198198 PART 4 HOW DIGITAL PRINT-MAKING WORKS
Although a few
dye-sub printers are
capable of producing
8"×10" photos, most of these
printers are designed to turn out the
4"×6" or 5" ×7" prints that are the
standard size for nonprofessional photo
fans. The printers themselves are smaller,
usually no bigger than a thick hardcover
book. Dye-sublimation printers accept digital
photos from a variety of sources—a USB
cable from a PC, a built-in card reader where
the photographer can insert a flash memory card
filled with the latest shots, or from a cradle where the
camera is inserted for minimum hassle.1
After all the paper has passed under the
print head for one color of dye, the paper train
reverses direction and takes the paper back to the
start, where it moves in unison with a second coat. This
repeats until the four printing colors have transferred to the paper.7
The gases produce no dots of ink with clear demarcations. Each
layer of dye blends evenly with the layer before it, producingcontinuous
toneimages that are otherwise found only in traditional photographs.8
Of all the types of photo printers, there’s no
argument: The printer that turns out pictures
looking the most like they’re hot off the auto-
mated printer at the drug store is a dye subli-
mationprinter. You don’t often hear it called
that, of course, because it sounds like techno-
gobbledygook. It could be something one
might do to suppress the urge to color one’s
hair. In fact, the name does reflect a process
that people encounter so infrequently, it’s no
wonder so few people know what dye sublima-
tion means. Well, now you have the opportu-
nity to join the ranks of the photorati and
to regale others at the next gather-
ing with insights into the won-
ders of dye sublimation
(dye sub).Because the computer is so easily squeezed out of the
entire process, the dye sub is likely to have a small
LCD screen and controls that let the photogra-
pher see rough images of the photos and
choose which ones to print. Although not as
versatile as working with an application such
as Photoshop on a computer, the controls usu-
ally allow rudimentary adjustments such as
exposure, color correction, and cropping.2
How Dye-Sublimation Printers Work