Photo Color Accuracy (2.20)
To test the color accuracy of the Sony FP90, we printed an electronic GretagMacbeth color checker chart and used an Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer to read the chart's color density values. We then compared the printed results to the original La*b* values.
The Sony FP90 is one of the least accurate printers we have tested to date. The FP90 had a 9.75 mean color error and showed significant color shifting in brown, blue, green, and orange tones. The FP90’s attempt to render dark skin turned out more like midnight blue. Unfortunately, blue is probably the worst cast skin tones can take on and gives off a lifeless look that’s detrimental to even the most mundane snapshot. If color accuracy is a priority, perhaps consumers should take a look at the Epson Picturemate PM240.
Photo Color Gamut (2.99)
The chart below, created with Gamutvision, shows the color space of the printer compared to the larger fixed Adobe RGB color space. A color space represents all the possible colors a printer can produce, so the bigger the better. In the chart, the color space of the printer is represented as the solid colored shape, and is surrounded by the grid representing Adobe RGB space.
The Sony FP90 created 44.7 percent of the number of colors in Adobe RGB space. This is a solid achievement for a small printer, though obviously not as good as larger, more expensive models. It produced 3.5 percent more Adobe RGB colors than the Canon Selphy CP730, the other small dye sublimation printer we tested. But it fell short of the 48.66 percent produced by the Epson PictureMate Snap, a compact inkjet printer.
Dmax (6.84)
To determine how well printers reproduce tones, we measure a value called Dmax.
Dmax is a density value corresponding to the ratio of light reflected off the paper, and represents the darkest black a printer can produce.
The less light reflected, the higher the Dmax, and thus the darker the black.
Because the whitest white of prints is set by the paper tone, the blackest black value is an indication of how many tones the printer can actually produce.
More tones mean better gradations between contrasted tones, an effect very noticeable in human faces.
The Sony FP90 scored very well with Dmax, yielding a value of 2.30. Comparatively, another small dye sublimation printer, the Canon Selphy CP730, has a Dmax of 2.01. The Epson yielded a Dmax vlue of 2.44.This advantage in Dmax means better tonal transitions and deeper black tones, yielding better print quality overall. This Dmax value was measured on a print made with the stock color profile.
Black and White (4.00)
The FP90, despite its relatively high Dmax score, produced very unimpressive black-and-white prints. Shadows and other dark tones were indeed dark, but the overall print was flat, and many of the shadows were blocked up. Detail was held in the highlights, so both ends pf the tonal range were represented well, but the flatness and muddiness of the intervening tones left a lot to be desired. The Canon CP730 produced a lower Dmax density value, yet the black-and-white prints produced with this compact dye sublimation printer had a brighter, sharper look than the Sony print, despite some loss of detail in highlights.
