The right printer depends on the largest design you need to print, the exact media a model supports, its ink and software workflow, and the rest of the setup. This guide compares seven exact model or SKU records across six hardware families. It groups the F570 and F570 Pro as one 24-inch family because the documented difference in this source set is the Pro software configuration. Media size is not the same as printable image area, and this shortlist does not rank untested print quality, speed, reliability, or cost per transfer.
Use the documented workflow as a first filter. Listed media dimensions help narrow the options, but do not guarantee printable artwork size. Verify printable bounds with the current manual, software, driver, or RIP before committing to a design.
- If your workflow uses media up to 8.5 inches wide and Epson's four-color bottled-ink system fits, compare the SureColor F170.
- If you need Epson roll or sheet media up to 24 inches wide, review the base SureColor F570.
- If the Pro software bundle's layout and color tools fit your work, review the F570 Pro; Epson's U.S. page showed it out of stock on 2026-09-22.
- If your work calls for a 44-inch production system, review Epson's SureColor F6470, listed for promotional products, apparel, home décor, and soft signage. Epson displayed an $8,450 MSRP on 2026-09-22; this is not a merchant offer price, and the reviewed page links to Where to Buy rather than an exact merchant checkout.
- If Sawgrass's documented formats fit your files, compare the North American SG500NA with the SG1000; verify each regional model on its printer label.
- If Brother's Artspira project workflow and bundled supplies suit your needs, review the Brother SP1 profile and verify supported paper dimensions before sizing artwork.
Measure the design first
Write down the finished design width and height, then check the usable area of the specific blank and press you plan to use. Next, compare those measurements with the printer's documented media size and its actual printable area. Manufacturer media specifications describe supported paper or roll formats; they do not automatically establish the area that software and drivers can image. For example, Epson says the F170's printable length depends on the application, operating system, and driver or RIP, and its F570 page lists maximum paper width separately from roll and sheet support (Epson F170 specifications, Epson F570 specifications).
If your designs stay within the formats documented for the SG500 or F170, compare those exact models' media handling, supplies, and software before moving to a larger format. If a job needs a wider roll or sheet, compare the F570's 24-inch media workflow with the SG1000's listed 11 × 17-inch main-tray and 13 × 19-inch bypass formats. For shirt, mug, and tumbler projects, confirm the blank's usable area and the press workflow separately; a printer specification alone cannot establish that a complete setup fits.
Compare the documented models
The tables summarize manufacturer-listed media and workflow details from the records checked for this guide. A media format is not a verified printable image area. The Sawgrass records cover U.S. models; the SG500 main-tray figures below apply to the North American SG500NA, whose tray extends for Legal paper. The European SG500EU has a fixed main tray.
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| Criterion | Epson SureColor F170 (C11CJ80201) | Sawgrass SG500NA (U.S. model) | Brother SP1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documented workflow | Four-color T49M bottled ink; Epson says the printer is designed for Epson ink bottles only and arrives with Mac and Windows print software. | Purpose-built for sublimation and VersiFlex, with Sawgrass-matched inks and print-management software. | Artspira-based sublimation projects; package includes four full-size inks and ten sheets of sublimation paper. |
| Listed media format | Maximum paper width 8.5 in; sheets up to 8.5 × 47.2 in. Printable length depends on the application, operating system, and driver or RIP. | SG500NA: up to 8.5 × 14 in main tray and 8.5 × 51 in with bypass. SG500EU main tray is fixed. Neither format establishes imageable area. | Current source record does not verify maximum media size or printable image area. Check the Brother manual. |
| Dated offer check | Epson listed a US$399 MSRP in a later 2026-09-22 page capture. Earlier and later same-day captures showed conflicting stock signals; current availability is unknown, and the exact offer has no price observation. | Sawgrass listed the standalone SG500 printer at US$275 and marked it sold out on 2026-09-22. This is not a complete setup cost. | Brother's U.S. page listed US$379.99 for the exact SP1 on 2026-09-22 and showed Add to Cart without an explicit stock state; availability is unknown. |
| Model details | Epson F170 profile | Sawgrass SG500 profile | Brother's official product page |
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| Criterion | Epson SureColor F570 (SCF570SE) | Epson SureColor F570 Pro (SCF570PE) | Epson SureColor F6470 (SCF6470PE) | Sawgrass SG1000 (U.S. model) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Documented workflow | 24-inch dye-sublimation printer with optimized software, Windows and Mac drivers, a 50-sheet auto-feed tray, built-in cutter, and USB, Ethernet, and wireless connectivity. | Adds Epson Edge Print Pro with Adobe PDF Print Engine, job layout, nesting, pattern-repeat, and advanced color-control features. | 44-inch, four-color production dye-sublimation system with front-loading media, take-up reel, cutter, and included Epson Edge Print software with Adobe PDF Print Engine. | Purpose-built for sublimation and VersiFlex; Sawgrass says it shares components and operation with the SG500. |
| Listed media format | Roll and sheet support up to 24 in wide; maximum paper width is 24.4 in. These do not establish imageable width. | 24-inch system with roll support, a 50-sheet feeder, and built-in cutter. No separate printable image area is established versus the base F570. | 44-inch media class, optimized for Epson DS Universal, Rigid Photo Optimized, Adhesive Textile, and Multipurpose transfer paper. Media width does not establish printable area. | Up to 11 × 17 in, or 13 × 19 in with the bypass tray. Format does not establish imageable area. |
| Dated offer check | Epson's U.S. page showed US$2,495.00, Out of Stock, and Notify Me for exact model SCF570SE on 2026-09-22. Availability after that observation is unknown; no live buyable offer was verified. | Epson's U.S. page listed US$3,099.00 and Out of Stock for exact model SCF570PE on 2026-09-22. MakerFlo separately listed a US$2,495.00 selection titled F570 Only with merchant SKU SCF570PE; it showed both in-stock and pre-order cues, so availability is unknown and the package is not a like-for-like price comparison. | Epson listed an $8,450 MSRP and a Where to Buy path on 2026-09-22. No exact merchant offer or checkout price is recorded. | No comparable dated exact-model offer is recorded for this guide. |
Match the format to a real project
The F170 and SG500 are the two models in this set with documented media formats around 8.5 inches wide. The F170 source lists a long sheet format but explicitly makes printable length dependent on software and driver context; Sawgrass lists an 8.5 × 51-inch bypass format for the SG500. Epson says the F170 includes Mac and Windows print software, while Sawgrass names free print-management software; the product pages do not establish that these are equivalent products. Epson's detailed operating-system list names Windows 7, 8/8.1, and 10, plus Mac OS X 10.6 through macOS 10.15.x, so confirm current support for newer versions before relying on the bundled software. Treat the media dimensions as manufacturer format claims, then verify the printable area for your paper and application. The exact-model comparison between the Epson F170 and Sawgrass SG500 covers their source-supported differences.
For a broader roll-and-sheet workflow, Epson lists the base F570 as supporting media up to 24 inches wide and maximum paper width of 24.4 inches. Those are separate manufacturer measurements, and neither is a guarantee of the imageable width in every driver or RIP. The SG1000's documented formats are smaller than the F570's roll width but larger than the SG500's main-tray format. The SG500 and SG1000 comparison focuses on whether that larger documented media format matters for your project dimensions.
The F570 and F570 Pro are two exact configurations in one 24-inch hardware family. Epson's dated page observations showed Out of Stock for both; the base SCF570SE page listed US$2,495.00 and the Pro SCF570PE page listed US$3,099.00. MakerFlo's separate US$2,495.00 “F570 Only” selection uses merchant SKU SCF570PE, which identifies the Pro model, and its stock cues conflict between in-stock and pre-order. Its package listing includes Edge Print Pro, a CMYK ink set, a maintenance tank, and a design pack, but does not name paper. These observations do not establish a currently available, like-for-like offer. The F6470 represents a different scale: its 44-inch production format and listed applications make it a scale boundary for businesses planning wider roll work. Its stated print-engine speed is not a complete production-throughput estimate; this guide makes no throughput or return-on-investment claim.
Check the whole workflow
Before buying, confirm the exact regional model and required workflow in current manufacturer documentation. Check the printer's software and operating-system support, named ink and paper, physical clearance, and the press and blank required for the finished item. Do not substitute a similar brand name or nominal printer width for an exact compatibility check. The printer hub organizes documented printer records and available profiles, and the dedicated versus converted printer guide explains why those workflows need to be evaluated separately.
Then compare the complete setup budget: printer, required supplies, compatible blanks, a suitable press, and any software or accessory requirements. Sawgrass's dated US$275 observation is for its standalone SG500 printer listing; it is not a complete setup cost. Epson listed a US$399 MSRP for the F170 in a later 2026-09-22 page capture, but an earlier Out of Stock label and later Add to Cart control conflict, so current availability is unknown; the exact offer has no price observation. The F570 Pro page showed out of stock at that check. The available observations do not give a like-for-like set of purchasable offers or total setup prices, so this guide names no price or cost-per-project winner. No stock status should be inferred for other models from this guide.
Use the setup finder to assemble a source-backed printer and press shortlist, and the design-size helper to work from dimensions you enter. For project-specific format limits, continue to the printable-area planning guide and printer settings guide. If you are new to the process, the beginner guide lays out the full workflow.
What this comparison does not establish
This is a manufacturer-documentation comparison, not a hands-on test or an award list. The sources reviewed here do not provide an independent head-to-head test for print quality, speed, reliability, ink yield, maintenance cost, or total cost per transfer. Several exact-model prices, purchase destinations, printer dimensions, and verified printable image areas are missing from the current catalog, and those gaps remain unknown in this guide rather than being filled with estimates.
The records also do not establish that a printer, blank, and press form a compatible project setup just because they share a process name or nominal size. Check the exact material instructions, equipment context, and settings source for each project; this guide only helps narrow the printer questions.
Sources and review date
Epson, Brother, and MakerFlo product pages below were checked on 2026-09-22. Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 printer product pages were checked on 2026-09-23; the Sawgrass standalone-printer offer was checked on 2026-09-22. Claims are paraphrased from each page and linked directly; no product images or manufacturer marketing copy are reused.
- Epson SureColor F170: model, supported process, included print software, ink requirements, media formats, the later US$399 MSRP capture, and conflicting dated availability signals.
- Epson SureColor F570: model, software/connectivity, feeder and cutter, media-width distinctions, and dated US$2,495.00 / Out of Stock / Notify Me observation for SCF570SE.
- Epson SureColor F570 Pro: Pro software bundle, media system, and dated US$3,099.00 / Out of Stock page observation.
- MakerFlo Epson F570 listing: exact SCF570PE merchant variant, dated US$2,495.00 selection, package scope, and conflicting in-stock / pre-order cues.
- Epson SureColor F6470 44-inch Dye-Sublimation Printer, model SCF6470PE: production-format positioning, included system and media paper types, $8,450 manufacturer MSRP, and the Where to Buy path checked on 2026-09-22; MSRP is not a merchant offer.
- Sawgrass SG500: documented media sizes, supported workflows, and manufacturer comparison with the SG1000.
- Sawgrass SG500 Standalone Printer: exact-model offer listed at US$275 and shown sold out when checked on 2026-09-22; the observation applies to the standalone listing only.
- Sawgrass SG1000: documented media sizes, supported workflows, and manufacturer comparison with the SG500.
- Brother SP1: included inks and paper, Artspira-based project workflow, and the US$379.99 dated page price; Add to Cart did not establish availability.