Digital Prints

Digital Photo Print: For What and for Whom?
Photographers like the output from digital photo print/photo process because it looks like
a real photograph. In fact, it is a real photograph! Larry Berman, a photographer who is a
regular on the art show circuit, has most of his prints done on a Noritsu digital printer at
his local Costco. Berman pays only $2.99 for a 12 × 18 print that can also yield two 8 ×
10s. The costs for the wide-format variety (Lambda, LightJet, Chromira) are comparable
to wet-darkroom prints from a custom lab, but the digital versions will soon be replacing
the traditional ones as their materials become extinct.
The primary drawbacks with digital photo print are that paper choices are limited, and you
can’t do this yourself because the devices are much too expensive for self-printers to own.
Dye Sublimation
Dye sublimation (also known as “dye diffusion thermal transfer” and typically called “dye sub”)
is for high-quality photo and digital snapshot printing (and pre-press proofing). Dye-sub printing
has a loyal following among some photographers who prefer it to inkjet printing.
How Does It Work?
With dye sub a single-color ribbon containing dye is heated by a special heating head that
runs the width of the paper. This head has thousands of tiny elements that, when they
heat up, vaporize (“sublimate”) the dye at that location. The gaseous dye spot is then
absorbed into the surface of the paper. Since the paper receives separate cyan, magenta,
yellow, and sometimes black passes of the dye ribbons to make up the final image, the
resulting layering of color provides a smooth, seamless image. Photo dye-sub printers only
have 300 or so dpi resolution, but they can deliver continuous tone images because of this
layering and the way the dyes diffuse or “cloud” into the paper. Some dye subs add a protective
layer (a clear UV laminate) as a fourth and final step after the single-color passes.
Chapter 2 ■ Understanding Digital Printing 63
Figure 2.18 Fuji Frontier 340 digital
lab system.
Courtesy of Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc.