The dye sublimation market is experiencing significant growth, with global revenues projected to nearly double by 2030, increasing at a rate of more than 10% annually. For shops already running sublimation, this growth translates into new opportunities and bigger orders. But it also brings added pressure: keeping up with demand while still delivering the same speed, color accuracy, and consistency your customers expect.
Applications like soft signage, textiles and apparel, and promotional goods continue to push the market forward. Clients want bold, durable graphics with faster turnaround times, and shops need workflows that can deliver without bottlenecks. For any high-volume print provider, that workflow starts with trusted and reliable equipment.
Building a Stronger Sublimation Workflow
In sublimation, the final product is only as good as the process behind it. A sublimation inkjet printer must deliver sharp, consistent color to transfer paper, while the heat press needs to apply that image with even heat and pressure across long runs. If either step falls short, quality suffers, and profits can take a hit.
That’s why scaling production means investing in dependable, high-performance equipment. With a wide-format sublimation printer producing vibrant, accurate images and a heat press ensuring clean, consistent transfers, shops can avoid issues like banding, ghosting, or color shifts. The result: reliable output, satisfied clients, and profitable workflows.
Wide-Format Solutions Built for Production
When demand is high, you need printers you can trust to keep up. The MUTOH XpertJet 1642WR Pro and XpertJet 1682WR are 64-inch wide-format sublimation printers designed to give production shops the speed and consistency required to stay competitive. While they share a strong foundation, each model is tailored to slightly different shop priorities.
XpertJet 1682WR
The XpertJet 1682WR balances productivity and precision, offering the versatility needed for diverse sublimation work. With dual-staggered DX7 printheads, it delivers exceptional dot placement accuracy and reaches production speeds up to 802 square feet per hour.
The 1682WR also supports up to eight color channels, allowing for expanded color gamuts or specialty ink configurations. This model is an excellent choice for shops producing soft signage, sportswear, home décor, and custom textile applications that demand both quality and efficiency. Intelligent features like automatic nozzle checks, FeedMaster media handling, and a Media Tracker system help streamline operation and reduce downtime, so your team can focus on creativity, not maintenance.
XpertJet 1642WR Pro
For high-volume providers pushing even greater throughput, the XpertJet 1642WR Pro brings an extra boost in performance. Its dual-staggered AccuFine HD printheads are optimized for speed, achieving print rates up to 1,012 square feet per hour while maintaining stable, accurate color across long runs.
The 1642WR Pro is designed for production reliability. It features bulk ink capability, motorized take-up, and durable media handling systems, making it ideal for shops with demanding schedules and continuous output needs.
Reliability and Ink Performance
Both printers are powered by MUTOH DH21 dye sublimation ink, a water-based formulation made for production. DH21 ink is engineered for optimum media transfer, achieving high-density color with less ink consumption.
Available in production-friendly bag sizes, the ink system minimizes changeovers and keeps jobs moving. Just as important, DH21 ink maintains excellent jetting stability and color consistency across long runs, giving shops the confidence to take on more volume without wasted media or downtime.
From Paper to Fabric Without Compromise
Printing is only half of the process. Once the transfers are ready, the heat press determines whether that image makes it cleanly to the fabric. For high-volume shops, rotary drum heat presses are the gold standard because they allow continuous transfer of long rolls with minimal handling.
The HeaterTex rotary heat press line has become a trusted choice among sublimation providers for its durability and consistent performance. Designed for long production runs, these presses deliver stable heat distribution and precise pressure across the transfer, ensuring vibrant color and sharp detail every time.
At MUTOH, we use the HeaterTex HT06709P rotary press to create our own sublimation samples. It provides the consistency needed to showcase exactly what our printers can achieve. Shops that integrate this type of press into their workflow see fewer production errors, less waste, and greater efficiency on every run.
Why This System Works
Profitability isn’t the question for today’s sublimation shops; the opportunity is clear. The real hurdle is scaling production while keeping every print consistent. That requires three things:
- Reliable wide-format sublimation printers that can keep up with production speeds
- Professional heat press technology that delivers uniform results every time
- High-quality sublimation inks that produce durable, vibrant graphics
Together, MUTOH printers and HeaterTex rotary heat presses form a system built to meet today’s demand and scale with tomorrow’s growth.
The Next Step in Sublimation Success
Your clients depend on you for quality, speed, and reliability. The right sublimation workflow makes it easier to deliver on all three. By pairing a MUTOH sublimation inkjet printer with trusted HeaterTex rotary heat press equipment, shops can eliminate workflow bottlenecks, improve output, and unlock new levels of profitability.
See it for yourself: request a sample print today or connect with an authorized dealer to find out which wide-format sublimation solution is right for your business.
