DSF

sort off. you can get cheaper printer, refill carts insted of ciss etc to save money. but press should be at least digital
the cheapest option for printers I think is epson s21. most noisy printer on earth but do work refill carts and custom made icc profile is the cheapest option for you
btw. this is not supported gear in sublimation world by any company so if you decide to this route n one will help you when you in trouble. only us lol
btw2 IanM is useing this printer with great results so is worth to ask him few questions about this printer etc...

i have the multi mug press from BMS - i was lucky enough to win it, but i have to say its a brilliant little press, and with it being a multi press i can press latte mugs as well, which are selling well, and with you being in london - might be a good way to go, not everyone wants a std mug.

If I was starting out, and was a complete newbie, I'd go for this type of package - maybe more expensive than the Epson's at around £420.00 but works out of the box.

Printer with ink: http://www.printerowners.co.uk/sublimat ... inters.htm
Mug Press: http://www.coralgraph.com/heat-press/mu ... machine-ce

Using a Ricoh printer rather than Epson reduces the learning curve a lot as there's no colour profiles to worry about (its all done in the printer driver software).

A more expensive printer and a little more expensive to run but trouble free (Epsons can suffer heads clogging up with sublimation ink - especially if you're only doing small numbers).

Mark

we have used epsons before,and had nothing but trouble,heads blocked all the time.
now got the ricoh gx 7000 and its great.
the choice is yours
stu

Without going over the whole discussion again, the "Epsons always block, Ricoh are the best" mantra is a circular argument. Some people never have blockages with Epsons, others always get them. Some people never have problems with Ricoh, others have mainboard failures.

Whatever printer/set-up you use, it's important to understand that there is *no* desktop inkjet printer that's been designed to use dye-sublimation inks. The manufacturer of the printer and the manufacturer of the ink are not associated in anyway whatsoever.

Whatever printer option you go for, it's always going to be a case of "square peg in round hole" and you take any associated risks upon your own personal responsibility as you would with putting any third-party ink in an OEM printer.

Personally, I'm having success using a £60 printer made by Brother. That works for me.

You may find something entirely different works best for you. There are no guarantees.