The best part? You can go from box to first print in under 30 minutes! Read on for the step by step set up guide.
I have a full Brother sublimation printer unboxing video so if you want to check that out before you start the setup you can watch it out here. Basically what's in the box is the printer, a full set of CMYK sublimation inks, a small pack of sublimation paper and a getting started guide.
Powering On the Brother Sublimation Printer
Start by plugging in your printer. As soon as you do, it will power on automatically and the small touch screen on the front will light up with instructions on how to proceed by installing the inks.Step 2: Installing the Ink Cartridges
Open all of the ink cartridges and give them all a good shake.Pop each one into the ink compartment, found behind the door on the right side of the printer.
The cartridges need to go in specific slots: from left to right, the order is:
Black, Yellow, Blue (Cyan), Magenta.
Make sure you push each of the 47ml cartridges in completely. You should hear a little click.
Step 3: Ink Charging Process
Once all four cartridges are installed, close the ink compartment cover. The printer will automatically begin the ink charging process.It will tell you on the screen, but it takes about 8 minutes to complete.
While the ink is filling the lines you can set up the rest of the printer including setting the date and time and setting up the WIFI network.
You can do this from the Settings > Network menu on the touch screen.
Step 4: Loading Sublimation Paper
After the ink charging is complete, the printer will ask you to load paper. The Brother SP-1 comes with some sublimation paper to get you started.Unless it's marked on the backside, it can be tricky to know which side of the sublimation paper to print on.
However, Brother makes it pretty easy. Their sublimation transfer paper has a tiny cut corner that should be positioned at the bottom right of the tray. This ensure the printable side is face DOWN in the tray.
To load the paper, pull out the paper tray and extend the green paper guides.
There's a little spot on the right guide that you'll need to press to make side guides move out to the edge of the printer tray.
Position the paper with the cut corner at the bottom right
Make sure the paper is flush with the front of the tray
Slide the bottom guide up until it touches the bottom edge of the paper.
Step 6: Nozzle Check Print
Once the tray is back in and filled with paper, the printer will automatically run a nozzle check print to confirm you have a good print quality.
After the pattern is printed, confirm on the screen if there are any missing lines in the printed pattern. If there are the printer will likely suggest a head cleaning and then re-print a second nozzle check.
Step 7: Installing the Brother Sublimation Print Drivers
The final step in the setup is to install the print drivers for the Brother SP1 and connect to the WIFI network.
The drivers are not a sublimation design software. The only design type software Brother offers is CanvasWorkspace or the Artspira mobile app, however there are other free options you could use including Canva, Affinity or Silhouette Studio (where you can print directly to your Brother sublimation printer).
Check part 2 of the Brother SP-1 Sublimation printer setup where I go over, in detail, how to print wirelessly and how to install the print drivers.
You can check out this video if you need more help with downloading the software or getting the Brother sublimation printer set up.
Sublimation Help and Support
And...if you're looking for personalized, same-day, one-on-one support with me for your sublimation projects? Be sure to check out Silhouette U!
Don't miss my FREE sublimation pricing calculator to help you with sublimation costs and pricing as well!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!
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