Dye sub vs. inkjet?

swintonphoto

Ok, I am trying to become more educated on the advantages of the dye sub printers vs. inkjets. I currently have an Epson 2000p and love it. However, I am trying to learn of the new advances made in printing since that printer was manufactured. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks!

JBurt

swintonphoto wrote:

Ok, I am trying to become more educated on the advantages of the dye sub printers vs. inkjets. I currently have an Epson 2000p and love it. However, I am trying to learn of the new advances made in printing since that printer was manufactured. Can anyone shed some light? Thanks!

Dyesub is a type of ink used in your more professional/expensive inkjets.

Here is a site I found educational when I was researching printers, ink, papers, and longevity.
http://www.inkjetart.com/
They sell Epson and Canon so don't take everything they say as gospel.

Of course, that was weeks ago so the whole world of printers has probably changed by now.

Bodwick

JBurt wrote:

Dyesub is a type of ink used in your more professional/expensive inkjets.

Sorry Burt but this is just wrong.

My Kodak Dye Sublimation uses a ribbon of three colours and a clear lamninate final coat to produce a print. No ink jet nozzles and a completely different system.

It is a laying down of ink using heat. I'm sure there are good articles to search on this.

It gives a great final print that is laminated and can be handled straight away.

Bod.

ballentphoto

Bodwick wrote:

Sorry Burt but this is just wrong.

My Kodak Dye Sublimation uses a ribbon of three colours and a clear lamninate final coat to produce a print. No ink jet nozzles and a completely different system.

It is a laying down of ink using heat. I'm sure there are good articles to search on this.

It gives a great final print that is laminated and can be handled straight away.

Bod.

How is black handled? Does it lay down all three colors to get black, or is there a separate black ribbon?

Bodwick

ballentphoto wrote:

How is black handled? Does it lay down all three colors to get black, or is there a separate black ribbon?

The color is laid down in three passes. The final pass layes the clear cover.

From wikipedia a good read:-

"Dye-sublimation printers are able to change the temperature of the thermal elements in its head 256 different degrees and therefore can produce 256 different shades of each of the colored panels. More importantly, due to the properties of the dye, the dye is transparent and colors can be laid on top of each other, combining to produce 16.8 million different shades. Coupled with the final laminate coating, prints from a dye-sublimation printer look as if they have been developed from a photochemical lab."

PS. My interest is summed up in the last two lines of the article. What do you want to print?

ballentphoto

Bodwick wrote:

The color is laid down in three passes. The final pass layes the clear cover.

From wikipedia a good read:-

"Dye-sublimation printers are able to change the temperature of the thermal elements in its head 256 different degrees and therefore can produce 256 different shades of each of the colored panels. More importantly, due to the properties of the dye, the dye is transparent and colors can be laid on top of each other, combining to produce 16.8 million different shades. Coupled with the final laminate coating, prints from a dye-sublimation printer look as if they have been developed from a photochemical lab."

PS. My interest is summed up in the last two lines of the article. What do you want to print?

Thanks for the article. I was thinking that it would have been more like CMYK like where there would have been a separate pass done to lay down black for shadows and such. It appears that it would just add up to get you black.

Does it use the same amount of ribbon for each picture? Seems like an interesting way to print and those last two sentences do seem rather intriguing

Bodwick

ballentphoto wrote:

Thanks for the article. I was thinking that it would have been more like CMYK like where there would have been a separate pass done to lay down black for shadows and such. It appears that it would just add up to get you black.

Does it use the same amount of ribbon for each picture? Seems like an interesting way to print and those last two sentences do seem rather intriguing

A pack of paper or a roll comes with the paper and an equal amount of ribbon. So if you print just a tiny print you use the entire sheet of ink. Even a border is a waste of unused ink.
The price can be worked out per print as it is always the same.

Event photography and dye sub printing go together for the speed of printing and the fact that you have a finished product in your hand. It is easy although heavy to transport without ink worries.

swintonphoto

So, it appears the dye-sub can be great for home printing for a small business, how about for artistic images?

Bodwick

swintonphoto wrote:

So, it appears the dye-sub can be great for home printing for a small business, how about for artistic images?

Depends what your understanding of 'artistic images' is I guess. There are loads of ways to get the final image into print depending on what you want it's final use to be.

I've moved towards stretched canvas on a frame at the moment. But the choice is nearly endless of print finish. It also gets expensive the bigger you go.

The 6x8 dye subs go very well in a gold frame black mount for some things I do. I could print out my interpretation of an artistic image on a dye sub and be very pleased with the vivid colour's it would show when framed.
Is that helpful?

Bodwick

I'm an owner of a Kodak 6800.



Not sure about other makes but only hear good things about the entire kodak range. the 1400 looks good at a great price for an A4 dye sub.

ballentphoto

Bodwick wrote:

I'm an owner of a Kodak 6800.



Not sure about other makes but only hear good things about the entire kodak range. the 1400 looks good at a great price for an A4 dye sub.

I can see where you are coming from as far as tough to move around (25kg) But for someone that is doing this for a living (I am not quite there) I can see how this printer can be pretty slick. People want immediate gratification, so if they just have to wait a minute or two to get their image it can spur impulse buying It's a little rich for my blood at this time, but if I ever decide to venture into event photography I will definately take a look at this.