EPSON ECOTANK ET-2800 for Arts, Crafts, Stickers, AND Converted for Sublimation

Contains affiliate links to the products we use.

We love our Epson EcoTank ET-2800**... so much so that we bought two! It is a super affordable, amazing inkjet printer for your  printing needs. (Seriously budget friendly!) We use one that we converted into a very affordable sublimation printer (see info below), the other we use for all sorts of art and crafting products that we sell. We have printed stickers, greeting cards, labels, photos, etc. With our converted for sublimation ET-2800 we have printed and pressed - puzzles, magnets, mousepads, pillow cases, clothing and much more as well.

We have had these printers for over a year as of the writing of this, and we have yet to buy another supply of ink for either printer! 

No more expensive cartridges, no more trading in said cartridges, lots of money saved... YEAH!!

We have also found that it is an affordable option to convert into a sublimation printer*.
*Warning: Be aware that converting the printer to sublimation voids the warranty!

**Note: The ET-2800 and 2803 are identical except for where they are sold. The ET-2803 models are from Walmart and Target. They have a small footprint at 15” x 7” x 13.5” and weigh under 9 lbs. The 100-sheet rear paper tray provides enough sublimation paper capacity for most home crafters and small business owners.

The ET-2800 is Epson’s entry level model.  If you are looking for the least expensive EcoTank printer, you have found it!  EcoTank printers use ink bottles for filling the ink tank, versus cartridges - which, as stated, saves money! It also has ended up saving me a ton of time as well. The frequency of purchasing, changing out, and returning cartridges, took more time than I realized.

The printer has a maximum resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi which produces detailed prints whether you are using it as a regular printer or one converted to sublimation. It prints up to 8.5" x 47" allowing for a variety of photo, craft, or sublimation print sizes for products such as magnets, mousepads, coasters, puzzles, clothing, and more.

​Pros

• Includes everything for basic home printing: print / copy / scan features
• 1.44 inch color touchscreen is small but easy to navigate
• Wireless printing lets you print from your computer, smartphone, etc.
• Dye-based ink that is great for range of basic black and color print jobs

Cons

• No fax feature supported (it is available on more expensive models)
• No automatic duplexing – You must manually flip double-sided pages for printing
• Print speeds can be very slow, especially at high resolution output

The ink bottles: The ET-2800 printer uses Epson 522 dye-based ink bottles.  The black ink bottle prints up 4,500+ pages and each color ink bottle prints up to 7,000+ pages, depending on print quality settings.

​(Here is a link to some of our favorite craft and sticker supplies.)
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​SUBLIMATION:
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WARNING!! 
Converting the printer to sublimation voids the warranty.
Convert your printer AT YOUR OWN RISK!!

To convert to sublimation printing, you must start with a new, clean printer that has not held regular printing ink before.
(There are videos out there on how to clean out your prefilled tanks, but we would start with a new printer... you have been warned.)

So far, our conversion has been amazing! But, choose your sublimation ink wisely. There are many different opinions on the best sublimation ink. We would research what might be best for your needs, but we went with Hiipoo Sublimation Ink and have been very happy. 

It is said that when choosing sublimation ink, customer service is crucial since converting the printer voids the warranty. Look for a supplier that provides support, in case you need help with ICC profiles or other issues if they arise. We have also read that once you start with a specific sublimation ink, it is best to stick with that brand ever-more. Whether this is accurate or not, we don't actually know, we personally plan to stick with Hiipoo Sublimation Ink.

Once you have chosen your ink simply fill the ink tanks with sublimation ink instead of the included inkjet ink. (If you bought two printers like we did, using one for regular printing, you will now have INK FOR DAYS!!)

Be very careful to NEVER mix up the inks!
You will ruin your sublimation printer if you mix regular ink in.

Once filled with sublimation ink, install the latest printer drivers and run a nozzle check. You will need to experiment with test prints to optimize settings for your specific setup. This includes your graphics software, sublimation paper, and sublimation blanks. Often it takes a bit of time to get the settings dialed in properly.

You will want to save your settings in the Main Printing Presets so you don't have to go in and adjust them every time you print with your now converted sublimation printer. (For example, with the ink we use, we have found that the presets need a much higher yellow setting in order to get the proper tone of green when sublimated, and it is easier to have presets for mirror imaging, etc.)

If you are new to sublimation, expect printouts to be more dull when printed on the sublimation  paper.  Once pressed with a heat press, the colors come to life (if pressed properly). 

The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 has several great features that make it a good choice for sublimation printing:

Print Resolution
With Epson's MicroPiezo inkjet technology, the printer has a max resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. This high resolution produces detailed sublimation prints that sublimate vibrantly.

Print Sizes  
It can handle sizes ranging from 4"x6" up to 8.5"x47". Common sublimation sizes like 8.5"x11" and 8.5"x14" allow you to print designs for a wide variety of items. (Note, for larger items, a wide format sublimation printer would be needed.)

OS Compatibility
The ET-2800 has drivers available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Just make sure to download the latest drivers from Epson's website during setup.

Connectivity
The printer offers USB and Wi-Fi connectivity. (We always use USB which is recommended for best stability when printing from your computer.)

The ET-2800 comes with the printer, power cord, manual, CD-ROM, and a set of inkjet CMYK inks. You will need to buy a printer cable if you prefer hook to your computer with USB.  Be very careful not to accidentally fill your printer with the ink that it comes with! Instead, use sublimation ink when converting the printer.

With an amazingly affordable price, great print quality, and ease of use, the ET-2800 makes an excellent sublimation printer for beginners. Whether as a hobby, or a small home based business, this is a great budget friendly, starter printer to convert for sublimation.  

Be prepared to put in a bit of work in the beginning dialing in your settings and learning the sublimation process. Also, a small tip, sublimation ink can sometimes get "stickier" if it sits around for a while. Try and use your printer at least once a week, even if you don't need to. Print something just to keep the ink flowing. If you do end up with a color or two that won't print, it may be that you end up having to print a ton of "duds" and do several head cleanings in order to get in printing properly again... don't waste your sublimation paper doing so, if you need to print "duds" that are getting thrown out, use regular printer paper.  (Writing from experience.)

Overall, we have been very happy with our converted  ET-2800! It really is a great value for starter sublimation printing on a budget!

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