The Samsung SPP-2040 printer plays nice
with six different flash memory formats, so it's literally just a matter of popping in
the memory card, selecting the right digital image on the 2" colour
TFT LCD screen and hitting print. This is an utterly simple devices
to use.
If you want to do a little more manipulation with your photos there are some
basic (and useful) colour presets to work with as well. Of particular
interest is the 'Black & White' print option which looks good, but is not
entirely monochrome. There is some visible blueing in the lighter areas of
the photo which seems to be an unavoidable aspect of the three-colour process.
Printing via a PC, or directly from a flash card or
PictBridge-enabled digital cameras is convenient. Our only wish is that the
Samsung SPP-2040 would work with USB hard drives also. With
the proliferation of USB
flash drives today, this seems like a logical route to go.
Print
time hovers around the 70 second mark in our tests. The cost of prints
ranges from $0.40USD - $0.70USD a piece, depending on the quantity of consumables purchased.
The image quality of
a dye-sublimation printer is first rate, making it difficult to spot the photo-printed
picture on your wall from those of 35mm film negatives. The glossy photo paper
prints are also going to hold up better over time. The
dye-sub thermal transfer process makes the dye less prone to fading, and it
is impervious to finger smudges, water drops and other moisture
related accidents that can destroy inkjet printed pictures.
All things are not rosy however. The 2" LCD screen is held up by what feels like a very flimsy plastic
mechanism, but that's not going to impact anyone substantially. No, the main
issue we experienced with the Samsung SPP-2040 relates to how the glossy photo
paper is handled during a print run, and how this seems to attract lint like a
magnet. Owing to the way the dye-sub process works, small particles of dust or
lint which are drawn in by the glossy surface of the photo paper can result in
photo blemishes.
By and large the Samsung SPP-2040 is really handy tool for anyone who yearns
to take the "digital" out of some of their most cherished photographs. It prints
4"x6" glossy images by the dye-sublimation process, resulting in digital photo
prints with a quality on par to the photo-lab. The Samsung SPP-2040 photo
printer retails for around $150USD ($170CDN) and comes with a 10 print starter pack
included.
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