Choose by the largest paper format your planned designs need, then check the printable bounds in Sawgrass software. This comparison uses the North American 110 V SG500NA version. Sawgrass says its main tray extends for Legal paper; the 220 V SG500EU version has a fixed, non-extendable main tray. Confirm the regional model on the printer label before applying the SG500NA paper sizes.
Sawgrass says the SG500 and SG1000 use the same components and operate the same; their documented distinction is the supported media format. The listed paper dimensions do not confirm how much of each sheet can hold printable artwork.
Choose by the format you use
The SG500NA lists media up to 8.5 × 14 inches in its extendable main tray and up to 8.5 × 51 inches with the bypass tray. The U.S. SG1000 product page lists media up to 11 × 17 inches in the main tray and up to 13 × 19 inches with its bypass tray. If your work is designed around letter-width sheets or long narrow formats, the SG500NA's listed formats may cover the paper path you need. If you need larger sheet widths in the main tray or the listed 13 × 19 bypass format, compare the SG1000 against the usable bounds reported by your current software.
Neither product page establishes printable image dimensions for those maximum media sizes. Confirm the supported paper, feed path, software layout area, and margins for your operating system before sizing a design near a sheet edge. The design-size helper lays out dimensions you enter; it does not infer printer margins or blank size.
Compare the documented systems
Sawgrass describes both printers as purpose-built for sublimation and VersiFlex, with components matched to Sawgrass inks and free print-management software. Sawgrass says the two models use the same components and operate the same. The source does not establish a difference in speed, image quality, reliability, or ink yield, so this comparison uses the documented media path as the decision point.
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Criterion | Sawgrass SG500NA, North American 110 V model | Sawgrass SG1000 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum listed main-tray media | Up to 8.5 × 14 in on the extendable SG500NA main tray. | Up to 11 × 17 in on the U.S. product page. |
| Maximum listed bypass media | Up to 8.5 × 51 in. | Up to 13 × 19 in. |
| Manufacturer-described system | Purpose-built for sublimation and VersiFlex; matched to Sawgrass inks and free print-management software. | Purpose-built for sublimation and VersiFlex; matched to Sawgrass inks and free print-management software. |
| Printable image area for the listed formats | Not specified in the reviewed product facts. | Not specified in the reviewed product facts. |
| Manufacturer's stated model relationship | Sawgrass says both models have the same components and operate the same; the SG500 uses smaller main-tray media. | Sawgrass says both models have the same components and operate the same; the SG1000 supports larger main-tray media. |
Keep ink workflows separate
Sawgrass describes sublimation and VersiFlex as separate workflows. Its VersiFlex information says that this ink is not standard sublimation ink, describes a print-and-press workflow for natural fibers, and warns against mixing VersiFlex with SubliJet UHD because the wrong ink may damage the printer. The comparison does not treat the two names as interchangeable or assume that every SG500 or SG1000 uses the same installed ink. Check the exact configured printer, cartridge choice, paper, and process instructions before buying supplies.
The manufacturer pages do not provide a complete like-for-like estimate of printer, ink, paper, software, and maintenance costs for both models. This page therefore makes no price or value winner claim. Read the individual SG500 profile and SG1000 profile for each model's documented scope, and use the printer guide to compare these options with other printer families.
What this comparison does not establish
The reviewed sources do not establish printable area, final design fit, a difference in measured print quality or speed, per-transfer yield, reliability, maintenance cost, or a complete project setup. A longer listed sheet does not by itself prove that a specific design fits the printable area or blank.
Sources and review date
Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 printer product pages were checked on 2026-09-23. The VersiFlex cartridge listing was checked on 2026-09-22. Claims are paraphrased; no product photography or page copy is reused.
- Sawgrass SG500: North American and European model distinction, main-tray and bypass media formats, system purpose, and the manufacturer's SG500/SG1000 comparison.
- Sawgrass SG1000: exact model, main-tray and bypass media formats, system purpose, and the manufacturer's SG500/SG1000 comparison.
- Sawgrass VersiFlex ink cartridges: named workflow distinction, no-mixing warning, cartridge listing, and quick-start pairing.