Budget: converted Epson
Epson ET-2800 conversion $250, combo press $0 (already owned), ink and paper starter $60, blanks $50, misc tools $30, no marketing. Must-have total $400. Monthly depreciation $4.17. Bare minimum but viable.
Business
Sublimation Startup Cost Calculator
Written by Maya Reeves. Reviewed 2026-04-21.
How much does it cost to start a sublimation business? Depends. This calculator builds the budget in layers: the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and the monthly depreciation you can plug into pricing later.
Includes printer, heat press, starter ink and paper, blank pack, software, Etsy listing budget, and optional marketing. Splits must-have from nice-to-have so you know what you can defer.
Step 1 of 3: Must-have
Presets
Must-have gear
What you cannot avoid buying to actually produce a sublimation product.
$
SG500 $599, SG1000 $1499, Epson ET conversion $250, F170 $499.
$
Mug, tumbler, flat, or combo press.
$
$
$
$
$
Heat tape, lint roller, gloves.
Step 1 of 3
Quick answer
Budget route lands near $400 with a converted Epson. Sawgrass SG500 kit with combo press, starter ink, blanks, and a little marketing lands around $1,400. Premium F170 setup with nicer press and full nice-to-haves runs $2,100.
How to use this calculator
- Pick a preset. Budget, Sawgrass SG500, or premium F170 to auto-fill typical costs.
- Override line items. Use your actual printer cost, press cost, and supplier prices.
- Must-have section. Everything you need for sale #1.
- Toggle nice-to-have. See total with or without non-essential items.
- Read depreciation. Monthly hardware cost to plug into break-even or pricing math.
Three real scenarios
Sawgrass SG500 kit
SG500 $599, combo press $280, starter ink+paper $220, blanks $120, Adobe $30, Etsy listings $40, misc $75. Must-have $1,364. With marketing $150 + $200 nice-to-have = $1,714 total. Depreciation $14.65/mo.
Premium F170 setup
F170 $499, combo press $400, ink+paper $250, blanks $180, software $50, Etsy $60, misc $100. Must-have $1,539. Nice-to-have $400 + marketing $250 = $2,189 total. Depreciation $14.98/mo.
What goes into startup
Sum of must-have line items plus optional nice-to-have. Hardware depreciation uses a 5-year straight-line for printer plus press. Divide hardware total by 60 months to get monthly depreciation, which plugs into pricing math as fixed cost.
Reference: gear pricing
| Item | Budget | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Printer | $80-$250 (Epson conv) | $500-$1500 (SG/F-series) |
| Heat press | $0-$200 (used or combo) | $400-$800 (swing-away) |
| Ink + paper starter | $60 | $250 |
| Blanks starter | $50 | $180 |
| Software | $0 (Canva free) | $50/mo Adobe |
| Misc tools + safety | $30-$50 | $100+ |
| Marketing (nice-to-have) | $0 | $150-$500 |
What to do if your number looks off
- Must-have over $3,000. Probably includes something that is actually nice-to-have. Review line items.
- Total under $250. Something is missing. Double-check you counted printer, press, and blanks.
- Depreciation math seems low. Confirm hardware total. Non-hardware items (blanks, ink) don’t depreciate.
- Marketing budget needed? Not on day one. Many shops grow via word of mouth for the first 6 months.
FAQs
Sources
- Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 MSRP, sawgrassink.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
- Epson SureColor F170 pricing, epson.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
- Epson ET-2800 Amazon listing history, reviewed 2026-04-21.
- Combo heat press pricing, heatpressnation.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
- Hiipoo conversion ink pricing, hiipoo.com, reviewed 2026-04-21.
Is this right for you?
Plug monthly depreciation into pricing
Hourly rate calculator uses depreciation as overhead.
Hourly rateThree real scenarios
See the same calculator pre-filled with seller inputs we actually use.
Budget
Converted Epson kit.
- Printer
- $250
- Must-have
- $400
Recommended$400
Minimum viable setup.
SG500 kit
Sawgrass + combo press.
- Printer
- $599
- Must-have
- $1,364
Recommended$1,714
Most common full setup.
Premium F170
F170 + premium press.
- Printer
- $499
- Must-have
- $1,539
Recommended$2,189
For serious shop start.
Read next
Want to see how we calculate this? Read our methodology.