Dye Sublimation Recommendations

[Stephen Oliver]

Hi All

I am looking at purchasing a dye sublimation printer over the next few months so I can print on site for a few bookings I have coming up.

What would you recommend and why?

Thanks for your advice in advance.

Steve

[Michael Martin]

Steve

If you do a search for dye sub or event printing, you will find there have been many discussions on this very topic over the last twelve months.

[Sunburst]

Stephen,

As always, depends on your budget, plus also size you want to print to. Many Event photographers use 9" x6" as their standard print size at an Event. I use a Mitsubishi 9550DW. I bought it because it seemed to be the printer most event photographers were using! It's been fine, works well, never let me down. It is though HEAVY. You can buy a flight case specifically for it, for protection, and to help cart it around in, but this also adds to the weight. Budget for a small trolley or hernia belt.  There may be better and lighter dye sub printers about now?


Sunburst.

[Ruairi OBrolchain]

Stephan,

I have 3 dye subs.  A Hi Ti 730 which handles 6x4, 5x7 and 6x8.  Media cost approx €1.00 per print.  Sheet fed.  My first dye sub and I find the images a bit soft.  But they are very cheap and many event photographers swear by them.

I have a mitsubishi 3020DAE 8x10 8x12 sheet fed.  Great prints.  Cost per 8x10 approx €1.50  (cheaper in UK).  However this printer tends to blockmup shadows and I understand even the more modern dye subs do the same.

Most recent purchase is a DNP DS40.  6x4, 5x7  6x8 and 6x9.  Rollfed.  Approx €0.30 t0 €0.45 per print.  Faster than the others once the first print is processed and keeps the print inside the machine  until it is printed.

I am very happy with it and will be buying the DS80 for 8x10s  soon.

The HiTi 530 is great and are the Sonys and the Citizen printers. 

If you send me an image, I will post you a 6x8 sample from each of the printers I have.  I am sure others will help with samples from other printers.

One thing to note, if you are printing 5x7s with the DS40 you need extra spools which are a saucy £90.00 odd.

Rollfed is the way to go for events.

Regards

Ruairi

[John Radford]

i use a Mitsubishi 9800 .... as per previous post it is a little heavy, especially when in its flight case...but the prints are fantastic.
I only use it for emergency prints from the studio or for event work.  For other prints I go to the lab!

Cheers

John

[Stephen Oliver]

Hi Guys

Thank for your responses, please keep the input coming. I am leaning towards the mishibushi solutions, although the fuji ask look good also.

I will be having a good look at them at th swpp convention.

Many thanks and keep the response coming very interesting feed back.

Steve

[Maxsdad]

Hi there,
I would also recommend the Mitsubishi CP9550DW, I did a huge amount of research before I bought mine.
AND today is your lucky day    as I am now selling mine (I decided that events photography was not for me). The total I'm selling, including extra ink rolls and card mounts etc is £1,125 if bought new today from System Insight, but currently I have it on Ebay with a bid of £509.
there's only one day left on it though so not much time left if you or anybody else would like to snap up this bargain from a fellow SWPP member.

Just search for CP9550DW or my Ebay seller name chris101271 and you should find it.

good luck!

Chris