addition to being an inkjet printer, the Epson WorkForce 1100 can be used to print heat transfers.
Wide format allows you to design bigger products with this printer. Some printers limit your creativity because of their small sizes.
Prints up to 1319 inches can be produced with the WorkForce 1100. Creating larger, more unique prints is a breeze.
In black and white, it prints at 33 pages per minute, and in color, it prints at 17 pages per minute. There are a lot of ink cartridges needed to print with rich and vibrant colors.
Additionally, the ink dries quickly, preventing smudging and ensuring the design looks great.
You can also fit it in any room since it’s so compact. This printer fits in any room.
The WorkForce 1100 has the main disadvantage of burning through ink so quickly. To ensure your printer cartridges last longer, I recommend buying high-capacity cartridges.
Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful option if you want large designs printed on your T-shirts. It gives you more control over the image and gives you consistent results.
- A inkjet printer uses ink
- Manufacturer: Epson
- Printer Output: Color
- Connectivity Technology: USB
- Heat transfer designs with a large surface area
- High-quality prints are produced quickly
- A lot of ink is used by this printer, so it could be expensive
HP LaserJet Pro M452dw
Heat transfer printers with the best print quality
(Image credit: HP)
It is possible that the HP LaserJet Pro will meet your needs when it comes to a high-volume laser printer. It can be used frequently and produces large outputs. It is designed for small businesses.
The input tray of the LaserJet can hold 300 sheets. The printer can be used up to 4,000 times in a month without deterioration.
In addition, it includes a wealth of useful features. The speed is fast at 28 ppm, as you’d expect.
A heat transfer printer can produce as many as 150 prints at once. A printer capable of handling so much heat transfer paper without overheating is very rare.
In addition, it can handle different size papers and can be used with heat transfer paper. Depending on the design, it can be 3×5 inches or 8×13.5 inches.
Connect via WiFi or Bluetooth, both of which offer excellent connectivity options. The printer does not need to be connected to your laptop, allowing you to operate it more conveniently.
In addition, this color laser printer has a much longer lasting toner than an inkjet printer. You are therefore likely to spend less on this investment, making it a great long-term investment.
In the case of heat transfers, HP LaserJet Pro is the most effective laser printer.
- Printing Technology: Laser
- Brand: HP
- Printer Output: Color
- Connectivity Technology: Wireless, WiFi, Bluetooth
- Prints multiple transfers at once
- Connecting from any device is easy, fast, and user-friendly
- The print resolution is not right
Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000
Heat transfer printer with the best quality
(Image credit: Epson)
A printer made for photos, the Epson Expression produces high-quality images.
That makes it ideal for heat transfers. That’s why you want the finished product to look beautiful!
As a result, some definition is lost in heat transfers during the process. Choosing a good printer is therefore very important.
Thanks to its large-format capabilities, Epson Expression is a great printer for artwork. A 13-by-19-inch print is possible with this printer.
Furthermore, you can present your art without a border, allowing you to display it at its best.
It’s handy to have the rear tray ready for heat transfer paper prior to printing. The easiest way to prepare your designs for printing is to have the rear tray available.
Having six individual toner cartridges is another positive sign. According to general rule, the more cartridges your camera has, the better the images will be.
All these features make the Expression HD expensive. Making the initial investment is not something you will regret, though.
- Method of printing: Inkjet
- Brand: Epson
- Printer Output: Color
- Connectivity Technology: Wireless, Ethernet
- Heat transfer printer with wide format
- Excellent image quality and vibrant colors
- It’s quite pricey
Silhouette Cameo 4
Cutting machines that are the best at heat transfer
(Image credit: Silhouette)
The Silhouette Cameo 4 is the last but not least. My list is incomplete without it. It is possible to cut right onto fabric with this printer, so if you like the idea of that, this might be the printer for you.
This machine is especially designed for cutting and transferring vinyl (or iron-on film). Consequently, it should not be an issue to experience jamming.
Your regular print jobs will not be handled by the Silhouette Cameo. In contrast, this machine is a good choice if you wish to design paper cutting patterns on paper.
Other useful features include the ability to transfer files. You can feed the transfer paper directly from the roll, for example, to save time. After the designs have been printed, the machine also has a blade for cutting them.
When using Silhouette Cameo 4, there is a steep learning curve. There is a comprehensive guide included in the package that explains how to use it. After you’ve mastered it, you’ll be able to make your designs look much better than ever.
It is also not very expensive compared to regular printers.
This sublimation machine enhances your ability to print on fabrics. Print quality and customization are unbeatable.
- Printing Technology: N/A
- Brand: Silhouette
- Printer Output: N/A
- Connectivity Technology: USB
- Cutting-edge design
- There are a lot of features and excellent image quality
- Standard printers cannot be used with it
How to Choose the Best Printer for Heat Transfer Paper
When you choose the right printer for transfer paper, there are a few things you need to consider. This is how I suggest choosing the right machine.
A printer’s compatibility with heat transfers is determined by these factors. A good printer and a great printer are determined by these factors.
Take advantage of these features by purchasing a printer. When you find a heat transfer printer that works, you’ll know you’ve got a good one.
The Type of Ink
Printers fall into two major categories, inkjets and lasers. In this post, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of printer.
Inkjet printers are generally less expensive up front. With an inkjet printer, you can choose dye, pigment, or sublimation inks.
Among the three options, dye-based ink is the least expensive, although it has significant drawbacks. Using dye-based inks causes them to fade over time and with UV exposure.
Dye-based inks should only be used if you have a very limited budget.
Sublimation inks, on the other hand, won’t fade as quickly. Although they require a lot of knowledge to operate, they are more challenging.
Inkjet printers should use pigment-based inks as the final option. Costs are higher, but you won’t have to worry about fading or running with this ink.
You can wear it in any condition since it’s water-resistant. Heat transfers are a breeze with it.
Toner rather than ink is used in laser printers. Make sure you buy the right ink or toner for your printer before ordering.
If you choose the wrong cartridge, you could have printing issues or even damage your printer.
Inkjet vs. Laser Printers
How should you choose a printer? Is inkjet or laser printing more effective at transposing designs onto fabric?
Asking this question is important. It depends on the printer’s capability to transfer heat.
In addition to generating heat during the printing process, laser prints are excellent. Paper selection is important, though.
Also, you run the risk of overheating your printouts and your printer. When using a laser printer to print heat transfers, be careful!
However, not all inkjet printers are capable of handling heat transfers. You should make sure that your printer can handle the process you’ll be using before purchasing it.
You should choose a printer that is capable of handling heat transfer paper. Jams, destroyed prints, or a faulty printer may result if you ignore this rule.
Heat transfers can also be printed with sublimation printers. These prints, unlike others, can be directly applied to a fabric.
You do not have to iron on iron-on transfers after printing. It’s faster and generally more reliable to use this method to print on cloth.
Sublimation printers, on the other hand, only let you print on fabric. Transfer paper can be used to print on mugs and water bottles, and you can also add designs to other objects.
Choose your printer and ink based on the different factors!
The Wrap Up
It’s so much fun to print on fabric. Having your design printed on a T-shirt or tote bag is amazing!
It’s very easy to get started. If you want to transfer images or create art prints, you’ll need a good printer.
There are a number of printers reviewed here that can be used for heat transfer printing. These printers come with both inkjet and laser printing capabilities.
