Julia Hush wrote:
 
>Dear colleagues,
>
>We have recently purchased a Zeiss LSM410, which we use mostly for studies
>of plant cell structure/function/dynamics, using fluorescence and
>transmission modes. Our data storage system is a Yamaha CDE 100 CD-ROM
>writer.
>
>We now have to decide on a system to collect hard copies of our images.
>This needs to be high resolution, suitable for publishing.  In the past on
>other confocal set-ups, I have used photomonitors coupled to an SLR 35 mm
>camera to record images on neg or slide film.  This has been satisfactory,
>although the photography is time-consuming.
>
>I think our choices are between this sort of photomonitor system, and the
>new dye-sublimation printers.  I would be grateful for people's advice on
>the pros/cons of these two alternatives (given that we can afford the
>printer).  In particular, I am not clear about how easy it is to collate
>images with lettering, arrows, text etc., as for a plate for publication,
>using the dye-sub printers.
>
>Finally, does anyone know if journals are currently accepting such prints
>as original plates for publishing?
>
>Thank you,
>
>Julia Hush.
>
>Julia Hush
>School of Biological Sciences,
>University of Sydney, NSW 2006,
>Australia.
>Ph. (02) 351 2278; Fax (02) 351 4771
>
>
 
Dear Julia:
 
With our Zeiss LSM 410 system, I have gone with a film graphics recorder
(Lasergraphics LFR) which is a digital device and I get excellent quality
color slides from it.  It also seems to work well for black and white
negatives (I just shot twenty this morning).  I have been using Kodak T-max
100 film for the negatives.  This is much less cumbersome than a
photomonitor and 35mm SLR setup (if I understand correctly what you are
doing).  I admit that that is an inexpensive route, but it is time invested
in the photography worth it?
 
If you use a photo processing and finishing program like Adobe Photoshop or
Aldus Photostyler (being discontinued due to the merger of Aldus with
Adobe), you can do a lot of the letter labeling (and perhaps some of the
arrows and length bars) It is also very easy to create figures easily.  You
can add lots of things using the Measure and Draw Text tools in the LSM
software under Funct.
 
Concerning the dye sublimation printers, the Codonics is certainly a good
one and I have had the Tektronics Phaser 440 recommended to me.  Get a
digital  one that had at least 300 dpi resolution.  I have a Sony UP-D7000
which only had 163 dpi resoution and it is satisfactory, but we got it under
some budget constraints.  We have used prints from this in publications and
we did not get back any complaints by editors or reviewers.
 
Be aware that dye sub prints will fade with age (especially in the light)
and also that using wax appliques like Letraset or Chartpak for numbers,
letters, and arrows does not work that well on such prints as the dyes tend
to bleed through.  This causes the appliques to become darker ansd not show
up that well.
 
I hope that this is of some use to you.
 
Regards,
 
 
Matt Schibler, Ph.D.
La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation
10901 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
U.S.A.
 
P (619) 455-6480  F (619) 453-4934