All About 3D Printers

Dedicated photo printers differ from all-purpose printers as they're made to print photographs only, as opposed to text or graphics files in addition to photos. They are generally compact in size and lightweight, and some models also contain batteries that allow you to print without the need for a socket. Most photo printers, for example dye-sublimation (or dye-sub) printers, are built around a thermal dye engine, even though there are a few that feature inkjet technology.

For many decades, dye-sublimation printers have been professional devices used in demanding graphic arts and photographic applications. The development of digital photography caused the entry of this technology to the mainstream, forming the cornerstone of many of the standalone, portable photo printers that surfaced at the second half of the 1990s.

The expression "dye" in the name refers to the solid dyes which were utilized in the process instead of inks or toner. "Sublimation" is the scientific term for a procedure where solids (in this scenario, dyes) are transformed in their gaseous form without going through an intervening liquid phase.

The printing process employed by authentic dye-sublimation printers differs from that of inkjets. Rather than spraying tiny jets of ink on a page as inkjet printers do, dye-sublimation printers apply a dye out of a plastic film.
A three-pass method (containing solid dyes in tape form on either a ribbon or a roll) layers cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dyes along with one another. The print head to a dye-sub printer uses tiny heaters to vapourise the dye, which permeates the glossy surface of the paper. A clear coat is added to protect the print against ultraviolet light. Although this procedure is effective at generating excellent results, it is far from cheap. Even if a specific image does not require any one of the pigments, this ribbon section remains consumed. This is why it's typical for dye-sub printer harmonious paper packs to include a transfer picture capable of generating the identical number of prints. In addition, dye sublimation inks require a newspaper which enables the ink to stay on the surface of the paper.

Nowadays, a number of inkjet printers on the market are effective at deploying dye-sublimation methods. The cartridges in these printers spray the ink, covering the page one strip at a time. The print head heats the inks to form a gas, controlled by a heating element that reaches temperatures of around 500° C (higher than the average dye sublimation printer). A huge difference from the results of dye-sublimation technique is that cause the dyes are applied to the paper in gas form, they do not form distinct dots with a hard edge like inkjet printers. Additionally, the infusion of the gaseous dye in the paper yields a more colour-fast picture.

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Assessing Dye-Sublimation Printers and Inkjet Printers

Although it's difficult to point out every possible advantage and drawback if comparing inkjet and dye-sub printers, the following list mentions the significant factors that apply to most people printing photographs at home.

· Prints are very exact with sharp borders

· Latest models offer incredible detail which surpasses most dye-sub printers

· range of papers/surfaces available--such as matte, luster, glistening.

· Not locked in to one manufacturer's paper

· Some archival inkjets can produce prints which long-lasting

· Many inkjets can print on several different surfaces that are designed to accept ink, including CDs, CD inserts, envelopes, etc..

· Inkjets have a considerably larger color gamut and typically produce more vivid photos than dye-subs

· Easier to obtain large format inkjets that can print 11x14, 13x20 sizes, or larger

· Inkjet printing is often cheaper than dye-sub printing

· Often much slower compared to dye-sub printers

· Many non-archival inkjets create prints that fade a little (sometimes a lot) faster than dye-sub prints

· Print heads sometimes clog and require cleanup, as well as replacement

Benefits of Dye-Sub Printers over Inkjet Printers:

· Very fast

· Relatively maintenance-free

· Smooth without a dot patterns observable, even under magnification

· Produce excellent shadow detail in dark areas where some inkjets may be "blotchy"

· Prints are usually Stronger and much more waterproof than inkjet prints

· For many audiences, dye-sub printers produce photographs that look and feel like actual photos Because of the smoothness of the prints and the absence of visible dot patterns

Dye-Sub Printer Disadvantages:

· Consumer degree models frequently smear high contrast edges (such as a black square on a white background) to a degree, making charts, graphs, and line art seem a little less "precise"

· Dye-sub prints typically only last so long or slightly longer than a good non-archival inkjet printer and are usually not considered "archival"

· Paper type selection is very limited and while dye-sub printers create excellent glossy photos, most fall behind or do not even offer the option of matte prints

· Dye-sub printers utilize an entire page and an Whole page worth of ribbon to print one little wallet size photo

· Pages Cannot be normally fed through the printer twice to fill more of the webpage as they could in inkjets

· Dust Can Occasionally get inside and create vertical scratches on prints

· Dye sub printing and the cost of paper and toner (ribbon) is often greater than inkjet printing

Few Popular Versions of Dye-Sublimation Printers

Canon Selphy CP710

Dye-sub printer for 150x100mm photos

Samsung SPP-2040 picture printer

Dye-sub printer using 300x300dpi resolution

Samsung SPP-2020

Digital photo printer that produces 100x150mm snapshots

HiTi Photo Printer 641PS

Dye-sub printer for 152x102mm photographs

Sony PictureStation DPP-FP30

A user friendly dye-sub photo printer

A dye-sublimation printer for compatible Kodak cameras

A dye-sublimation printer that prints directly out of your Olympus digital camera

Polaroid PP46d photo printer

A dye-sub photo printer

Olympus P-440

Sony DPP-EX50