CDR Sam

Teac P-55 Dye Sublimation Disc Printer

May 25, 2008 | Printing Systems

The Teac P-55 thermal dye-sublimation disc printer creates CD and DVD labels on printable CDs and printable DVDs with the same or better quality then silk screening.  Teac’s P-55 software features a color matching process that allows you to match Pantone color accurately. As the world’s only dye-sublimation disc printer the Teac P-55 four color, CMYK thermal printing prints at 400 DPI (290 LPI) one of the highest resolution desktop thermal printers. The Teac P-55 has 4 different print modes in one printer: Photo Mode (Dye-Sublimation), Color (cyan, magenta, yellow and K-true black/thermal re-transfer), Black (thermal re-transfer, 256 shades of gray)) and VersaMax (thermal re-transfer). The new VersaMax ribbon offers more CD and DVD options to choose from. VersaMax can print on most inkjet printable CD and DVD discs and silver lacquer media by utilizing a print process that adds a printable surface layer onto the disc first before the label is actually printed.

The process of thermal re-transfer works in the following manner.  The image is printed with 4 individual color panels onto a re-transfer ribbon that is adhered to the disc. The P-55 does this in two seperate modes based on the consumables: First thermal wax transfer, and then dye sublimation.

Dye sublimation is a process of thermal printing in which a “dye” is transferred from the color ribbon to a transfer ribbon as a solid to a gas to a solid.  The dye never becomes liquid, only a gas.  Thus it is not applied like an ink-jet process in dots.  The gas application allows the colors to blend better to produce a more photo realistic image.

The P-55 will print the photo, color and VersaMax prints including the transfer time in about 100 seconds. The black print will take 40 seconds for the print and transfer time. The P-55 has a 400 dpi print head.  This is the highest resolution print head available. This produces the equivalent of 290 lpi, compared to the Rimage Everest III with only 173 lpi.  Photo, Color and VersaMax ink ribbons get 500 prints per ribbon and the black ribbon gets 2000 prints.

An interesting feature of the Teac P-55 is it’s method of holding the disc.  All other printers drop the disc into a tray which “aligns” the disc in a rather crude manner.  Teac uses a device that holds the disc in the center of the hub which precisely aligns the disc with the print head.

Why is thermal re-transfer and dye-sublimation better then inkjet?

• Thermal printed surfaces are indelible vs. inkjet which is easy to scratch, fade, run and smudge
• Thermal provides a more consistent print quality whereas inkjet print quality can be inconsistent
• Thermal printing drys instantly vs. inkjet which can vary on dry times due to the print surface and amount of ink applied.  Full color inkjet can take a minute or more to dry.
• Thermal printing does not create banding or “run out” where as inkjet does.  This can create  a large number of discs of inferior print quality. As the ink cartridges run out of color they still print but in less and less colors. Color shifting occurs when one of the three  colors in a cartridge runs out.
• Edge-to-edge printing: Inkjet printer can not print to the edge of the disc. Due to the non-printable characteristics of the edges of an inkjet printable disc. Over-run ink never dries and smears when touched.  Thermal printing prints edge-to edge.

What is included with the Teac P-55 thermal dye sublimation disc printer?

• Teac p-55 printer
• USB 2.0 interface cable
• IEEE 1284 parallel interface cable
• disc labeling editor software
• thermal printable CD-R discs (10)
• Color ink ribbon/transfer kit
• AC power cord.