Sony Make Printers for Dye Sublimation Printing here we list two models:-
Sony DPP-EX50 Dye-sublimation photo printer and Sony PictureStation DPP-FP30 A
user-friendly dye-sub photo printer
The advent of digital photography led to the entry of this technology into the
mainstream, forming the basis of many of the standalone, portable photo printers
that surfaced in the second half of the 1990s. The term "dye" in the name refers
to the solid dyes that were used in the process instead of inks or toner.
"Sublimation" is the scientific term for a process where solids (in this case,
dyes) are converted into their gaseous form without going through an intervening
liquid phase. The printing process employed by true dye-sublimation printers
differs from that of inkjets. Instead of spraying tiny jets of ink onto a page
as inkjet printers do, dye-sublimation printers apply a dye from a plastic film.
A three-pass system (featuring solid dyes in tape form on either a ribbon or a
roll) layers cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dyes on top of one another. The
print head on 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 method is capable of producing
excellent results, it is far from economical. Even if a particular image does
not need any one of the pigments, that ribbon segment is still consumed. This is
the reason it is common for dye-sub printer compatible paper packs to contain a
transfer film capable of producing the same number of prints. In addition, dye
sublimation inks need a paper that allows the ink to remain on the surface of
the paper. Nowadays, a number of inkjet printers on the market are capable of
deploying dye-sublimation techniques. The cartridges in such 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 up to
500? C (higher than the average dye sublimation printer). A big difference in
the results with dye-sublimation technique is that because the dyes are applied
to the paper in gas form, they do not form distinct dots with a hard edge like
inkjet printers. Instead, the edges are softer and blend into each other easily.
Additionally, the infusion of the gaseous dye into the paper yields a more
colour-fast picture.
Comparing Dye-Sublimation Printers and Inkjet Printers Although it is difficult
to point out every possible advantage and disadvantage when comparing inkjet and
dye-sub printers, the following list mentions the major points that apply to
most people printing photos at home. Advantages of Inkjet Printers over Dye-Sub
Printers: ? Prints are very precise with sharp edges ? Latest models offer
incredible detail that exceeds most dye-sub printers ? Variety of
papers/surfaces available--including matte, luster, glossy. ? Not locked in to
one manufacturer's paper ? Some archival inkjets can produce prints that
long-lasting ? Most inkjets can print on many different surfaces that are
designed to accept ink, including CDs, CD inserts, envelopes, etc. ? Inkjets
have a considerably larger colour gamut and usually 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
Inkjet Printer Disadvantages: ? Often much slower than dye-sub printers ? Most
non-archival inkjets produce prints that fade a little (sometimes a lot) faster
than dye-sub prints ? Print heads sometimes clog and require cleaning, or even
replacement Advantages of Dye-Sub Printers over Inkjet Printers: ? Very fast ?
Relatively maintenance-free ? Smooth with no dot patterns visible, even under
magnification ? Produce excellent shadow detail in dark areas where some inkjets
may be "blotchy" ? Prints are usually more durable and more waterproof than
inkjet prints ? For many viewers, dye-sub printers produce photos that look and
feel more like real photographs due to the smoothness of the prints and the
absence of visible dot patterns Dye-Sub Printer Disadvantages: ? Consumer level
models often smear high contrast edges (like a black square on a white
background) to some degree, making charts, graphs, and line art look a little
less "precise" ? Dye-sub prints typically only last as long or slightly longer
than a good non-archival inkjet printer and are generally not considered
"archival" ? Paper type selection is very limited and while dye-sub printers
produce excellent glossy photos, most fall behind or do not even offer the
option of matte prints ? Dye-sub printers use an entire page and an entire page
worth of ribbon even to print one small wallet size photo ? Pages cannot be
normally fed through the printer twice to fill more of the page as they can in
inkjets ? Dust can sometimes get inside and cause vertical scratches on prints ?
Dye sub printing and the cost of paper and toner (ribbon) is often higher than
inkjet printing
Few Popular Models of Dye-Sublimation Printers
Canon Selphy CP710 Dye-sub printer for 150x100mm photographs
Samsung SPP-2040 photo printer Dye-sub printer with 300x300dpi resolution
Samsung SPP-2020 Digital photo printer that produces 100x150mm snapshots
HiTi Photo Printer 641PS Dye-sub printer for 152x102mm photographs
Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock 6000 A dye-sublimation printer for compatible Kodak
cameras
Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock 6000 A dye-sublimation printer for compatible Kodak
cameras
Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer A dye-sublimation printer that prints
straight from your Olympus digital camera
Polaroid PP46d photo printer A dye-sub photo printer
Olympus P-440 Dye-sub printer capable of printing A4 photographs