Screen printing can be a fun hobby, an art, or a successful way to bring in funds, but either way, you will need to have the best printer for screen printing transparencies as possible.
Since this is not just a simple printing job, you will need to think about several factors when looking for a printer that can tackle the job.
Printers for transparencies will need to have the right capacity, ink, connectivity, and even be the right type of printer in order for you to use it successfully.
As this isn’t your standard printing job, it might seem a little daunting when you begin looking at printers. After all, without knowing what you are looking at, how can you know what to look for?
We have compiled a list of the top printers for screen printing on the market to help you decide. This is what you need to know.
8 Best Printers For Screen Printing Transparencies
Device | Type | Color | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Canon Pixma iX6820 Editor's Choice | Inkjet | Black | 100% | |
2. Epson WF-7710 High Performance | Inkjet | Black | 99% | |
3. HP Envy 7855 Budget Friendly | Inkjet | Black | 95% | |
4. Epson Stylus C88+ | Inkjet | Silver | 98% | |
5. Epson EcoTaink 2720 | Inkjet | Black | 97% | |
6. HP OfficeJet 200 Portable | Inkjet | Grey | 94% | |
7. Brother MFC-J497 | Inkjet | Black | 92% | |
8. Epson Artisan 1430 For Professional Use | Inkjet | Black | 99% |
1. Canon Pixma iX6820 Printer
Best Printer For Screen Printing Transparencies (Editor's Choice)
Our choice for the best printer for screen printing is the Canon Pixma iX6820. This printer has wonderful performance and will give you the results that you are really hoping for.
Design
Let’s start with its design. The Canon Pixma iX6820 comes with 5 individual ink tanks. This allows you to refill the cartridge colours that are out when they are low and will give you more variety in colour upon printing.
The downside to them is that because there are so many, they do not have a high capacity. The device weighs about 17.9 pounds.
The Pixma also comes with a My Image Garden software. This software works by allowing you to save your favourite printing settings in one storage application. It can even help you organize photos and create templates.
Performance
The performance for the Canon Pixma iX6820 is excellent. The printer offers a resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi, ensuring that anything that you print is going to come out clear.
It is an inkjet printer as well, so it is the type that you should be looking for to do screen printing. It can print up to 14.5 pages per minute.
The printer is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS operating systems, so you should be able to hook it up to whatever device you are printing from.
2. Epson WorkForce WF-7710 Printer
High Performance
For anyone looking for a printer that will be capable of more at a higher performance level, we recommend the WorkForce WF-7710. This printer is made to take on the most challenging of tasks without trouble.
Design
The WorkForce WF-7710’s design is what you would except from most printers. Itcomes with a 4.3 inch colour touchscreen that will make it easy to operate. The printer is heavy, weighing an incredibly 40.80 pounds, so you really need to plan on it taking up a lot of room..
The paper tray can hold 250 sheets as well as up to 20 sheets of photo paper at the same time, ensuring you do not need to swap out your paper constantly. It also works to print envelopes.
Performance
There are a lot of great performance features with this printer, including the PrecisionCore technology. This technology will allow you create borderless prints up to 13 x 19 inches in size. It also has automatic 2-sided print speeds of 8.7 ppm in black and 6 ppm in colour.
Finally, the printer will allow you to print from any connected device in your network. This will include a lot of things, such as tablets or smartphones. It is an all-in-one printer as well, so it can print, scan, copy, and fax, proving that it goes beyond screen printing.
3. HP Envy Photo 7855 Printer For Transparencies
Budget Friendly
If you are working within a budget, you should check out the HP Envy Photo 7855 as a great choice for screen printing.
While this popular printer is used for many purposes, it can easily take on screen printing as well.
Design
Let’s look at the design of the Envy 7855. It is what you would expect from most printers since it comes with the top feeder. This will allow you to scan or copy documents as you need to. You can also simply lift the top to copy your documents as well.
The Envy 7855 also comes with an auto document feeder that has a 35-sheet capacity. You can plan on it holding adequate paper for most jobs, though you might have to refill it if you would like it to print anything large. It is known for its limited capacity, unfortunately.
Performance
Moving onto its performance, the HP Envy Photo 7855 makes it easy to print screen transparencies, or anything that you would like. It will support quite a few paper sizes, including letter, legal, 4 x 5 inches, 4 x 6 inches, and even envelopes.
Luckily, the printer allows for 2-sided printing as well as borderless printing, really letting you use the entirety of a sheet of paper as you would prefer. This should work for screen printing, too.
4. Epson Stylus C88 Printer For Transparencies
The Epson Stylus C88+ is another great option for printing screen transparencies. It is a powerful printer that should be able to get the job done efficiently.
Design
The design for this printer is just about what you would expect from a printer. It has a front feeder where the paper will come out. It has a 120 sheet standard input capacity through the USB as well.
The design actually makes it quite easy to use for screen printing technology as there are not other obstacles in the way.
The printer is designed to print paper that is water resistant. While you do not have control over which type of paper or ink that you go with, when you are given the choice, make sure that you go with the best option to meet your needs.
Performance
When you look at the performance of this printer, you should know that it can print a maximum of 23 pages per minute if you are using only black ink. That means that it should be able to print the screens efficiently as well.
It is a wired printer as well, so you will want to position it to where there is a nearby computer or device for it to connect straight to. Sadly, this printer will not print in duplex.
5. Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Printer
Another wonderful choice of a printer for screen printing is the Epson EcoTank ET-2720. This is a good choice of printers, because it is more economical and kinder to our environment to use the EcoTank printer model.
Design
When you look at the design of the EcoTank, you will notice right away that it is a little bit larger than some of the other printers out there. It comes with a scanner on the top of it as well as a touchscreen LCD.
The printer uses refillable tanks, though it does say that you are restricted to using the Epson brand of ink. Fortunately, the Epson ink is inexpensive to replace, so even if you need to use their brand, it will work out in the end.
Performance
The ET-2720 is considered to be Supertank printer because the printer tanks are quite large and will hold enough ink to last much longer than most other printers on the market, making it the most economical choice.
The ET-2720 prints up to 10 pages per minute. It is an inkjet printer, so the results should be clear and well-done. The resolution itself is 5760 x 1440 dpi and it will allow a maximum media size of 8.5 x 14 inches. It also allows for borderless printing, which might help with the screen printing.
6. HP OfficeJet 200 Portable Printer
Portable
The printer itself is portable, so you can take it with you wherever you are doing screen printing.
Design
To begin with, the design of the OfficeJet 200 is wonderfully different. This is because this is a portable printer that can be carried with you as you need it to be. This might be a nice option when you are screen printing, but need the flexibility of movement.
This printer will allow you to print from a smartphone or a tablet directly, which helps with the portability factor as well. As it is portable, you should not be terribly surprised that it can handle hooking up directly to your phone to get the job out.
Performance
Looking at its performance, the OfficeJet 200 is a wireless portable printer, so not only can you take it wherever you are you can print from it, even if you are not right next to it. This is an excellent feature when you are screen printing and might need more space to handle it.
The input capacity for this printer is 50 sheets as well. This might be a more unusual choice for screen printing, but if you are on the move, the portability will be nice.
7. Brother MFC-J497DW Inkjet Printer
For more of a desktop printer style to print screen print transparencies, you should take a look at the Brother MFC-J497DW.
This is a multipurpose printer that can do much more than printing screen transparencies.
Design
The Brother MFC-J497DW is a little bit on the larger size, but it is capable of so much. It does come with a scanner, printer, and fax, so you will have some choice in how the printer decides to do its work. Having versatility should only serve your screen printing as well, since it will not be stuck in one specific mode.
The printer does come with a built-in 100 sheet paper tray capacity, so you should not need to refill often, unless you are using it often. Because it is designed for wireless capability, you will need to monitor your connection.
Performance
One of the best features that you will get from this printer is that it has intuitive cloud connection. That means that you can scan from DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and any other cloud service that is out there right now. It is also capable of double side printing.
This printer is easy to connect as well. Combined with the automatic document feeder, and the printer runs incredibly well and should be able to get the job of screen printing with this printer without any trouble.
8. Epson Artisan 1430 Printer
The final printer that we found in the running for the best printer for screen printing is the Epson Artisan 1420. This is a very high-end printer that should just do the job well.
Design
When you look at the design or appearance of the printer, you will see what looks like an every-day printer. It has a black casing and is smooth on the top, making it easy to discern that it is your standard printer.
It uses 6 colour Claria ink as well, which is a very nice type of ink. Unfortunately, they are pricey to replace when you run out of ink. It does use WiFi direct connectivity, but does have a spot for an Ethernet cable as well.
Performance
The performance for the Artisan 1430 is excellent. It allows for brilliant, Ultra Hi-Definition prints. It can reach sizes up to 13 x 19 inches as well, so it should be able to handle the screen printing as you would hope it could.
The image quality on here is really remarkable with resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. It is made to give you smooth gradations with accurate colouring.
If you are printing CDs or DVDs for any reason, this printer is capable of printing them out professionally as well, which is a nice touch.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Printer For Screen Printing Transparencies
Wide-Format Capability
The first factor that you should consider when looking for a printer for screen printing is whether it is a wide-format capability.
Screen transparencies come in a variety of sizes and you should always have the option to use the widest setting if you need to. If you feel confident in the size of screening that you will be doing, it might not be a big deal to have a wide one, but it is still best to go with wider if you can.
Ink Type
The ink should also be considered when it comes to your printer for screen printing. Printers commonly support dye-based ink, pigment-based ink, and sometimes they will support both.
Typically, when a printer has a great imaging system, it will decide between the two types of ink for you, taking out the guesswork.
Sometimes multiple dye-based ink tanks and black pigment-based ink tanks will work together and create really nice and colour images. It is nice when you don’t have to swap out the cartridges to get better results.
You might also want to consider individual cartridges so you only have to change the colour that is out.
Colour Gradations & Resolution
Understandably, when it comes to screen printing, you will want a printer that has a good colour authenticity.
You will want the colours to come out just as you expect them to. A printer that would provide inconsistent printing, print head malfunctions, smudged prints, and many other issues will frustrate you and your results are going to be poor.
The majority of screen printers will be printing at 5760 x 1440 resolution. The smaller the ink droplets, the faster they will be able to dry on the media, and the better overall resolution you will get.
Printing Speed
Printing speed should also be looked at when your printer for screen printing. The most powerful printers can pump out printed papers very quickly.
The best speeds you can expect for black images are 23 pages per minute, while when it comes to colour, you should expect up to 14 pages per minute. Sometimes speed means that you will have a reduction in quality, so consider what you are really expecting from your printer.
Software & Connectivity
Another consideration that you should make when buying a printer for screen printing is the software and the connectivity.
The software that the printer supports should align with the device that you are printing from. Most printers are universally compatible, but you should still confirm ahead of time.
Connectivity also matters when it comes to your printer. Having wireless connectivity is ideal, since you will be able to print without needing to be directly connected to a printer. It is also good to have an Ethernet option so that you can hook the printer up to a device directly.
What Is Screen Printing Transparency
One of the most common questions asked while hunting for printers is what is screen printing transparency.
To put it simply, it is the process of printing onto a special paper and transfer the image from the paper onto photo emulsion coated screen paper. This uses a specialized type of paper that has been treated to respond to light exposure.
It is thin and semi-transparent as well. You will need to make sure that you are using the correct transparency to get your desired results, so pay attention to the paper or printing film.
Inkjet vs Laser Printer For Screen Printing Transparencies
You will need to decide between a laser printer and an inkjet printer as well. Laser printers work by using heat to fuse the ink to the paper. Inkjet printers put the ink on top of the paper. That is why inkjet is a better option for screen printing.
Final Words
While there are a lot of great printers in the running for the title of the best printer for screen printing transparencies, we have found that the Canon Pixma iX6820 is the ultimate winner. This is a high performance printer that comes with 5 individual tank systems and has incredibly resolution.
Naturally, if you are looking for a printer that is higher performance than the Canon Pixma iX6820, you will be happy with the WorkForce WF-7710, which is just what its name indicates: a work force. It comes with incredible technology and you will yield wonderful results.
Regardless of the printer that you wind up with, you really just need to make sure that it will work for screen printing transparencies. You will want an inkjet printer that has the capacity and resolution that you are after. Then, you might be able to locate the best printer for your needs.
Hey, it’s James here. I’m the founder and editor here at RiverstoneNet.com. I’m a network engineer during the day and a blogger at night. Let me know if I can help you with choosing a new modem/router or troubleshooting your Internet connection.