Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: bongobongo on October 17, 2006, 05:24:09 pm

Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: bongobongo on October 17, 2006, 05:24:09 pm: Tested a small dye sub printer for a few days now.

It was a small Canon CP-510 dye sub printer.

I was totally blown away by the quality of the print this printer produced.

Have used some time on the www to find dye sub printers capable of A3 but have not found any yet.

I know about the A4 dye sub printers from Olympus and Kodak.

Does anyone know about any manufacturer that makes dye sub printers which handles larger format than A4 and that does not cost a fortune?
Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: ricwis on October 17, 2006, 06:51:32 pm: I had the same question a little while ago and wrote an email to a Kodak technical guy that used to participate on various printer forums. He has since retired but did answer. He mentioned that the cost of the whole process for a wider than 8" print head and consumables goes beyond what most people could afford or be willing to pay. I would love to be able to do 12x18 or 13x19 prints with a dye sub and never have to mess with an inkjet again, but it looks like that will not happen.

The dye sub process is not the most popular and inkjets far outsell them so I don't know if there would even be economies of scale for a larger printer. Given the limitations of paper choices and finish, it does not seem that it would be very successful.
Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: bongobongo on October 18, 2006, 05:30:28 am: Hi and thanks for reply.

A small update.

Did more searching on www last night and found this expensive beast:
Not a dye sub printer, but a "Thermal Transfer" printer it is....

The Fuji Pictography 4500 which can handle paper sizes from 4" x 6" up to 11" x 17".... but the price is a little more than I could afford. Approx. $6600.

There is a user review here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_197193862788 (http://www.epinions.com/content_197193862788)

Then I found this interesting technology... read about the The Fujix NC-500 Thermo-Autochrome printer here:
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9601cs.html (http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9601cs.html)
I might be wrong but it might be that Fuji have ditched this technology because I cannot find anything about it on Fuji's site.

(www.fujifilm.com must definitely improve their site... very bad designed site, hard to find products there)

Then I found this nice FujiFilm ASK4000 Dye Sub printer but only 8" X 10".
Nice res though 300 X 600 dpi (wow) and uses only 40 sec on each print.

But so far no A3 Dye Sub printer. Wonder why. If it was produced I would definitely want such a printer before an inkjet.
Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: BJNY on October 18, 2006, 09:55:13 am: It did exist.
Kodak DCP9000, 9300 & 9500.
Declared end-of-life several years ago, the ribbon and paper cost was as expensive as the supplies for the Fujix Pictrography.
Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: dlashier on October 18, 2006, 02:58:16 pm: Quote
Did more searching on www last night and found this expensive beast:
Not a dye sub printer, but a "Thermal Transfer" printer it is....
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=80962\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Kodak makes larger format ones also, but also in the $5k range. I've seen used Fuji's for under $1k, or ~$500 for the A3 size. The biggest problem is the size and weight.

- DL
Title: Large format Dye Sub printer, does it exist?
Post by: eronald on October 26, 2006, 02:20:26 pm: Quote
Kodak makes larger format ones also, but also in the $5k range. I've seen used Fuji's for under $1k, or ~$500 for the A3 size. The biggest problem is the size and weight.

- DL
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=81044\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The Fuji's make beautiful prints. But consumables cost, and service if you ever need it ...

Edmund