Tektronix debuts dye sublimation printer

Tektronix Inc. today announced the availability of its Phaser 450 dye sublimation printer which the company is aiming at the federal scientific and engineering markets.

The Phaser 450 which succeeds the Phaser 440 offers new features that will enhance the product line's appeal in scientific and engineering applications according to Souzie Monshi Tektronix's Phaser 450 product manager. She said the product could be used to support such applications as satellite imagery solids modeling and aerial mapping.

The Offering

Specifically the Phaser 450 offers Tektronix's Color Seal technology. Color Seal provides a clear coat over the color image as it is printed. The coat protects the printed document from UV radiation fingerprints and other sources of damage. The use of Color Seal technology requires a Color Seal ribbon and special paper.

Monshi said the added protection of the Phaser 450 will be a boon in scientific and engineering environments in which images are handled more often than in other environments.

Monshi said the Phaser 450 also allows users to create higher-quality transparencies a factor that also should appeal to federal government users. She added that the printer is also geared toward digital photography applications.

The Phaser 450 retails at a price of $6 995. The product is available on Government Technology Services Inc.'s General Services Administration schedule.

Paula Bursley an industry analyst with Dataquest said Tektronix's current strategy is to migrate its high-end color technology - which formerly targeted only graphic arts departments - to a broader business audience. "They have branched out " she said adding that Tektronix's main rivals in this foray are 3M Corp. and Eastman Kodak Co.