Boney Loc: Huntington Beach

Could an owner of a Dye Sublimate printer give us an overview of this type of printing and the cost and reliability of the equipment. I've given up on inkjet printers, I can't keep them alive very long. Most local stores do not usually have any (DS) to look at, just what's online. I have seen the output and am impressed but don't know much about them.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I have a little 4 x 6 Dye Sub printer; a Canon Selphy CP-910.

They are more expensive to own (they initially cost much more) but when you factor in the multiple printer buys, and the ink that goes dry, and the failed prints because of clogs, and whatever else is happening, I think that they are not that bad.

I do this: I print my own 4 x 6 prints, and anything above that, I send to AdoramaPix for printing.

I am not a pro, I don't print regularly so that's the way to go for me.

As far as reliability, don't know anything beyond what I own.

I'd suggest looking at Amazon reviews, youtube reviews, etc.

melismus Loc: Chesapeake Bay Country

I have an old Canon BJC-85, about the size and shape of a netbook. About once a year I make a print and am amazed to see not a dot out of place.

GreenReaper

I used the old Kodak dyesub printers up to about 12 years ago (retired)They worked great never clogged etc, but we were limited to size, 8x10 on the single sheet printers. No matter what size we needed we had to print an 8x10. We also had a continuous roll printer, used four separate ribbons which caused a lot of problems although we could print one heck of a long print. I don't know the current technology is.

Dano Loc: North Carolina

Hi Boney. We always had the same problem with inkjets… dried or clogged cartridges, mostly because our printing is sporadic. We picked up an old Kodak 1400 about 10 years ago. It's been amazing! Every print perfect (unless a speck of dust gets on the paper, which is very rare due to the configuration of the covers). Just power it up and print. At times it would sit for 6 months, but it would always crank up like a champ. As for expense, the printer cost us about $200, and prints are exactly $1 per 8x10. The best part is that this is a fixed cost… you know precisely what each print will cost... because it always works! With our ink jets, I never had the slightest idea because I was always switching cartridges and having to run multiple copies.

The Kodak 1400 that we still use is probably 20+ yrs old. Trying to find drivers for each new OS release can be challenging, but so far hasn't been an issue. They no longer produce print kits for this unit, but film for newer units can be easily adapted, and the paper is the same. Remember too that DS printers lay down a final protective coating over each print, so you can buy either glossy or matt print kits. Newer units are faster and can use larger rolls of film, but are also pricy ($800+ for a used unit). But even at $1,000, I'd probably do it again. Knowing that I can actual produce a print when I need it, without tons of headaches and frustration, is worth considerably more.

Aslo keep in mind the the DS printer itself is a really simple piece of machinery. Other than paper feed issues, there's very little that can go wrong with it. Another huge advantage.

Hope this helps. It's been one of the best decisions that we've made over the years!

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I have a Sony version. It has all the positives that others have mentioned, except Sony has left the business and sources for supply are getting fewer. This being said, it owes me nothing, considering the total number of prints made over the years. I really purchased it for field work and it sits next to an r3000 Epson. I still use it quite a bit to produce 5x7s for a quick peek, or for sale. Once it goes, I will most likely replace it. Check out what's available at B&H or the other quality stores.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

You've seen some good answers already; let me try to add.

I've got a Canon dye-sub for 4x6 that I rarely use, but I had a Kodak 1400 which was, indeed, quite reliable since there are no inks to dry out. Finding drivers was the only real issue with that one, and I'd still have it today if I wanted to print images 8x12 or smaller (the largest it can print).

The dye sublimation process differs from inkjet as follows: first, understand that the term in physics when a solid goes directly to the gaseous phase without a liquid phase in between (think of dry ice turning to CO2 and never becoming liquid at room temperature) is "sublimation". In printing, the 4 base inks (CYMK) are solids on the transfer sheet or roll that comes as part of the printing package. The working part is the print head, which is a full-width 300dpi (301 in the case of the Kodak, actually) that is little more than a row of heating pins. As the paper/ink layer passes over the head, the appropriate pins in the head heat up quickly, causing the dyes in the transfer paper to gassy and get absorbed into the paper substrate. This is done 4 times, one for each color, and possibly a 5th time for a protective coating.

The images come out looking much more like wet-processed photos, because the gaseous dyes can blend together even mores than the ink jets that spit out at 2880 dpi. The downside is that with dye sub printers you are limited to the specific ink roll/paper combinations provided by the manufacturer, if you have a Kokak printer you can only buy the Kodak supplies; nobody else makes them. Likewise with Hiti and the others. But if your goal is to produce matt or glossy prints up to 8x10 or so (depending on the machine) that look like real photos and not worry about inks clogging from disuse this can be the way to go

MoeUSMC Loc: N.CA

I have a HITi 510S that print 4-6,5-7,6-9. It is the best thing I ever bought. Pricy to start but more than made up for with the quality speed and reliability. I did an event where I did 185 pictures at the event printed them, put in frames and handed the pictures to the guests in less than 5 min. I regularly print to confirm how a picture looks just because it is cheap and fast. C

Raleigh Loc: Reside in Olympia WA

Just wondering? I have had a Canon Pro9000 MarkII inkjet and couldn't be happier. I don't print every day or every week; however, I probably print every two or three months. Am I just lucky? I use Red River paper and I don't always use Canon ink. I have checked both the cost of paper and ink and have consistently printed 8.5x11.5 for $1.35.
I know I'm one swing out of a tree, as I often read about the high cost of printing: I must be missing something.

RAFriedman Loc: NYC/ Philadelphia

I just picked up a Hiti110 and so far, I'm totally enamored by its quality and reliability. I did a wedding and printed shots while the guests were having lunch!

OonlyBonly

Canon Selphy CP800. I love it. Magnificent 4x6 prints. No ink to run out or go bad. Yes, it's a little more per print but a small price to pay. The CP800 also has a battery so you can take it with you and print directly from camera.

MoeUSMC Loc: N.CA

Not counting the cost of the printer the cost per print 4-6 is about $0.15.
660 prints for $100 on sale at Foto Club inc

Murray Loc: New Westminster

Had a Canon IP4300 for a no. Of years. Have never had a problem of any kind..ink doesn't dry, splotch or anything ugly...been about 5 years now, I think.

Murray Loc: New Westminster

Had a Canon IP4300 for a no. Of years. Have never had a problem of any kind..ink doesn't dry, splotch or anything ugly...been about 5 years now, I think.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

I have a little Epson printer like that which I don't use anymore because the cost per print was too high compared to Costco or even CVS but I agree - the prints from it were excellent. Epson forced me to buy a cartridge about the size of a Beta video tape and 100 sheets of 4X6 paper every time which cost $28.00 (28 cents per print). I did have one cartridge fail (or dry out). I wrote to them and they sent me a new one free. I very much like Dye Sub overall and at one time considered buying a larger one for up to 11X14 prints but it just wasn't cost effective.

I have a Costco nearby that I pass a couple times a week, so I stop in for one hour printing when I need prints and hang out at the take-out deli having a turkey and provolone sandwich and berry smoothie then wander around the camera department until they're done. Much easier, much cheaper, and excellent results.