The thermo autochrome (TA) print process, which is considerably more complex than either inkjet or laser technology, has emerged recently in printers marketed as companion devices for use with a digital camera. TA paper contains three layers of pigment – cyan, magenta and yellow – each of which is sensitive to a particular temperature. Of these pigments, yellow has the lowest temperature sensitivity, then magenta, followed by cyan. The printer is equipped with both thermal and ultraviolet heads and the paper is passed beneath these three times. For the first pass, the paper is selectively heated at the temperature necessary to activate the yellow pigment, which is then fixed by the ultraviolet before passing onto the next colour (magenta). Although the last pass (cyan) isn\’t followed by an ultraviolet fix, the end results are claimed to be far more permanent than with dye-sublimation.
- Solid Ink Printers
- Dye Sublimation Printers
- Thermo AutoChrome Printers
- Thermal Wax Printers
- Dot-Matrix Printers