Fargo, Primera, Konica, Mitsubishi, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and Alps Electric produce economical dye sub digital photo printers because they are for postcard sized photos. Although normally we review primarily professional equipment for desktop publishing, in-house publishing, and pre-press, for dye sub printers we include low-cost and postcard-sized digital photo printers as alternatives. These low cost or small format dye sub printers are not for proofing pre-press material nor for exhibit purposes (due to small size more than to any lack of quality).

Alps is letter sized but due to low cost and ability to print small size, is also included here. MD-5000 Maya textile from Guatemala, FLAAR
Canon Powershot CD-200 digital printer
Fargo (their dye sub now spun off as separate company, Primera)
FujiFilm, NX-5 digital/video printer
Konica
Mitsubishi
Nikon
Olympus
Panasonic
Polaroid Colorshot digital photo printer
Primera (new offshoot of Fargo)
Sony
many others exist, but above are the most popular small dye sub printers

We were unsatisfied with all three Epson color inkjet printers that we tried out. We preferred the Alps because it uses dry ink (does not fade like Epson prints which fade rather quickly and fade rather thoroughly). Also Alps offers dual mode--switch the color system and you produce dye sublimation, letter size (A4 size in Europe).

Kodak dye-sub printer is recommended | color management | Encad as economical alternative to color printing

recommended reading on digital graphics | suggested magazines on digital graphics

recommended LCD flat panel monitors for graphics quality

color images used as test suite for upcoming review of dye sub printers; indigenous Mayan textiles from Guatemala

Home, www.dye-sub-printers.org

last updated June 24, 1999

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