Dye-sublimation printer
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A dye-sublimation printer (or dye-sub printer) is a computer printer which employs a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye to a medium such as a plastic card, printer paper or poster paper. The process is usually to lay one color at a time using a ribbon that has color panels. Most dye-sublimation printers use CMYK colors. Many consumer and professional dye-sublimation printers are designed and used for producing photographic prints.
Some advantages of dye-sublimation printers are increased resolution and shelf life for the printouts. Ink Jet printers, the most common printer for home photograph printing, has been proven to fade immensely over time. Dye-Sub printing does not have this issue, thus is better suited for long term photographs. Also, printouts from dye-sublimation printers are water proof within a very short time period of being printed.
Previously, dye-sub printing has been used by digital photo printing stations at Walmart and photography stores due to the high cost (USD$5,000-$15,000 in 2005), although Alps now produces similar quality dye-sub printers for consumers in the $500-1000 price range, bringing this within the grasp of prosumers.