I would like some input from all of you that have an Alps Printer already. Of course, this would be for decals and white is a must. 1) Which model is better, price vs output vs , MD1000, MD1300 or MD5000? 2) Micro Dry or Dye Sublimation? In advance, thanks for your replies and guidance.
All the same, including the MD5500 USB model, when printing spot mod decals. When printing CYMK dithered, the MD5000 and MD5500 are a little better. Most artwork should be printed in spot mode so you get solid coverage of that color. There is 2 Alps yahoo groups that you can find out lots more details, as well as get drivers, and find links to tutorials on making decals. You cannot use dye sub for decals because it is designed to melt the inks into the material. The ink is colored wax. The printers are sold out, so you would have to purchase used, but the inks are still available. Whites are about $20 plus shipping, and colors are about $12 or less each. I use MD1000 printers, but they only hold 4 ribbons, where the MD5000 holds 7.
If you purchase one remotely, be sure to have the seller make a retention device out of cardboard to hold the carriage in place. I think there are instructions on how to make this somewhere in the owners documentation. If the carriage is not secured during shipping it can easily be damaged. The dye-sublimation function is meant for printing photographs. Be aware that ALPs no longer services these.
I have an MD1000 which gives good enough results for me. As long as it holds out that is, Alps Japan ceased production of the last model, the MD-5500 in May this year.
