There are many brands and types of inkjet printers on the market, with new models introduced every year. Some of these work well for screen printing film positives while others do not.
The goal here is to provide you with all the information necessary to determine which printer best suits your needs.
- Canon Pixma iX6820 Inkjet Printer for screen printing Film
- Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer for screen printing positives
- Canon All-In-One Wireless Crafting inkjet Printer
- Canon Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printer
- Epson Artisan 1430 Large Format Printer for screen printing
These are all solvent-resistant machines that can use thick, heavy ink. These printers were selected based upon how easy it was to calibrate them (the number of calibration steps), how well they print grayscale, color gamut (% of AdobeRGB or sRGB), image detail, dynamic range (bit depth), bleed control, coating options, and general reliability.
- TOP Rated Printer brands for screen printing film positives
- How to Choose the best Printers for screen printing Film?
- What Types there are inkjet Printers for Screen Printing?
We did not consider speed since it varies so widely from design to design.
If you are looking for printers that can do sublimation, please see this article. A full-length review of all the printers on this list is available here.
TOP Rated brand Printers for screen printing film positives
The best PRINTER for Screen Printing Film
Canon Pixma iX6820 Inkjet Printer Review
It uses a total of five ink cartridges to print as well as connects you to wifi quickly and easily. There are USB ports on the printer. There is a power button, an auto-document feeder system, and a single paper tray slot as well as various buttons like “copy” and other special functions that come with this device.
Top benefits of Canon Pixma iX6820 Inkjet Printer
- It uses a total of five ink cartridges to print as well as connecting you to wifi quickly and easily.
- There are USB ports on the printer.
- Power button, an auto-document feeder system, and a single paper tray slot as well as various buttons like “copy” and other special functions that come with this device.
The Canon Pixma iX6820 Inkjet Printer with AirPrint and Cloud Compatible is a great purchase for those looking to print high-quality, color-accurate prints.
Pros
- Prints beautifully.
- Affordable.
- Wireless connectivity.
- Many options for prints and prints of different materials.
Cons
- The ink runs out quickly.
Conclusion
The Canon Pixma iX6820 Inkjet Printer with AirPrint and Cloud Compatible is a great purchase for those looking to print high-quality, color-accurate prints. The ink runs out quickly, but the installation process was relatively easy once I downloaded it twice before running the setup files which took about an hour.
My only other issue is that this printer does not have wifi connectivity, which has never been helpful in my experience anyways as all of my printers are next to or right by my computer.
The price point on this model makes it affordable enough for anyone who needs a new desktop printer especially if you’re printing large amounts of photos at home!
The best Epson inkjet printer
Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer Review
The DURABrite Ultra Ultra pigment ink delivers superb image richness, durability, smudge-resistance, fade resistance properties that exceed those of photo lab prints as well as those printed on many competitive products.
Top benefits of Epson Stylus C88+ Inkjet Printer
- Durable prints that are smudge resistant
- Water resistant prints for refrigerator magnet or decorative purposes
- Easily use the printer with different computer systems
This ink delivers superb image richness, durability, smudge-resistance, and fade resistance properties that exceed those of photo lab prints as well as those printed on many competitive products.
Great printer saw the bad review but got it anyways the only thing is I wish I could print bigger pictures but let me tell you the pictures are super sharp and look really clean great printer for the price right now I am using a CISS system and printing on to transfer paper to make shirts and they look really good.
Pros
- It’s a great printer for the price.
- The pictures are super sharp.
- Clean looking prints.
Cons
- Limited paper width.
Conclusion
It has sharp pictures and clean-looking prints, though it does have limited paper width capacity. If you are in need of an affordable photo-quality inkjet printer that can print on various substrates, this could be your best bet!
The best Crafting inkjet Printer
Canon All-In-One Wireless Crafting inkjet Printer Review
Canon TS9521C inkjet printer is suitable for screen printing or any other arts and crafts project. Built with numerous beneficial features to make the process easier, this versatile machine can take care of all your basic needs in terms of printing; zink paper, fabric sheets, photo paper, T-shirt transfer film for work on fabrics are just some of the projects you can work on with this printer.
Top benefits of Canon Crafting inkjet Printer
- Can print on T-shirt transfer paper.
- Versatile printer that can handle a wide range of projects.
- Simple printing from mobile devices and computers.
The best part: this printer is not expensive! The Canon TS9521C will be perfect for anyone who does arts and crafts often and doesn’t want to spend too much money on quality equipment.
Pros
- Good for beginners.
- Prints well on a variety of materials, including paper, fabrics and more.
- Connects wirelessly to your devices with ease.
Cons
- Prints more slowly than some other printers.
Conclusion
For beginners, this machine may be the best option because it’s easy to set up and use and affordable! You’ll also be able to print on various materials with ease including paper, and T-shirt transfer film.
The only drawback of this particular model is it prints more slowly than other printers; but if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to get started screen printing at home without having to make any big investments up front, then definitely check out Canon TS9521C All-in-One Wireless Crafting Inkjet Printers for Screen Printing!
The best Positive Professional Inkjet Printer
Canon Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printer Review
This Canon printer is a high-end device that produces incredible detail and photographs, utilizing the most modern of print technology. The Secure Print cartridge system inside this machine prevents counterfeit ink from being injected into your ink tanks.
It’s compatible with 42 individual CLI cartridges that ensure consistent output over time, and will only let you replace an ink when it runs out—that way you never have to worry about running out of color while working on important prints.
Top benefits of Canon Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printer
- Prints professional quality photos with no problem.
- Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Color Professional Inkjet Printer with Airprint and Mobile Device Printing.
- Super high quality prints that can be used on various media including photo paper, canvas, aluminum or TPU.
This printer is high-end and has a Secure Print system. It is compatible with 42 CLI cartridges.
Pros
- Reasonably priced.
- Great print quality.
- Customizable profiles.
Cons
- It’s not cheap.
Conclusion
The Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Color Professional Inkjet Printer is a solid option for those who want to print photos and other items.
The printer has customizable profiles that let you choose the best options depending on what type of material you are using, making it more versatile than many similar products on the market. In addition, with this printer, there is no need for an expensive ink cartridge because it incorporates six individual tanks which allow you to use different colors or black inks as needed without changing cartridges mid-printing session.
Considering its reasonable price point and great performance overall, we highly recommend purchasing this product if screen printing positives are something that interests you!
The best Large Format printer for screen printing
Epson Artisan 1430 Inkjet Printer Reviews
The Epson Artisan 1430 Inkjet Printer is a good option for people who want to create custom t-shirts, posters, or other printed materials. The printer features six-color printing capabilities and can produce images with resolutions as high as 5760 x 1440 dpi.
Top benefits of Epson Artisan 1430 Inkjet Printer
- Six color printing capabilities.
- Resolutions as high as 5760 x 1440 dpi.
- Prints large prints quickly, with high quality.
The printer has cyan, magenta, yellow and black cartridges plus two extra ink tanks that allow you to print in light cyan and light magenta; it also has a Photo Black ink tank which delivers rich blacks and deep shades.
You can easily switch between colors with this printer thanks to an on-board color LCD panel that displays
Pros
- Efficient ink usage.
- Greater Ranges.
- High Quality Prints.
Cons
- Price.
Conclusion
The Epson Artisan 1430 Inkjet Printer is a good option for people who want to create custom t-shirts, posters, or other printed materials. The printer features six-color printing capabilities and can produce images with resolutions as high as 5760 x 1440 dpi. It also has a Photo Black ink tank which delivers rich blacks.
How to Choose the best Printers for screen printing Film?
This is a common question for beginners. In this Epic Guide, you should find the answer.
The process of printing positive images on fabric or other media can be done several different ways: by exposing color photo emulsion to light through a negative image, by directly applying ink to a film type positives, and also by using an expensive printer called a dye-sublimation printer—known as the best option for people who want fast prints with good quality.
The dye-sublimation printer works very similarly to an inkjet printer but it heats up dyes in order to get the print onto fabric instead of using standard ink cartridges like regular printers do.
Of course, not all printers are created equal, so if you’re looking for the best option, here are some tips to help you.
Size
First of all, the printer should be the right size for your needs. If printing small items like business cards or magnets is more up your alley, then you’re probably not looking for a large-format printer that can print on larger formats—which transfer films do better than printers anyway. On the other side of things, if you want prints that are several feet long or even full-scale banners or flags then you need something bigger than just a regular office printer.
Wide-Format Capability
If you’re planning to print in wider formats, this is a factor as well. While traditional printers can only print up to about 400mm wide media, transfer films can typically accept widths all the way up to 1200mm or more.
Print Quality
The quality of the prints matters as well, so here are a few things that affect a printer’s output: resolution and dpi (dots per inch) capabilities, color range options, finishing options such as lamination or varnishing for gloss finishes.
Price Point
This should be an important consideration if you’re going into printing with the goal of making some money off your hobby—you want your packaging and equipment to reflect how professional your business is after all. Not all printers are created equal when it comes to price, but the price goes up usually with the more professional features you get.
Print Speed
The last thing to consider is how quickly or slowly your printer churns out prints—you’ll want something that can work at a decent pace without too much downtime. This depends on how many printers you have in tow, of course, since some only print one size while others print multiple sizes simultaneously.
Ink Type
The printer you use for printing on fabric should also deposit an even and opaque image, which means that it has to be able to lay down a thick enough layer of ink. This is especially important if you’re printing transfers onto technical fabrics since those kinds generally require double the thickness of other kinds in order to look good. The same goes for dark or bright colors as well as metallic dyes—these might need extra layers as well depending on the surface they’re being printed on.
If you follow these tips, you should have no problem finding the right printers! Just remember not all printers are made equal so do your research before committing to one brand over another.
What Types there are inkjet Printers for Screen Printing?
There are four main types of inkjet printers for screen printing, with their own unique benefits and drawbacks. Some professional-grade printers will have access to all but one of these options so it is important to read reviews carefully before buying a printer to ensure that it has the right kind of capabilities for your needs.
Screen Printing Inkjet Printers
This type of printer is the most popular among hobbyists because they’re relatively cheap—as low as $100 or so usually—and easy to use since they’re designed specifically for screen printing projects. They can transfer ink onto almost any media, including polyester or cotton garments or color pots, ceramic tiles etc. The image quality isn’t always perfect but they can get the job done.
Screen printing inkjets print using a squeegee and applied pressure, just like traditional screen printers. They’re not quite as fast or versatile as other kinds of printers though—the color range is limited and they cannot be used for anything except printing on fabric and similar media because they aren’t designed to print directly onto hard surfaces such as wood or metal.
Sublimation Printers
If you need to make full-color prints on various types of materials, then this is the kind of printer you want to use since it can expand your creative options exponentially. The downside however is that these printers are typically more expensive than other kinds—you’ll probably end up spending at least $1,000 for a decent one.
The technology behind sublimation printers is fairly complicated but at its core, it involves heating dyes in order to transfer them onto other kinds of material—the dye that’s being transferred should be colorfast and fade-resistant though which can limit your choices if you need to print on dark materials like cotton or hemp fabrics.
These kinds of printers are best suited for making full-color prints on paper, glass, ceramics, etc. but cannot make prints directly onto fabric which means their use will be limited to printing media instead of wearable art pieces.
Direct To Garment Printers
If you want to do simple designs with limited colors the2G printer might be a better fit for you since they’re generally cheaper and easier to use. They also print using cold ink instead of heat which makes them popular with screen printers because if the media picks up too much ink it won’t transfer properly onto the screen.
The downside is that these printers are limited by how many colors can be printed at once—generally only one or two will work, meaning your design options are limited as well, especially if you want to make more complicated or involved graphics.
Dye Sublimation Printers
This printer uses a lot of technology similar to sublimation printers but transfers dye onto fabric instead of paper – therefore producing high-quality results on all kinds of materials including cotton, silk, etc. Another advantage is that dye-sublimation printers can print in gradients and other effects which makes them one of the most artistically-capable printers on the market.
The downside, as with all kinds of expensive printing equipment, is that it’s more complicated to use than other kinds of printers and you need to be an experienced printer or willing to learn a lot about how they work before you buy one.
What are the drawbacks?
The main drawback is the price—all but screen printing inkjets are relatively expensive and depend on how much you plan to use your printer this could end up costing hundreds if not thousands of dollars. If you also consider the cost of media such as transfers and transfer films for screen printing and other consumables such as inks (and the time and effort it takes to learn how to use them) the overall price of using a printer for a screen printing becomes even higher.
The best printers are usually those that can be used on more than one kind of media too which also limits your options if you want to start designing fabric prints so you might need more than one printer if you want to cover all your bases. Be prepared to spend a lot on equipment and supplies, especially if this is something completely new to you—it’s definitely not cheap, although there are several decent entry-level printers available for under $200.
WHAT IS A TRANSPARENCY PAPER?
What is a transfer film exactly? Transfer films are material that reacts to heat in order to transfer the ink from the screen to your chosen media. They’re designed for use with CMYK four-color process printing, and they work best with large format printers.
There are two main kinds of transfer films: solvent-based and water-based. Solvent-based is more common among professionals because it works well on most types of fabrics even those made from hydrophobic synthetic fibers. Water-based transfers aren’t as ideal as solvent-based ones since they can lift or dissolve when exposed to water over time after being printed—which wouldn’t be good if you wanted your media to last for years instead of just a few washes.
TRANSPARENCY PAPER VS TRANSFER FILM
Both have their pros and cons, but generally speaking, transparency paper is ideal for printing on items that aren’t going to be washed while transfer films are better suited for clothing or other media that need a longer-lasting print.
