Event photographer Patrick Williams, who runs PWP Studio out of Atlanta, was happy to get his hands on the 4.5-inch, DP-QW410 Pro dye-sublimation photo printer from DNP and test it out. Here’s what he thought.

One thing that has remained constant over the 20-year span of my event photography career (using over 40 printers from Kodak, Sony, DNP and Olympus) is that I’ve been used to the heavy weight of a pro dye-sub printer—they are hefty machines. When I picked up the box DNP recently shipped to my studio, though, it was so light that I instantly thought, “This must be just the media; I wonder when the printer is arriving?”

When I opened the box, staring up at me were two boxes of media and a printer, the DP-QW410 Pro, and the whole set weighed less than one of my DNP DS40’s without media. In addition, this is the first DNP printer that prints 4 x 6-inch sizes but does not print at a standard 5 x 7 inches, has internal print cutting, lower power usage, a print roller that “flattens” prints internally, and a 16:9 print ratio. In other words, lots of new features here.  

What I Liked

At less than 13 pounds and a compact size of only 8 inches wide x 7.75 inches high x 9.5 inches deep, the size and weight are the big wins here. Lower power consumption is no big upgrade for those shooting in indoor spaces with outlets readily available, but it’s huge if you need an alternate battery option off the grid. Lower power consumption allows for these printers to be run on portable batteries for hours at a time.

The Lay Flat print option is also a decision maker, in my opinion, if you are frequently making keepsake albums onsite where you might be taping/pasting prints onto an album page.

I also liked the that I was able to run a complete roll of media (150 4 x 6 prints, below) in one continuous print job to test whether it would slow down or overheat during non-stop printing like we see at events, and it ran like a champ through the entire run.

Other cool features: an internal print cutter offers additional print size options, there’s Wireless capability (requires an adapter) that allows the printer to be utilized with iPads/devices and without being tethered to the capture station, there’s the ability to print 4.5 x 8-inch mini-panorama prints, and the system is compatible with Windows and iOS drivers.

What I Didn’t Like

While there are so many things I really love about this printer, there are some I don’t, like print speed (19 seconds for 4 x 6 inches), printing capabilities up to 4.5 inches but no 5 x 7-inch capability, 4 x 6-inch media comes in 150 print sets but 4.5-inch media comes in 110 print sets, which is limiting for larger events and settings confusion for the cutter function. Also, the cost per 4 x 6 print is $.10 per print higher than most others. Other things to make note of include:

The paper tray (clear plastic print catcher on the front of the printer, above) only works with 4 x 6 media, and has a max capacity of 20 sheets before you risk paper jams.

The trash box (print clippings tray) pops off the front. In my first time opening it up, the box popped off the front of the printer straight on to the floor! I could see that happening at an event, but even worse, hitting a concrete floor and breaking.

Settings for the cutter (for smaller prints) can be found in three different places on Windows but figuring it out required a call to DNP tech support for me to identify which settings would make it cut prints correctly.

User Friendliness

DNP printers are rather simple machines to use and this one is no different—ten minutes to set up the hardware and download drivers from the DNP site and you are printing! If you are familiar with changing out media (paper rolls and ink ribbons) on DNP printers, you will feel right at home with the DP-QW410. I did have a hard time with removing the spacers to change from 4-inch media to 4.5-inch media (made me feel like a monkey learning algebra) and the ribbons were a little difficult to add/remove with large hands, but those are minor annoyances versus deal breakers.

Image Sizes

Without additional cutting outside of the printer, it will print a 4.5 x 8-inch print, one 4.5 x 4.5-inch print or four 2 x 4.5-inch prints on 4.5-inch wide media. We haven’t seen some of these sizes in the past without specialized perforated media. (Glossy or Matte finishes are available.)

How It Compares

The DP-QW410 is a highly specialized printer aimed at the entry- or mid-level segment in the DNP product line: think of it like a Nikon D780 or a Canon 90D in their respective full-frame camera lines. DNP printers are known for great print quality and their rock-solid reliability, plus the QW410 is (literally) half the weight of any other professional grade 4 x 6-inch dye sub printer out there right now. Printing a 4 x 6-inch image does take it more than twice as long as most current dye-sub models from other manufacturers and the per print cost is a little higher, but the quality, feature set and footprint combination are hard to beat. 

The Bottom Line

In the world of printers, the DP-QW410 is not a solid choice for larger print volume events and studios, mostly due to the limited print quantity in the media packs, higher per-print cost, and lack of printing 5 x 7’s.

The weight, size and power consumption are a perfect combination for portability, and the multiple new print sizes made possible by the internal cutter are also a plus for those who need to constantly evolve their smaller sized print offerings. In conclusion, although it has its limitations for larger volume applications, it is a really well thought out feature set for photo booth operators, small- to mid-size event/wedding photographers, and portrait photographers who need 4-inch or 4.5-inch prints and proofs. In other words, a great option for those seeking the quality and reliability of a DNP dye sub printer in a smaller, lighter and more portable set.