Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 sublimation printer Reviews

Sawgrass SG500 sublimation printer is one of the best-selling sublimation printers and comes at a reasonable price. It is user-friendly and designed for printer users of all levels. However, SG500 is explicitly designed for sublimation printing only. Starting a new business? This printer is a perfect sublimation partner as it designs at a low cost and still gives high-quality shop-worthy pictures and prints.

Also, you might be already into dye-sublimation and happen to have the previous version of SG400, so you should know that the accessories of SG400 can easily go with SG500. This way, your old parts will not go to waste. Moreover, it also comes with upgraded accessories for more productivity and performance.

Sawgrass Virtuoso SG500 Sublimation Printer

Specifications

Sawgrass SG500 is perfectly compatible with desktops, and not many printers are easily connected to desktops. It can print large media easily ranging as 8.5×14 inches, and the quality is also not taken as a compromise that is of promising 4800×1200 dpi resolution. Moreover, printing speed is also one of the fastest printing speeds, and we liked this printer for its productivity. To boost the printing design setup, the SG500 sublimation printer gives access to CreativeStudio, a built-in feature.

CreativeStudio allows different memberships; there are already-made designs, fonts, artworks, and templates in the premium membership. So you don’t need to worry about making new designs every day; you can select a design and customize it accordingly. There is also an annual and monthly membership that includes a variety of designs and templates along with the trending designs as well. This makes the selection of designs easy.

Sawgrass print manage is also a free bonus that comes with an SG500 printer. It is specifically designed by Sawgrass specifically for sublimation printing. This manager features smart folders, different paper sizes, including custom, and 13 color profiles. It also features multiple file formats and customized colors and palettes.

The specialty of this is that it saves ink by choosing suitable-looking ink for the material on its own. Talking about inks, another main specialty of Sawgrass is Sublijet UHD ink which is outstanding in its durability and vibrant look. The ink is suitable for various types of material, from hard to soft ones, including heat transfer vinyl. Keep in mind that the expiry date is two years after the manufacturing year.

Features of SG500 Printer

Warranty

SG500 sublimation printer comes with a 2-year warranty which shows that it is a durable printer with various usage.

Downward compatibility

Have an older version of Sawgrass manufacturers? Fret not, as all of the accessories of the SG400 are also supported by SG500 and can be put into good use without wasting them.

Supports a variety of systems

The range of operating systems includes desktop, Windows 10,8 and 8.1, and MAC operating system 10.13 and up.

Connectivity

It can be connected to USB, Wifi, and ethernet. The speed of connectivity is quick, and it stays connected to saved connections as well.

Storage and format

This printer also features an internal tray that can easily store up to 200 sheets. Moreover, the sawgrass print manager allows you to save your file in whichever format you want. Making it accessible and convenient.

Sawgrass SG500 for Sublimation printing

Sublimation printing is a printing process introducing to the new world in which you can easily print different designs, artworks, and templates onto materialistic things like plastic, mugs, fabric, hoodies, pillows, and much more. Sawgrass SG500 is for sublimation printing and gives quality results. There are various reasons why this printer is considered one of the best-selling sublimation printers in the market. The main reasons are given below.

Heavy-duty

In terms of printing without limits without any problem in printing quality, SG500 is one of the heavy-duty printers. On the other hand, sublimation printing requires more energy and lots of work, and this printer gives you exactly that. Moreover, all of its parts resist extra heating and give long-term usage.

Efficiency

It is efficient with a 2-year warranty and consumes less power than regular sublimation printers, hence saving your money. To add to efficiency, the SG500 printer prints with a fast speed of 15 seconds on regular size, 29 seconds, and 48 seconds on high quality and advanced photos simultaneously. For ultra fine photos, it takes a maximum of 7 minutes. Thanks to the SG500 sublimation printer, you can easily get the desired sublimated prints in only a few minutes.

Saving ink

Sublimation inks are expensive, and some printers use too much ink to give a perfect design. However, SG500 comes with an installation package(Sawgrass print manager) that saves the wastage of ink prints the exact amount of ink needed on the respective material and still gives vibrant pictures. Moreover, the ink used is high-quality manufactured by professionals who know a lot about ink. As a result, the ink stays on the material without ruining it even in the slightest.

Budget

Another reason this is one of the best sublimation printers is its cost, which is reasonable and not overly expensive. Considering the features and convenience it gives, the piercing is cheap and worth it!

Easy to use

SG500 sublimation printer comes ready for printing inside the package and gives various features like CreativeStudio and the free license of Sawgrass print manager; it makes sublimation printing easy. For beginners, it is a get-to-go printer that does everything automatically, from blending and setting the combination of colors to producing the desired file format.

It has lots of built-in options that make the whole sublimation printing look as easy as normal printing.

How to use Sawgrass SG500?

Sawgrass SG500 is easy to use; however, it can print only through the Sawgrass print manager. Step by step procedure is given below.

Installing Sawgrass paint manager

1. You have to register for Sawgrass paint manager by filling out an online registration form given on the website of Sawgrass.
2. After filling in, you will be logged in to the site and now click the download SPM option in the downloaded software.
3. Now, follow the installation procedure and instructions given on-screen.
4. In the next step, you can sign in to the SPM software.
5. Next, select the printer SG500 on the select printer menu. And also, select the connecting method of USB. After this, your system will restart to resume new settings.

Setting up the printer

1. Insert the four different colored ink cartridges inside the ink box area.
2. Now, put the sublimation paper with a blank side downward on the printer’s front tray area.
3. Turn on the power button after inserting wires on respective ports.
4. You can choose a preferred design on CreativeStudio, and select the printing option.
5. You can easily print your design on paper.
6. Using the heat-press, put the printed sublimation paper on the desired cup, hoodie, frame, fabric, or any material.

You can effortlessly do sublimation printing in just a few minutes by following this procedure.

Conclusion

To conclude, we would recommend this efficient printer for any beginner or professional business. It has more pros than cons. The only drawback is that it does not go well with 100% cotton materials, and the cost of the printer is relatively low, but inks and papers are quite costly. Sublijet UHD inks are costly; however, the results back up the cost and prove worthy as they give shockingly impressive pictures on all materials.

Overall, it gives various bonuses such as high-quality pictures and graphics, free SPM license, various latest designs and artworks, and speedy results.

FAQS

1. Is the Sawgrass print manager compulsory for printing?

Yes, the printer comes with a free license, and you can only print through it.

2. Can SG500 work with adobe?

SG500 supports all design programs so that you can use adobe as well.

3. Can I do regular printing with SG500?

No, even if you do, the quality of ink used in sublimation printing is not suitable for regular papers.

4. Which ink is most suitable for SG500?

SG500 only supports Sublijet ink, so it is the most suitable one.

5. Is there an exact duration of ink’s life?

The exact duration depends on how much you use it; however, they last for six months, and the expiry date is 2 years after the manufacturing year.

6. Does it have a BlueTooth connectivity feature?

Yes, it is wireless and has a BlueTooth cable built in it.

Camryn