Path: utkcs2!stc06.ctd.ornl.gov!news.er.usgs.gov!news1.radix.net!news3.agis.net!agis!ca ncer.vividnet.com!news.wildstar.net!news.ececs.uc.edu!news.kei.com!news.mathwork s.com!howland.erols.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uwm.edu!msunews!user From: farnum@pilot.msu.edu (Don Farnum) Newsgroups: comp.periphs.printers,rec.photo.digital Subject: Re: Request Help in Dye Sublimation Printer Selection Date: Thu, 05 Dec 1996 09:04:15 -0500 Organization: Michigan State University Lines: 33 Distribution: inet Message-ID: References: <849312732.26739@dejanews.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: pm243-06.dialip.mich.net X-MSUnetID: farnum In article <849312732.26739@dejanews.com>, yasin@poboxes.com (Yasin Qamar) wrote: >Can a kind soul tell me where to find FAQ or other helpful stuff to decide a >purchase of dye sublimation printer to be used in a portrait studio for >generating photo quality prints. If you are in the digital portrait business, I ^[ >will be very grateful if you can give me your opinion on this topic. I'm not a professional, but I am inteested in photo quality digital prints. I have a Fargo Primera Pro dye sub which does a pretty good job for the price (<$2000 with software and supplies). However, it isn't really "photo quality" if you're critical. So far only glossy paper is available, and the resolution, latitude and color saturation (and permanence - though Fargo claims to have a uv filtered paper that has better permanence) don't equal that of an 8x10 color print I can make in my darkroom. It is also slow and prints only up to 8x10. Nonetheless, most observers are impressed and would have to see the prints side-by-side to tell the difference. I have seen output from the Fujix Pictography printer from a local custom lab and am quite impressed with it. The printer is fast and the dyes are photographic dyes and share the color saturation and permanence (or lack of it!) of the usual color dyes. I'm not sure if a matte surface is available, but the photographic matte sprays work without causing the dyes to bleed - they do not work on the dye-sub prints. But, then, the printer costs about $30000. If you're thinking of a high end dye-sub printer for the improved speed and print quality, then I'd check with a local service bureau and take a good look at the Fujix also. My personal opinion is that digital printers have not yet acheived the quality of a well made photographic print from a fine grain (ISO 25) medium or large format negative, but most observers would be staisfied with either one. Don