Home UV Printer

UV, DTF, sublimation or a Cricut

They overlap less than the ads suggest. A UV printer decorates hard things, DTF is for fabric of any color, sublimation needs polyester or coated blanks in light colors, and a Cricut cuts vinyl rather than printing. Here is what each prints on, what it costs to start and to keep running, and who each suits.

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Prices are the makers' own US store prices, seen October 11, 2026. Durability figures are the makers' claims, and we haven't tested any of these machines ourselves.

  • UV printer

    From $1,699

    Prints straight onto hard things: phone cases, wood, acrylic, metal, glass, tumblers.

  • DTF (direct to film)

    From $1,599

    Prints a transfer that is heat-pressed onto fabric, light or dark.

  • Sublimation

    From $275

    Dyes polyester and poly-coated blanks, light colors only.

  • Cutting machine (Cricut)

    From $99

    Cuts vinyl and iron-on. It doesn't print.

What each one decorates

ItemUV printerDTFSublimationCricut
Cotton T-shirtsOnly on fabric editionsYesOnly with VersiFlex ink, light colorsYes, iron-on
Polyester shirtsOnly on fabric editionsYesYes, light colorsYes, iron-on or Infusible Ink
Dark garmentsOnly on fabric editionsYesNoYes, iron-on
Mugs and tumblersYes, with a rotaryNo (UV DTF transfers instead)Coated blanks onlyVinyl, or Infusible Ink on approved mugs
Wood, glass, bare metal, acrylicYes, some with primerNoCoated blanks onlyVinyl decals
Full-color photosYesYes, on fabricYes, light colorsOnly Print Then Cut stickers
Raised textureYes (E1 up to 5 mm)NoNoNo
 Summarized from each maker's pages, listed under Sources. A UV printer's fabric editions add a DTG or DTF head (xTool's UV + DT, Longer's UV + DT).

White ink decides a lot: without it, nothing shows on a dark or clear item.

  • UV printer. Yes. UV printers lay down white ink first, so colors show on dark or clear items. For fabric, eufyMake says flexible white ink is used; xTool says its fabric edition needs a second printhead.
  • DTF. Yes. DTF prints a white ink layer, so designs show on dark and black fabric as well as light.
  • Sublimation. No white ink. Sublimation dye works on white or light items; on dark items the design will not show. White areas in a design show the item's own color.
  • Cricut. Iron-on (HTV) works with most light and dark fabrics. Infusible Ink is light-colored blanks only and has no white. Print Then Cut works best on white or light materials; colored materials can confuse the cut sensor marks.

For a UV printer, material by material: what a UV printer can print on, including cotton, polyester, mugs and stainless tumblers.

What it costs to start and to run

A UV printer costs the most to buy but needs nothing else to cure the ink. DTF needs the most extra kit (a heat press, a curing oven or shaker, and fume handling). Sublimation is the cheapest printer to buy, then needs a press and coated blanks. A Cricut is cheapest of all, but it cuts rather than prints.

UV printer

MachineUS priceNotes
eufyMake E1 Basic Bundle (E1 + ink set)$2,409Flatbed up to 330 x 420 mm. Deluxe Bundle (adds rotary and laminator) $3,209; Deluxe Plus $3,709.
xTool O1 Omni Printer, Single UV Standalone$2,499Rigid materials only. Dual UV from $3,299; UV + DT Fabric from $3,499. Page does not say whether ink comes in the box.
LONGER ePrint, Single UV Single Machine$1,699Sale price; regular price $2,499. Package lists 200 ml ink bottles (W+G+CMYK) and two flatbeds.
Procolored V4 UV Printer (A5)$2,299Small bed (120 x 170 mm), ships with a CMYKW ink set. Print height 0 to 15 mm.

Also needed or useful

Consumables

Cost per print: eufyMake publishes ink use per print: 2.00 ml for a 50 x 50 mm fridge magnet, 3.32 ml for a 250 x 180 mm canvas, 1.10 ml for a phone case, 0.78 ml for a 335 x 420 mm sticker. At its $29.99 per 100 ml cartridge that is roughly $0.60, $1.00, $0.33 and $0.23 of ink (our arithmetic; excludes the blank). xTool estimates $1 to $2 to produce a desktop-UV acrylic piece (its own estimate).

DTF (direct to film)

MachineUS priceNotes
Procolored F8 A4 DTF printer (printer only)$1,599Compare-at price $1,899. F8 + oven $1,999; F8 + oven + heat press $2,299.
Procolored K13 Lite A3 DTF printer, Basic$1,999Compare-at $2,999. Includes printer, 5 x 250 ml CMYKW ink, nozzle liquid, 100 m PET film, 500 g powder. With oven $2,499; oven + heat press $2,799.
xTool Apparel Printer Plus, Standalone$5,399Versatile Bundle $8,099; All-in-one Bundle $8,999. Shaker oven is an add-on.
Epson SureColor F1070 Standard Edition (hybrid DTG and DTFilm)$4,995MSRP. Box has six 250 mL ink packs (extra white). Box list on the page shows no powder shaker or oven.

Also needed or useful

  • Heat press: $399. Procolored H15 Auto Heat Press, single station. xTool says a large and small press combo is around $300.
  • Curing oven: $599. Procolored oven. Smokeless oven $999.
  • Powder shaker and drying oven (all-in-one): $1,799. Procolored. xTool says shaker plus oven bought separately can add $1,000 to $2,000.
  • Fume handling: $999. xTool lists a $999 air purifier in its setup. Procolored sells smokeless ovens with carbon filters instead.
  • RIP software: xTool says RIP software "could be hundreds of dollars"; some printers include it.

Consumables

Cost per print: xTool, using its own supply prices (ink, film, powder; blank not included): about $1.18 for a 9 x 11 in t-shirt design, $0.96 for a 9 x 9 in canvas bag, $0.11 for a 3 x 3 in cap design; roughly $0.02 to $0.04 per square inch.

Sublimation

MachineUS priceNotes
Sawgrass SG500 printer (standalone)$275Listing says "SG500 Printer" only; ink and paper bought separately. Max print 8.5 x 14 in.
Sawgrass SubliJet SG500 bundle (printer, ink, paper)$659.95Includes full 31 ml ink set, 100 sheets of transfer media, free 1-on-1 live setup, 3-year warranty.
Sawgrass VersiFlex SG500 bundle (cotton and hard goods)$699.95Includes VersiFlex ink set and 50 sheets of transfer media. VersiFlex and SubliJet inks cannot be swapped in the same printer.
Epson SureColor F170 (8.5 in)$399MSRP. Ships with genuine Epson dye-sublimation ink and a 150-sheet auto-feed tray.

Also needed or useful

Consumables

No maker publishes a cost per print for sublimation.

Cutting machine (Cricut)

MachineUS priceNotes
Cricut Joy 2$99Ultra-compact; small decals, cards, labels.
Cricut Joy Xtra$179Smart Vinyl and Smart Iron-On cut mat-free up to 4 ft.
Cricut Explore 5$199Showed Out of Stock when seen.
Cricut Maker 5$349Cuts 300+ materials with 13 tools. Showed Out of Stock when seen.
Cricut Maker 4$379MSRP $399; listed at $379 when seen.

Also needed or useful

Consumables

No maker publishes a cost per print for cutting machine (cricut).

Work out a UV printer's cost per item, blanks and failures included, with the running-cost calculator, or compare every UV machine in the comparison table.

How long prints last

UV printer

  • eufyMake says tests on the E1 show prints keep their look for over 3 years (maker claim).
  • xTool says UV prints commonly last 3 to 7 years, and calls them scratch-resistant and waterproof.
  • xTool: outdoor prints hold up with protective coatings but will eventually be affected by sun, heat and weather.

DTF (direct to film)

  • xTool says a properly produced DTF print may withstand 50 or more washes without significant cracking or fading.
  • Cricut says its ready-made DTF transfers can last up to 75+ washes with proper pressing and care (maker claim).
  • xTool says DTF prints sit on top of the fabric and can be prone to cracking over time.

Sublimation

  • Sawgrass says the color becomes part of the substrate and the print won't peel, crack, or fade (maker claim).
  • Cricut says sublimation designs are permanent and can last the lifetime of the product without cracking or fading.
  • Sawgrass says VersiFlex on fabric gives a quality image up to 30 washes (cold wash, air dry advised).
  • eufyMake, a UV printer maker, says sublimation can fade with prolonged UV exposure (competitor claim).

Cutting machine (Cricut)

  • Smart Iron-On: Cricut says it outlasts 30+ washes.
  • Permanent Smart Vinyl: weather- and fade-resistant, listed as dishwasher friendly (Cricut says not for food or mouth contact).
  • Infusible Ink: Cricut says transfers never flake, peel, crack, or wrinkle.
  • Infusible Ink sheets are light sensitive and are damaged by water, so store them dark and dry.

What holds each one back

UV printer

  • Costs more up front than a sublimation setup, and UV ink costs more per ml (eufyMake).
  • Limited compatibility with flexible or stretchable fabrics (xTool). Regular UV ink can crack on leather that bends unless flexible white ink is used (eufyMake).
  • Glass needs a primer for best adhesion (xTool); eufyMake says glass can cause curing issues.
  • Rotary and roll-to-film attachments on the E1 do not yet support bidirectional printing (eufyMake page note).
  • UV DTF stickers need an extra laminator (xTool).

DTF (direct to film)

  • Several steps: print on film, add hot-melt powder, cure, heat press (eufyMake: more laborious and messy, particularly for novices or large orders).
  • Powder application can be messy and needs cleanup (xTool).
  • Print sits on the fabric with a feel you can notice; textured prints can make fabric stiff (xTool).
  • Entry printers start around $2,000 (xTool); daily upkeep supplies about $30 to $60 a month (xTool).
  • UV DTF (sticker transfers) is a different method: printed on A/B film, cured by UV, stuck on hard surfaces with no heat press or powder; prints are rigid and not for stretch (eufyMake); cannot be applied to fabric (Cricut). Procolored VF13 Pro UV DTF printer is $6,399; xTool O1 Omni UV DTF needs a $499 laminator.

Sublimation

  • Works only on polyester or poly-coated items (Sawgrass). For bright results fabric should be at least 65% polyester (xTool, Cricut).
  • No white ink, so light colors only (xTool, Sawgrass VersiFlex page).
  • Needs a heat press and compatible blanks on top of the printer (Sawgrass).
  • Several steps: print on transfer paper, align, press, cool (eufyMake).
  • A Sawgrass printer set up for VersiFlex ink cannot be converted from SubliJet inks, and the two should not be mixed.
  • Sawgrass says VersiFlex works best with a press that lets you adjust pressure by hand.

Cutting machine (Cricut)

  • A cutting machine does not print (Cricut). Full-color images need Print Then Cut with a home inkjet printer, or a separate sublimation or DTF printer.
  • Vinyl and iron-on are cut and weeded shapes; Infusible Ink comes in pre-made solid colors or patterns or as markers.
  • Infusible Ink works only on compatible, light-colored, high-polyester blanks (below 65% polyester looks dull, and it is not for 100% cotton).
  • Print Then Cut: white or light materials and an inkjet printer; colored, reflective or patterned materials can interfere with the sensor marks.
  • Some Design Space features and content need a paid Cricut Access plan.

Which one suits you

If most of what you want to make is T-shirts and hoodies, a UV printer is the wrong first machine: DTF covers light and dark cotton and polyester, and a Cricut with iron-on does simple text and shapes for far less. If it's light polyester and coated mugs in volume, sublimation has the cheapest way in. A UV printer earns its price when the work is hard goods in small runs, one name or photo at a time, or anything that needs raised texture. That's our reading of the makers' own descriptions, below.

  • UV printer. Makers and small shops decorating many different hard items, one at a time. xTool pitches its Single UV edition at entry-level users and hobbyists; eufyMake calls the E1 beginner-friendly (both maker claims).
  • DTF (direct to film). eufyMake: apparel-focused makers should start with DTF. xTool: pick DTF to print cotton, polyester or nylon and for textured or fluorescent looks. Procolored says the K13 Lite is for beginners and home users.
  • Sublimation. xTool: choose sublimation for seam-to-seam full-color prints on light polyester and cost-effective larger runs. Sawgrass pitches the SG500 for a side hustle or home studio (maker claim).
  • Cutting machine (Cricut). Cricut calls Infusible Ink beginner-friendly because it needs no sublimation printer; it describes iron-on as great for simple designs and text. Joy 2 is pitched for quick everyday projects (maker claims).

Already set on UV? Read how to choose one and the prices of the 4 entry machines above.

Sources

UV printer

DTF (direct to film)

Sublimation

Cutting machine (Cricut)