Epson SureColor F170 Sublimation Printer: Practical Review

Contents9 sections

1. Epson SureColor F170 sublimation printer at a glance
2. How we chose these sublimation printers
3. Epson SureColor F170
4. Brother SP1
5. Epson SureColor F570
6. What should you check before buying a sublimation printer?
7. What causes poor sublimation results after printing?
8. FAQ
9. Final verdict

The Epson SureColor F170 sublimation printer is our best overall pick for a new maker or small shop whose products are mostly mugs, tumblers, ornaments, small plaques, patches, and modest apparel graphics. It is a dedicated dye-sublimation machine rather than a converted office printer, which makes the ink, driver, paper path, and support route more straightforward.

Its limit is equally straightforward: it prints transfers up to 8.5 inches wide. Buy the F170 when that width matches your catalogue; choose a 24-inch model before you build a business around large shirt fronts, leggings panels, or wide fabric pieces.

Epson SureColor F170 sublimation printer at a glance

The F170 is a compact 8.5-inch dye-sublimation printer for small-format transfers, while the Brother SP1 serves a similar compact role and the Epson F570 adds wide-format capacity.

All three machines make a printed paper transfer, not a finished textile. Heat and pressure turn the solid dye on that paper into a gas, and the gas bonds into polyester or a polymer coating. For the underlying process, our guide to how dye sublimation works explains why a bright print can still give a poor result on the wrong blank.

F170 or SP1vsEpson F570

Print width

F170 or SP1: 8.5-inch class

Epson F570: 24-inch class

Best work

F170 or SP1: Mugs and small logos

Epson F570: Garments and panels

Workspace

F170 or SP1: Small bench

Epson F570: Dedicated table

Transfer trimming

F170 or SP1: More frequent

Epson F570: Less for large art

Production scale

F170 or SP1: Small batches

Epson F570: Growing shop

Choose width for the largest transfer you sell regularly.

How we chose these sublimation printers

We chose these machines by looking at the practical limits that determine whether a printer earns its bench space: transfer width, dedicated ink system, usable workflow, maintenance demand, and fit with real blanks and heat presses. A high-resolution claim does not overcome an undersized print, an unsuitable substrate, or uneven press pressure.

Transfer width and nesting efficiency

Width is the first filter because it sets the maximum size of one-piece artwork. The F170 and compact Brother format work well for a mug wrap section, a coaster, a 3-inch to 5-inch logo, or a small chest graphic. They force you to tile or shrink art that a 24-inch printer can print in one piece.

Nesting matters too. A transfer sheet should carry several small images with sensible cut gaps, not one image surrounded by unused white paper. Wide machines waste less paper on large designs, but a narrow printer can be more efficient for a concentrated run of small items.

Dedicated sublimation ink path

A dedicated sublimation printer is designed around dye-sub ink from the start. That matters because the printer profile, ink delivery system, and intended consumables work together. It also avoids the uncertainty of whether an aftermarket conversion will remain supported or whether residual pigment ink will contaminate colour.

Inkjet heads dislike long idle periods. Dye-sub ink can settle and dry at the nozzles just as other aqueous ink systems can, so a printer that fits your weekly order volume is usually a better purchase than an oversized machine that sits unused.

Colour workflow, not just bright screens

Sublimation colour looks muted on transfer paper and develops under heat. The artwork on a monitor is RGB light; the transfer is a dye image on paper; the final result depends on ink, profile, paper, blank coating, heat, time, pressure, and the fabric’s base colour. That chain is why an ICC profile and a controlled test sheet matter.

Check which operating systems, design applications, and colour-management path the current listing supports. A shop that uses raster artwork, vector logos, and repeat patterns should also confirm how it will size, mirror, and queue files before buying hardware.

Consumables and serviceability

Check that genuine ink, compatible transfer paper, and wear parts are readily available where you work. Look for the current warranty terms and the allowed ink type rather than assuming consumables from another Epson or Brother printer are interchangeable. A cheap paper that releases dye inconsistently can create more waste than it saves.

Whole-workflow capacity

The printer is only one station. Match it with a heat press that fits the largest blank, produces even pressure, and reaches the blank supplier’s stated temperature. Also allow space for a trimming area, lint roller, heat-resistant tape, protective paper, cooling blanks, and packed orders.

Epson SureColor F170

The Epson SureColor F170 is the most balanced choice here for small-format commercial sublimation because its limitations are easy to understand and work around. Its 8.5-inch print width suits products that have naturally small printable zones: ceramic mug designs, coaster sets, bag tags, key fobs, small photo panels, and left-chest apparel graphics. A dedicated four-colour dye-sub platform also gives a beginner a cleaner starting point than an improvised conversion.

In practice, planning is the key to getting value from a compact printer. Put several mug images or small logos on one sheet, leave enough room to trim safely, and group jobs by blank and press setting. If a shirt image needs to be 10 inches wide, the F170 has already told you it is not the efficient machine for that job; do not make your production process depend on splicing transfers unless the product truly allows it.

Before purchase, check the current regional package contents, supported paper sizes, connection options, included software, warranty conditions, and replacement ink availability. Confirm that your design computer supports the supplied workflow. Compared with the Brother SP1, the F170 is the more established choice for buyers who want Epson’s dedicated dye-sub route; compared with the F570, it saves space but gives up the width that makes larger apparel artwork practical.

Brother SP1

The Brother SP1 is a credible compact alternative when you want a dedicated sublimation printer but prefer Brother’s software and design ecosystem. It targets the same broad category as the F170: home makers, school clubs, gift businesses, and small custom-product sellers who need controlled small transfers rather than wide continuous production.

The important comparison is not brand against brand but job against job. If most orders are cup wraps, ornaments, compact photo gifts, and small graphics, a compact Brother can make sense. If you expect large transfers next month, neither narrow-format machine solves that constraint, regardless of app features or template libraries.

Check the exact SP1 listing for current maximum printable area, ink format, approved paper, operating-system support, wireless setup, and any design-app requirements. Also check whether the workflow works comfortably with your existing artwork: a shop that already owns layered vector files needs dependable export, scaling, and colour settings more than decorative templates. The SP1 competes directly with the F170 for compact work, but neither replaces the 24-inch capacity of the F570.

Epson SureColor F570

The Epson SureColor F570 is the right step up when transfer width has become the bottleneck. Its 24-inch-wide format can accommodate larger shirt graphics, all-over sections, larger metal panels, cushion faces, and multiple small transfers arranged together. That changes production because a design can remain one piece rather than being reduced, tiled, or sent to an outside supplier.

Wide-format capacity does not automatically mean faster fulfilment. You must manage larger sheets or rolls, cut accurately, keep long transfers clean, and use a heat press that can apply even heat and pressure over the final blank. A 24-inch transfer applied with a small, uneven press can produce pale zones, edge marks, or inconsistent colour even when the printed paper looks perfect.

Check the printer dimensions with trays and media loaded, required clearance, accepted media, roll handling, power requirements, and the service route in your area. Plan a stable, level work surface and enough room to remove prints without folding them. Choose the F570 over the F170 when the work itself demands width often enough to keep the machine printing; otherwise the F170 remains the more proportionate bench tool.

What should you check before buying a sublimation printer?

Check the blanks, largest transfer, press capacity, maintenance routine, and consumable supply before choosing a sublimation printer. These five points expose most expensive mismatches before you order a machine.

Which fabrics and blanks can you actually sublimate?

Sublimation works best on white or pale polyester-rich fabric because the dye bonds with polyester and the fabric colour shows through the transparent dye. For vivid apparel, 100% polyester is the usual target. Polyester blends can work, but a lower polyester percentage generally gives a softer, more vintage-looking result because less dye has a fibre surface to bond into.

Ordinary cotton does not become sublimation-ready because the paper says “sublimation.” For hard goods, use blanks with a sublimation coating: mugs, aluminium panels, keyrings, and similar items need a coating made to accept the dye. Always follow the blank supplier’s instructions and work in a ventilated space when heat pressing.

How large are your real designs?

Measure the finished graphic, not the garment. A 12-inch-wide adult shirt print will not fit a printer limited to 8.5-inch-wide transfers, while a 3-inch chest logo will. Make a list of your ten likely products and record each printable area in inches or millimetres before deciding.

Typical product	Usual transfer need	Suitable direction
Mugs and coasters	Small, repeated artwork	Compact printer
Left-chest logos	About 3–5 inches wide	Compact printer
Youth shirt fronts	Often 7–9 inches wide	Check exact art size
Adult shirt fronts	Often 10–12 inches wide	Wide-format printer
Large panels and cushions	Wide single-piece art	Wide-format printer

Do you have a controlled heat-press process?

Heat press settings are part of the colour system. Temperature that is too low or dwell time that is too short can leave colour dull; excessive heat can brown paper, distort some synthetics, or damage a coating. Pressure must be even across the platen, particularly on thicker blanks such as tiles, boards, and assembled items.

Use a thermometer or other appropriate method to verify a new press according to its manufacturer guidance, because displayed temperature and platen surface temperature can differ. Keep protective paper above and below the work. Lint and loose fibres can leave blue or dark specks after pressing, so lint-roll fabric immediately before the transfer goes down.

Can you maintain the printer every week?

Plan to print regularly, even in quiet periods. Start with a nozzle check when output has been idle, and clean only when the pattern shows missing lines. Repeated cleaning cycles consume ink and are not a substitute for regular use or correct storage conditions.

Keep paper dry, flat, and sealed when not in use. Paper that absorbs humidity can cockle, contact the print head, or transfer unevenly. Keep blanks and transfer paper free of oil, fingerprints, and dust; the smallest contamination can show clearly on a pale polyester panel.

What does a repeatable file workflow look like?

A repeatable workflow starts with a named template for every blank, with the printable zone marked. Save the final file size, profile setting, mirror requirement, press recipe, and blank source in a job record. This prevents the familiar small-shop fault where a design is printed at the right pixels but the wrong physical dimensions.

Print a controlled colour chart and a few representative photographs on each new blank type. Do not judge colour on transfer paper alone. If skin tones, greys, and saturated reds matter to your work, retain a pressed reference sample and compare future jobs under similar lighting.

1. 1Choose blankUse polyester-rich fabric or coated hard goods.
2. 2Prepare artMirror artwork when the application requires it.
3. 3Print transferUse the printer profile and correct paper side.
4. 4Secure blankRemove lint and tape transfer flat.
5. 5Heat pressFollow blank supplier time, temperature and pressure.
6. 6Inspect resultCheck colour, edge sharpness and ghosting.

Stable colour starts with the right blank and a controlled press.

What causes poor sublimation results after printing?

Poor sublimation results usually come from the blank, press, transfer movement, or nozzle condition rather than from the artwork alone. Diagnose one variable at a time, beginning with a nozzle check and a known good polyester or coated sample.

If colour is weak, first confirm that the blank is truly polyester-rich or purpose-coated and that the press follows the blank supplier’s time, temperature, and pressure guidance. If an image has a shadow or duplicate edge, it usually moved while hot; use heat-resistant tape where appropriate and lift the press carefully. We cover printer selection beyond these models in our dye-sub printer buying guide.

ProblemLikely causeFix

Dull colourWrong blank or weak pressUse coated or polyester blank; verify press.

Double imageTransfer movedTape firmly and open press carefully.

Fine lines missingNozzle blockageRun nozzle check before cleaning cycles.

Brown marksOverheating or dirty paperFollow blank settings; use clean protective paper.

Uneven colourUneven pressureCheck press platen and blank thickness.

Separate print faults from press and blank faults.

FAQ

Final verdict

Buy the Epson SureColor F170 when small-format custom goods are your real workload, not merely your first idea. It is a practical dedicated starting point, provided you budget for good blanks, a dependable heat press, paper, ink, and a routine that keeps the nozzles healthy.