Ink Jet Or Dye Sub Photo Printers
Published by ClubPrinter, on Feb 28 2010, in the categories: Ink Jet type, Other
The inkjet technology means exactly what it's name states, a jet of ink (very tiny drops) that are sprayed on paper. It can work on almost any type of media and isn't very resistant over time. Humidity, sun-light and other factors may deteriorate your print pretty fast. It's true that manufacturers are working to provide longer lasting inkjet prints, but for now they didn't manage to produce a better result.
The dye-sublimation technology uses heat to transfer dye onto paper. The dye, specifically made for those printers, turns from solid straight to gas state without ever achieving a liquid state. They use a ribbon with a core at each end of the roll, that each has dyes. After transferring colors to paper (through heat) most printers also produce a final protective layer that is meant to guard against moisture, scratches etc. It's somewhat of a challenge to chose whats best from inkjet or dye sub photo printers.
So, advantages to inkjet printers include the wide variety of media that you can use, in a wide variety of sizes (including non-paper media like cloth, CD's etc). This is where dye-sub printers don't do so well. Most of them are limited to 4 by 6 inch prints and you'll generally have to purchase photo paper. Same goes for the ribbons. Paper and ink are usually sold together in a kit and the cost of consumables is generally higher in the case of dye-sublimation printers. Then again, so is the quality.
The advantage to a dye-sublimation printer is that it has a 16 million color gamut and produces extremely high quality prints. The last coat the printer applies makes the photos be much more resistant over time and also waterproof. Photos produced through the dye-sublimation technology are usually guaranteed to last the same for a high number of years.
As a contrast, even in the case of an 8-ink inkjet, you'll find it hard to achieve the same kind of quality a dye-sub has to offer. Because of dithering (those little tiny drops of ink printed right next to eachother) you will also be able to see them if you're looking very closely or through a magnifying glass. Sure, very few users will take the time to use a magnifying class to check out their printed photos, but unfortunately even with a bare eye you can tell that the image is made out of very little dots.
Now, when you are considering whether to buy an inkjet or dye sub photo printer also consider the fact that dye-sub means you'll only be able to print photos. Inkjets however, even good photo ones, might also offer extra features like scanning and copying, perhaps even faxing. You'll also use them for various meaningless documents you have to print out (grocery lists, letters, e-mails to name but a few) and you can stick just about any type of paper at any time in them without having to worry if your special photo paper runs low. Choose a dye-sublimating photo printer if you want a compact very high quality device to take along with your digital camera because for that they are amazing.
The dye-sublimation technology uses heat to transfer dye onto paper. The dye, specifically made for those printers, turns from solid straight to gas state without ever achieving a liquid state. They use a ribbon with a core at each end of the roll, that each has dyes. After transferring colors to paper (through heat) most printers also produce a final protective layer that is meant to guard against moisture, scratches etc. It's somewhat of a challenge to chose whats best from inkjet or dye sub photo printers.
So, advantages to inkjet printers include the wide variety of media that you can use, in a wide variety of sizes (including non-paper media like cloth, CD's etc). This is where dye-sub printers don't do so well. Most of them are limited to 4 by 6 inch prints and you'll generally have to purchase photo paper. Same goes for the ribbons. Paper and ink are usually sold together in a kit and the cost of consumables is generally higher in the case of dye-sublimation printers. Then again, so is the quality.
The advantage to a dye-sublimation printer is that it has a 16 million color gamut and produces extremely high quality prints. The last coat the printer applies makes the photos be much more resistant over time and also waterproof. Photos produced through the dye-sublimation technology are usually guaranteed to last the same for a high number of years.
As a contrast, even in the case of an 8-ink inkjet, you'll find it hard to achieve the same kind of quality a dye-sub has to offer. Because of dithering (those little tiny drops of ink printed right next to eachother) you will also be able to see them if you're looking very closely or through a magnifying glass. Sure, very few users will take the time to use a magnifying class to check out their printed photos, but unfortunately even with a bare eye you can tell that the image is made out of very little dots.
Now, when you are considering whether to buy an inkjet or dye sub photo printer also consider the fact that dye-sub means you'll only be able to print photos. Inkjets however, even good photo ones, might also offer extra features like scanning and copying, perhaps even faxing. You'll also use them for various meaningless documents you have to print out (grocery lists, letters, e-mails to name but a few) and you can stick just about any type of paper at any time in them without having to worry if your special photo paper runs low. Choose a dye-sublimating photo printer if you want a compact very high quality device to take along with your digital camera because for that they are amazing.
Epson Vs Canon Photo Printers
Published by ClubPrinter, on Feb 28 2010, in the categories: Canon, Epson
The way technology is evolving we'll soon have computing, printing, faxing and internet in our pockets. Some companies already brag about offering that, while it's true that in reality all they are offering is a smarter mobile phone, for example. But this is the general trend of the market, shrinking powerful technology so that it can easily be carried along.
The same can be said for printing. Long gone are the days when your printer would only produce mono prints and take up half of your room. Now you can just pick it up by the handle, drop it on the back seat of your car, and print the photos you've just taken on a field of flowers in the middle of nowhere.
If you're looking for a rather simple, compact and good quality printer for 4 by 6 prints then you'll have yourself an epson vs canon photo printers dilemma to solve. Specifically for that type of user, Canon developed the Selphy compact photo printer line, that is meant to give you the freedom to print high quality photos at any location, straight from a compatible Memory card, digi cam or mobile phone.
They also tried to keep the design of the printers as fun, colorful and family oriented as possible. The whole range uses dye-sublimation thermal transfer printing. Epson's PictureMate range is a bit more serious than the competition. The design, while still ultraportable is a bit more similar to you regular desk printer. The technology used for PictureMates is inkjet. These tiny Epson printers also have a variety of great features to offer and they've been awarded editor's choice, compact printer of the year and so on.
So which would be a good choice between the two ranges? First off, Canon's little photo printers use the dye-sublimation technology whereas the Picturemates from Epson are inkjets. So if you're thinking epson vs canon photo printers, you'll be thinking dye-sublimation versus inkjet as well. Dye-Sublimation means you can leave the printer around, unused, for a long period of time and it won't clog.
The same can't be said for inkjets which do clog if not used at a reasonable interval of time. Canon's dye-sub printers produce photos that have a clear laminate layer over the ink. The result is rugged, water-proof and highly resistant over time prints. The technology used is the most important thing to consider when picking from canon vs epson.
Aside from that, each model comes with it's own specific features. What they all have in common is that they can all print directly from a digital camera through PictBridge technology, from memory cards (all models support most types of cards) and they all produce quality prints. The size of both Selphy and Picturemate printers is more than great and you can easily take any of them along on trips.
Selphy's usually include a batter, whereas for Epson's PictureMate printers you'll have to purchase both the battery and the adapter separately. Selphy printers offer more than one print size, while PictureMate printers usually only offer 4 by 6 inch photo printing. With all these considerations, hopefully it will be easier for any user to pick either Canon or Epson, based on what they need from a portable printer.
The same can be said for printing. Long gone are the days when your printer would only produce mono prints and take up half of your room. Now you can just pick it up by the handle, drop it on the back seat of your car, and print the photos you've just taken on a field of flowers in the middle of nowhere.
If you're looking for a rather simple, compact and good quality printer for 4 by 6 prints then you'll have yourself an epson vs canon photo printers dilemma to solve. Specifically for that type of user, Canon developed the Selphy compact photo printer line, that is meant to give you the freedom to print high quality photos at any location, straight from a compatible Memory card, digi cam or mobile phone.
They also tried to keep the design of the printers as fun, colorful and family oriented as possible. The whole range uses dye-sublimation thermal transfer printing. Epson's PictureMate range is a bit more serious than the competition. The design, while still ultraportable is a bit more similar to you regular desk printer. The technology used for PictureMates is inkjet. These tiny Epson printers also have a variety of great features to offer and they've been awarded editor's choice, compact printer of the year and so on.
So which would be a good choice between the two ranges? First off, Canon's little photo printers use the dye-sublimation technology whereas the Picturemates from Epson are inkjets. So if you're thinking epson vs canon photo printers, you'll be thinking dye-sublimation versus inkjet as well. Dye-Sublimation means you can leave the printer around, unused, for a long period of time and it won't clog.
The same can't be said for inkjets which do clog if not used at a reasonable interval of time. Canon's dye-sub printers produce photos that have a clear laminate layer over the ink. The result is rugged, water-proof and highly resistant over time prints. The technology used is the most important thing to consider when picking from canon vs epson.
Aside from that, each model comes with it's own specific features. What they all have in common is that they can all print directly from a digital camera through PictBridge technology, from memory cards (all models support most types of cards) and they all produce quality prints. The size of both Selphy and Picturemate printers is more than great and you can easily take any of them along on trips.
Selphy's usually include a batter, whereas for Epson's PictureMate printers you'll have to purchase both the battery and the adapter separately. Selphy printers offer more than one print size, while PictureMate printers usually only offer 4 by 6 inch photo printing. With all these considerations, hopefully it will be easier for any user to pick either Canon or Epson, based on what they need from a portable printer.
HP Deskjet D4360 Color Inkjet Printer
Published by ClubPrinter, on Feb 27 2010, in the categories: HP, Ink Jet type
Standalone printers are slowly starting to disappear from the market. This is because the prices on multifunction devices have gone down by a lot. When a user goes out shopping with $100 in their pocket, it's only normal that they'd want to get as much as possible for that money spent. When you can get printing, copying and scanning for a price, somehow you wouldn't pay the same price for a standalone, even if you never ever use those features. So why on earth would you want to buy such a simple device?
Well, first of all, a standalone printer is significantly smaller as size than an all-in-one. HP's Deskjet D4360 proves this with a size of 128 x 445 x 342 mm. This means you'll have more space on your desk than if you'd have bought a multifunction. It's easy to move it from one room to another, if you need to do it, as it only weighs 3.5 kg. And obviously, it is cheaper. Multifunction prices may have gone down, but the price of standalone printers has also gone down as a result. When a more popular product hits the market it's only normal that older technologies and concepts become more affordable.
As mentioned before, the D4360 is just a printer. You won't be able to scan, you won't be able to copy and you definitely won't be able to fax. Sometimes jack of all trades means master of none, which is generally the weak point of all-in-ones. So by this rule, this HP standalone printer should be great at the only thing it offers. Well, not so much.
HP does advertise it as printing laser quality text, and it does do good for an inkjet, but in reality for a very low price you can get a small laser printer that will produce much better quality and crispiness. Photo quality is also rather disappointing. It's true that you expect great photo quality just from a popular photo printer that you'll have to spend a lot on, but a 'good' level of quality would have been enough.
A price well under $100 also means you will not get any networking features. You'll just have to make due with using it on USB. It also doesn't feature PictBridge so printing from a digital camera will also require a PC. There is also no card reader on the HP Deskjet D4360 color inkjet printer. So no direct printing from anything..but for a PC, obviously. Printing speed is pretty good though, at 30 pages per minute in black or 23 pages per minute in color.
As a conclusion, with the HP Deskjet D4360 color inkjet printer you get exactly what you pay for, which is sadly, not much. Normally standalone printers (ones that have great printing quality) are worth spending money on. In the case of this one, for a few more bucks you're much better off getting a small, affordable all-in-one that will give much better quality, printing speed and yes, many more features.
Well, first of all, a standalone printer is significantly smaller as size than an all-in-one. HP's Deskjet D4360 proves this with a size of 128 x 445 x 342 mm. This means you'll have more space on your desk than if you'd have bought a multifunction. It's easy to move it from one room to another, if you need to do it, as it only weighs 3.5 kg. And obviously, it is cheaper. Multifunction prices may have gone down, but the price of standalone printers has also gone down as a result. When a more popular product hits the market it's only normal that older technologies and concepts become more affordable.
As mentioned before, the D4360 is just a printer. You won't be able to scan, you won't be able to copy and you definitely won't be able to fax. Sometimes jack of all trades means master of none, which is generally the weak point of all-in-ones. So by this rule, this HP standalone printer should be great at the only thing it offers. Well, not so much.
HP does advertise it as printing laser quality text, and it does do good for an inkjet, but in reality for a very low price you can get a small laser printer that will produce much better quality and crispiness. Photo quality is also rather disappointing. It's true that you expect great photo quality just from a popular photo printer that you'll have to spend a lot on, but a 'good' level of quality would have been enough.
A price well under $100 also means you will not get any networking features. You'll just have to make due with using it on USB. It also doesn't feature PictBridge so printing from a digital camera will also require a PC. There is also no card reader on the HP Deskjet D4360 color inkjet printer. So no direct printing from anything..but for a PC, obviously. Printing speed is pretty good though, at 30 pages per minute in black or 23 pages per minute in color.
As a conclusion, with the HP Deskjet D4360 color inkjet printer you get exactly what you pay for, which is sadly, not much. Normally standalone printers (ones that have great printing quality) are worth spending money on. In the case of this one, for a few more bucks you're much better off getting a small, affordable all-in-one that will give much better quality, printing speed and yes, many more features.
Epson Color Printers
Published by ClubPrinter, on Feb 27 2010, in the categories: Epson
The Stylus NX515 Epson color printer is an affordable All-in-one that will fit perfectly in a home environment or maybe even a small office with low printing needs. While it’s not the kind of printer that you use heavily, it is a good option for a home multifunction printer. It will print, scan, copy (even without a PC attached). It will do all these things either wired or wireless-ly.
The design of this printer is extremely pleasant. It has an elegant black shell that ensures it will blend in almost any kind of home or office. The layout of the LCD, control buttons, input tray and card slots is also great and you notice what’s where from the very first moment you come across this printer. On the left side of the NX515 you will find the 2.5 inch LCD that tilts and the control buttons right in front of it, including a power switch, photo, copy, memory card access and scan buttons plus the directional pad that’s used for navigating throughout the menu.
The NX515 is versatile when it comes to printing possibilities. It will work straight from a compatible digital camera (through the PictBridge USB port) or a memory card (types supported include Compact Flash, xD, SD, and Memory Stick Pro Duo). You’ll even find a button on the printer that was included specifically for copying files from a memory card and printing them directly. As for hooking it up to a PC, there are three versions, wired through USB 2.0 or Ethernet, of wireless through 802.11b/g WiFi. Setting up the printer is relatively simple and all drivers you’ll need are found on the CD the printer comes with.
This printer was probably the salesman’s favorite device at a point, because it’s exceptionally easy to recommend the NX515 for many types of users, the price tag is more than convenient and the general satisfaction of its users is high. All-in-one means it can copy, print or scan. One feature that’s not included is the fax machine. But this was a good idea because users that aren’t looking for an office power-horse won’t need that feature. And they’ll obviously pay a lot less for a device without faxing capabilities.
The quality of prints is not exceptional for text, and especially not for photographs (that come out somewhat grainy). But that’s if you compare it to products that are generally much more expensive. Overall it has a good price to performance ratio and one of the great Epson color printers on sale. As a conclusion this printer is great if you’re just looking for a regular device that gets almost anything done at a satisfactory quality. If you don’t compare the photos you printed to ones produced by a professional printer, you won’t be disappointed. The integrated scanner is great and can scan to e-mail and it has plenty of features to cover most users’ needs (like networking, free software for greeting cards and calendars).
The design of this printer is extremely pleasant. It has an elegant black shell that ensures it will blend in almost any kind of home or office. The layout of the LCD, control buttons, input tray and card slots is also great and you notice what’s where from the very first moment you come across this printer. On the left side of the NX515 you will find the 2.5 inch LCD that tilts and the control buttons right in front of it, including a power switch, photo, copy, memory card access and scan buttons plus the directional pad that’s used for navigating throughout the menu.
The NX515 is versatile when it comes to printing possibilities. It will work straight from a compatible digital camera (through the PictBridge USB port) or a memory card (types supported include Compact Flash, xD, SD, and Memory Stick Pro Duo). You’ll even find a button on the printer that was included specifically for copying files from a memory card and printing them directly. As for hooking it up to a PC, there are three versions, wired through USB 2.0 or Ethernet, of wireless through 802.11b/g WiFi. Setting up the printer is relatively simple and all drivers you’ll need are found on the CD the printer comes with.
This printer was probably the salesman’s favorite device at a point, because it’s exceptionally easy to recommend the NX515 for many types of users, the price tag is more than convenient and the general satisfaction of its users is high. All-in-one means it can copy, print or scan. One feature that’s not included is the fax machine. But this was a good idea because users that aren’t looking for an office power-horse won’t need that feature. And they’ll obviously pay a lot less for a device without faxing capabilities.
The quality of prints is not exceptional for text, and especially not for photographs (that come out somewhat grainy). But that’s if you compare it to products that are generally much more expensive. Overall it has a good price to performance ratio and one of the great Epson color printers on sale. As a conclusion this printer is great if you’re just looking for a regular device that gets almost anything done at a satisfactory quality. If you don’t compare the photos you printed to ones produced by a professional printer, you won’t be disappointed. The integrated scanner is great and can scan to e-mail and it has plenty of features to cover most users’ needs (like networking, free software for greeting cards and calendars).
Epson Photo Printers
Published by ClubPrinter, on Feb 26 2010, in the categories: Epson, Review
Users that are looking for a portable photo printer to take along as a buddy for a digital photo camera currently have two good options, Canon's Selphy line or PictureMate (the Epson photo printers line). Both companies offer great, small sized, high quality photo printers. Still, Epson seems to have gained some more customers lately. Epson must have studied the market really well when deciding to release their PictureMate line of printers, simply because they keep getting very good reviews from both the media and their customers.
One of their best models is the Charm (PM 225) that managed to be one of the best compact photo printers on the market. It also won various awards and was picked editor's choice time and time again. Knowing the hype that follows this printer but not knowing what it offers, one can but wonder what all the fuss is about.
First of all let's mention what's probably the only inconvenient to the Charm. It limits you to printing only in the 4 by 6 inch photo format. Once a user has established that he/she isn't bothered by this aspect, then the Charm starts looking like the best choice out on the market.
The design of the Epson Charm is somewhat odd. When closed you might easily mistake it for a candy or ice box. It's not until you flip the top side that you discover it is actually a photo printer, equipped with a color tilt-able LCD screen that, although small, will come in handy plenty of times. As for speed, a 4 by 6 inch print requires about 54 seconds. This means it's one of the best portable photo printers out there when it comes to speed, with Canon's Selphy's producing the same photograph in a bit over a minute. This difference in speed is most likely due to the technology used. Selphys are dye-sublimation printers whereas the Charm is an inkjet.
Like most other portable printers, The Charm offers a wide variety of printing options sans PC. It can print straight from a PictBridge compatible camera, memory card (it supports mini SD, Memory Stick Duo, MMC and Compact Flash), from a mobile phone or other Bluetooth powered device (if you chose to buy the optional Bluetooth adapter). The quality of the prints is really pleasing. Photos are clear, realistic and well balanced. It has actually been described as a perfect 10 in terms of quality. So it comes as somewhat of a surprise that maintenance cost is reasonable.
As a conclusion this is one of the Epson photo printers that is highly portable and a great buy. It's very easy to use and produces some prints with excellent quality. It would have been nice if, like the Canon Selphy line, Epson would have included the battery and Bluetooth adapter so that the user didn't have to purchase them separately. Still, it's lovely to have them even as options. The battery will cost around $50 whereas the Bluetooth adapter is a bit cheaper at $40.
One of their best models is the Charm (PM 225) that managed to be one of the best compact photo printers on the market. It also won various awards and was picked editor's choice time and time again. Knowing the hype that follows this printer but not knowing what it offers, one can but wonder what all the fuss is about.
First of all let's mention what's probably the only inconvenient to the Charm. It limits you to printing only in the 4 by 6 inch photo format. Once a user has established that he/she isn't bothered by this aspect, then the Charm starts looking like the best choice out on the market.
The design of the Epson Charm is somewhat odd. When closed you might easily mistake it for a candy or ice box. It's not until you flip the top side that you discover it is actually a photo printer, equipped with a color tilt-able LCD screen that, although small, will come in handy plenty of times. As for speed, a 4 by 6 inch print requires about 54 seconds. This means it's one of the best portable photo printers out there when it comes to speed, with Canon's Selphy's producing the same photograph in a bit over a minute. This difference in speed is most likely due to the technology used. Selphys are dye-sublimation printers whereas the Charm is an inkjet.
Like most other portable printers, The Charm offers a wide variety of printing options sans PC. It can print straight from a PictBridge compatible camera, memory card (it supports mini SD, Memory Stick Duo, MMC and Compact Flash), from a mobile phone or other Bluetooth powered device (if you chose to buy the optional Bluetooth adapter). The quality of the prints is really pleasing. Photos are clear, realistic and well balanced. It has actually been described as a perfect 10 in terms of quality. So it comes as somewhat of a surprise that maintenance cost is reasonable.
As a conclusion this is one of the Epson photo printers that is highly portable and a great buy. It's very easy to use and produces some prints with excellent quality. It would have been nice if, like the Canon Selphy line, Epson would have included the battery and Bluetooth adapter so that the user didn't have to purchase them separately. Still, it's lovely to have them even as options. The battery will cost around $50 whereas the Bluetooth adapter is a bit cheaper at $40.