Questions about Dye Sub

[joe_dolen]

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm looking to buy a couple new dye sub printers for my photography business and I couldn't really find any updated info about new dye subs on the market today. Here is what I need to know:<br>

-Is dye sub still the way to go for fast printing on-the-go, or was it just a passing fad?<br>

-I'm looking to spend about $1000 a piece, and I think I'm going to buy 2 to start, any suggestions about brands/models?<br>

-I definitely know that I need to print 5x7, but is asking for an 8x10 dye sub in that price range too much to ask for?<br>

-Do all dye subs come with LCD screens for quick cropping?<br>

-What does the paper and toner cost, and is it readily available or is it hard to find?</p>

<p>Thanks so much guys! I appreciate all the help.</p>

<p>Joe</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p><em>Is dye sub still the way to go for fast printing on-the-go, or was it just a passing fad?<br /></em><br />Yes on the way to go, and no about the fad.<br /><br /><em>suggestions about brands/models<br /></em><br />Sony SnapLab.<br /><br /><em>is asking for an 8x10 dye sub in that price range too much to ask for<br /></em><br />Alas, yes.<br /><br /><em>Do all dye subs come with LCD screens for quick cropping?<br /></em><br />No. The equipment is less expensive if you go display-less, and have a computer do that part. But the self-contained units have a definite appeal for some types of work.<br /><br /><em>What does the paper and toner cost, and is it readily available or is it hard to find?<br /></em><br />For units the lend themselves to more commercial-speed work, the paper comes on rolls. The dye/chemistry is provided on a cartridge. There's just enough of that dye material to take care of one roll of paper. A 5x7 will probably cost you around $0.75 each. Or so.<br /><br />Not many walk-up stores are going to have the media, but there are jillions of online vendors who can deliver the next day - and it's just simply worth having the materials around when you know you've got a gig coming up.</p>

[Bill C]

<p>>> is asking for an 8x10 dye sub in that price range too much to ask for</p>

<p>Alas, yes. <<</p>

<p>If you're willing to go several hundred dollars higher, consider Sony's UP-DR80. You'll need a computer to run it, though.</p>

[hjoseph7]

Check out the Hiti website. They should have a new model around your price range. I purchased the now discontinued Hiti model Gala730 (6X9 Max). I'm very satisfied with it and the resulting prints, but as far as quality is concerned, my Epson inkjet R2400 blows it away.

 

The good thing about these printers is that minimal editing and care is required. You can print directly from your flash card, or from a computer which makes them perfect for location and event photography.

 

I recently compared the results from my Hiti Dye Sub and another portable inkjet printer that I own the Canon the Pixma ip90(8X10 max). I was surprised to find out that the results were almost identical. Inkjet and Dye Sub printers use vastly different methods of output, but the results from my test were about the same.

[Matt Laur]

<p>Just to get the big picture, though, Harry: how would you compare the speed in printing from those two types of devices, and how would you compare the physical results (in terms of something the customer can walk away with, and which will hold up, etc)?</p>

[alonzo_e]

<p>I have several Kodak printers. I have 2 - 8500's and 1 - 9810. They all print on 8x10 (TRUE 8x10, believe there was another printer that was 9.8 inches or 0.2 inches short). The printers are very reliable and my customers say they prefer the 8x10 sheet. If a 5x7 is needed I use a photo pkg within Photoshop to provide wallets along with the 5x7. This has been quite the money maker for me as you sell the prints by the sheet.<br>

Also, the pictures come out quickly and are waterproof. You might try looking through this thread as I have mentioned this a short time ago. There may be more information..</p>

[joe_dolen]

<p>Thanks so much guys, that really helped! I'm going to do some more research on which brand will be the right one for me. Thanks again.</p>

<p>Joe</p>

[hjoseph7]

"how would I compare the speed and the quality".

 

Matt, the speed depending on the size of the print is about 2-3+ minutes(actual print time), at least it is on my printer. The Dye sub is different/noisier in that it has to make 4 passes one for Blue, one for Red, one for Green and one to waterproof, which can be a little annoying to some. I mean you can hear the wheels spinning while all this is going on. I'ts not exaclty a polaroid camera either in that you have to search for the picture you want to print, if needed perform some minor editing, then print it, this also takes some time.

 

As far as quality is concerned, you pretty much have to nail the picture every time since these printers only handle JPEG and there are limited editing options. I would say the quality is pretty close to, or equal to your average Lab quality print, this depending on the Lab of course. The thing is that on location, or spur of the moment type of situation, not many people are going to be pixel-peeping, or inspecting the print with a magnifying glass.

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>The material costs for a dye sub printer are constant, unlike an inkjet in which the amount of ink depends on the subject content and print quality. Dye sub "ink" consists of a roll of plastic film imprinted with three colors of ink - cyan, magenta and yellow - plus a clear coat for UV and handling protection. Each color panel is the size of the final print, and is used only once. Hence the cost and life of the "ink" or color roll are constant and predictable. You must buy the supplies from the manufacturer - there are no "third party" suppliers.</p>

<p>As a bonus, dye sub "ink" can't dry or clog (you wipe the rollers and print head with a damp cloth from time to time), regardless of how long it sits between uses.</p>

<p>There's a lot of whirring and buzzing because the print is made in three (or four) passes. The paper is withdrawn, the color roll advances to the next color and the paper is reprinted. The whole process takes only about 90 seconds, which is 5 to 10 times faster than comparable quality in an inkjet.</p>

<p>The quality is high - comparable to a minilab print (and usually much better than a home wet print) - with comparable life to a chemical print (about 25 years). The resolution seems low, about 300 ppi, but each pixel has blended colors and tend to overlap slightly. Inkjets have discrete dots which are distributed in an 8x8 matrix to emulate continuous colors. Hence the resolution of a dye sub printer compares to an inkjet with 8 times the resolution. This theoretical resolution is offset somewhat by misregistration between the three color passes, but is directly comparable to a minilab print.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>I should mention that when I print 5x7's using the Sony unity, it takes just over 20 seconds. And I agree with Edward that the quality is very similar to a minilab print.</p>