---
title: 'Citizen (シチズン) Photo Printers: Why a Watch Company Makes Dye-Sublimation Printers, Its Six Models, and Its Relationship with DNP'
url: https://joelin.cc/en/p/9854
source: https://joelin.cc/en/p/9854
lang: en
pubDate: '2026-10-12'
date_modified: '2026-10-12'
description: Citizen also makes dye-sublimation photo printers. Official reports reveal its six Japanese models, business scale, uses, and cross-shareholdings with DNP.
author: joe
ai_role: ai_only
translation_of: /p/9854
mentions:
- name: 大日本印刷
sameAs:
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1157511
- name: 三菱電機
sameAs:
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q53257
---
# Citizen (シチズン) Photo Printers: Why a Watch Company Makes Dye-Sublimation Printers, Its Six Models, and Its Relationship with DNP
## Summary
Citizen’s (シチズン) dye-sublimation photo printer business is operated by シチズン・システムズ, a wholly owned subsidiary of シチズン時計. シチズン・システムズ was established on April 1, 2005, by merging シチズン時計’s Electronic Equipment Division with シチズンCBM’s Systems and Electronics divisions. Its headquarters are in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, and it had 1,079 employees on a consolidated basis as of March 31, 2026. Its products include receipt, label, mobile, embedded, and photo printers, as well as healthcare equipment.
The company entered the photo printer market in 2007 with its dye-sublimation CX series, roughly 20 years after DNP began producing dye-sublimation materials in 1985. Its Japanese website lists six models: CX-02, CX-02S, CX-02W, CW-02, CY, and CZ-01. Its European website lists four, including the CY-02, which is absent from the Japanese site. The US website’s homepage does not list photo printers.
Officially stated applications include ID photos, souvenir photos at events and tourist attractions, photo kiosks, photography studios, and 写真シール, or photo stickers. The official documents do not use the term プリクラ. The CX-02, introduced in 2016, had an annual shipment target of at least 10,000 units; the CZ-01, introduced in 2019, had an annual sales target of 3,000 units.
Citizen makes no market-share claim for its photo printers and does not disclose their revenue separately. Its former Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment, which included printers and healthcare equipment, recorded revenue of JPY 20.4 billion in fiscal 2022, JPY 22.5 billion in fiscal 2023, and JPY 24.9 billion in fiscal 2024. From fiscal 2025, that segment was incorporated into the Devices segment, making printer revenue impossible to identify separately. The Medium-Term Management Plan 2027 positions photo printers as a growth business.
シチズン時計 holds 223,000 shares in 大日本印刷, stating that the purpose is to facilitate business activities in its Devices segment. DNP also holds shares in シチズン時計. The Citizen CZ-01 and DNP DP-QW410 have almost identical specifications, but neither company officially explains whether they share a platform. This site found no official information identifying the manufacturer of Citizen’s photo printer ribbons and paper.
### Key facts
- Citizen’s photo printer business is operated by シチズン・システムズ, which is wholly owned by シチズン時計. The company was established on April 1, 2005, and is headquartered in Nishitokyo, Tokyo.
- シチズン・システムズ had 1,079 employees on a consolidated basis as of March 31, 2026. Its products include receipt, label, mobile, embedded, and photo printers, along with healthcare equipment such as blood pressure monitors.
- Citizen entered the photo printer market in 2007 with its dye-sublimation CX series, roughly 20 years after DNP began producing dye-sublimation materials in 1985.
- In September 2026, Citizen’s Japanese website listed six photo printers: CX-02, CX-02S, CX-02W, CW-02, CY, and CZ-01. Its European website listed four, including the CY-02, which was absent from the Japanese site.
- Citizen’s officially stated photo printer applications are ID photos, souvenir photos at events and tourist attractions, photo kiosks, photography studios, and 写真シール, or photo stickers. The official documents do not use the term プリクラ.
- The CX-02, released in 2016, had an annual shipment target of at least 10,000 units. The CZ-01, released in 2019, had an annual sales target of 3,000 units. Actual sales figures have not been disclosed.
- Citizen does not disclose photo printer revenue separately. Its former Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment, which included printers and healthcare equipment, recorded revenue of JPY 20.4 billion in fiscal 2022, JPY 22.5 billion in fiscal 2023, and JPY 24.9 billion in fiscal 2024.
- In fiscal 2024, the Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment recorded operating profit of JPY 2.7 billion and an operating margin of approximately 10.8%, calculated by this site. The segment was incorporated into the Devices segment from fiscal 2025.
- シチズン時計 recorded fiscal 2025 revenue of JPY 346.8 billion. Watches accounted for approximately 57%, machine tools for approximately 25%, and the Devices segment, which includes printers, for approximately 18%, calculated by this site.
- シチズン時計’s Medium-Term Management Plan 2027 positions photo printers as a growth business.
- シチズン時計 holds 223,000 shares in 大日本印刷, stating that the purpose is to facilitate business activities in its Devices segment. DNP also holds shares in シチズン時計.
- The Citizen CZ-01 and DNP DP-QW410 have the same dimensions, weight, supported print sizes, print speeds, and prints per roll. Neither company officially explains whether they share a platform.
Citizen (シチズン) makes more than watches. It also makes dye-sublimation photo printers for ID photo booths, event souvenir photos, and self-service photo machines. This business is operated by シチズン・システムズ, a wholly owned subsidiary of シチズン時計. It entered the market with the CX series in 2007, roughly 20 years after 大日本印刷 (DNP) began producing dye-sublimation materials in 1985. At the article’s research date, the Japanese website listed six models, with officially stated applications including ID photos, souvenir photos at events and tourist attractions, photo kiosks, photography studios, and photo stickers. Citizen makes no market-share claim for its photo printers, and its parent company does not disclose how much they earn separately. The relationship with DNP that official documents establish is that the two companies hold shares in each other.
The シチズン時計 headquarters in Tanashicho, Nishitokyo, Tokyo, photographed in August 2020. シチズン・システムズ has its registered headquarters at the same address. Photo: Nishifutsu, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), [original image](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citizen_Watch_Co.,_Ltd._Head_office.jpg). This site cropped it to 16:9. No freely licensed photographs of Citizen photo printers themselves were found on Wikimedia Commons, so this article does not use official product images.
The original Chinese article was published on September 25, 2026. All facts in this article come from official documents published by Citizen and the other companies concerned: シチズン時計’s annual securities reports and medium-term management plan, and シチズン・システムズ’s Japanese, European, and US websites, product pages, and press releases. The information was checked on September 25, 2026. For DNP’s background, see this site’s [in-depth company study of 大日本印刷 (DNP)](/p/9847).
## Who makes Citizen’s photo printers: シチズン・システムズ
Citizen’s photo printers are operated by its subsidiary シチズン・システムズ (Citizen Systems Japan), rather than its watch division. According to the company’s website and its parent’s annual securities report (シチズン・システムズ company profile; シチズン時計 141st Annual Securities Report):
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Company name | シチズン・システムズ株式会社 (Citizen Systems Japan) |
| Established | April 1, 2005 |
| Origins | A merger of シチズン時計’s Electronic Equipment Division with シチズンCBM’s Systems and Electronics divisions |
| Shareholder | 100% owned by シチズン時計 |
| Headquarters | Nishitokyo, Tokyo |
| Employees | 1,079 on a consolidated basis, as of March 31, 2026 |
| Capital | JPY 450 million |
| Business | Printers and healthcare equipment, including blood pressure monitors and thermometers |
The main point of this table is that Citizen’s printer business existed long before its photo printers. シチズン・システムズ’s corporate history states that one of its predecessors, シチズンCBM, introduced compact POS printers in 1970, label printers in 1994, and compact thermal printers in 1997. The relevant divisions of the two companies merged in 2005 to form the present company. Dye-sublimation photo printers were added only in 2007 (シチズン・システムズ corporate history).
Its printer products now fall into six categories, listed on the official website in this order (シチズン・システムズ printer business):
- Receipt printers (レシートプリンター).
- Label printers (ラベルプリンター).
- Mobile printers (モバイルプリンター).
- Embedded printers installed inside other equipment (機器組込プリンター).
- Photo printers (フォトプリンター), the subject of this article.
- Solution products (ソリューション製品).
In other words, photo printers are just one category in Citizen’s printer family, and the most recent addition.
### Its place within the シチズン時計 group
From fiscal 2025, covering April 2025 through March 2026, シチズン時計 (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7762) reduced its reporting segments from four to three. シチズン・システムズ falls under the Devices segment (デバイス事業). According to the 141st Annual Securities Report:
| Segment | Fiscal 2025 revenue | Share of external revenue | Main products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watches (時計事業) | JPY 197.0 billion | Approximately 57% | Watches and movements, including the Citizen and Bulova brands |
| Machine Tools (工作機械事業) | JPY 86.2 billion | Approximately 25% | CNC automatic lathes |
| Devices (デバイス事業) | JPY 63.4 billion | Approximately 18% | Automotive components, quartz crystal components, ceramics, miniature motors, printers, healthcare equipment, and LEDs |
| Group total | JPY 346.8 billion | 100% | |
This site calculated the percentages using the annual securities report’s revenue from external customers. The Devices segment, which includes printers, accounts for less than one-fifth of group revenue, and printers are only one of its seven product categories. Watches remain Citizen’s core business, generating more than half its revenue.
## Entering in 2007: roughly 20 years after DNP
The 2007 entry in シチズン・システムズ’s corporate history reads: “Launched digital photo printers using dye-sublimation thermal transfer.” The timeline in its company brochure is more specific: it introduced the CX series of dye-sublimation thermal-transfer digital photo printers in 2007.
Compared with its peers, this was not an early entry. DNP began producing dye-sublimation thermal recording materials—ribbons and photo paper—in 1985, and acquired Sony’s digital photo printer business in 2011. See the [in-depth DNP company study](/p/9847). By the time Citizen entered the market, DNP had been making dye-sublimation materials for more than 20 years. Dye-sublimation printing uses heat to “sublimate” dyes from a ribbon onto photo paper, building up colors layer by layer. For details, see the photobooth subsite’s guide to dye-sublimation photobooth technology.
The company has not publicly explained why it entered the photo printer market in 2007. This site found no official explanation and does not speculate.
## The six current models: official specifications
On September 25, 2026, the photo printer page on シチズン・システムズ’s Japanese website listed six models. Its official explanation states that “commercial printers used to produce photographs employ dye-sublimation thermal transfer” (Citizen’s official photo printer website). The print sizes, prints per roll, speeds, and weights below come from the individual product pages:
| Model | Official description in brief | Supported print sizes | Prints per roll | Time for one 4 × 6-inch print | Printer weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CX-02 | Energy-efficient and compact, with a ribbon rewind function | L, PC (4 × 6 inches), 5 × 5 inches, 2L, 6 × 6 inches, 2PC | 400 PC prints | Approximately 8.4 seconds | Approximately 12 kg |
| CX-02S | Energy-efficient and compact; can print on adhesive photo paper | Same as CX-02 | Same as CX-02 | Approximately 13.0 seconds | Same as CX-02 |
| CX-02W | Large-format model supporting up to A4 | 8 × 4 to 8 × 12 inches, A5, A4 | 110 A4 prints | Approximately 38.4 seconds for A4 | Approximately 14 kg |
| CW-02 | High image quality, high speed, and high capacity | L, PC, 2L, 2PC, A5W | 600 PC prints | Approximately 8.6 seconds | Approximately 13.8 kg |
| CY | Emphasizes cost efficiency | PC, 2L, 2PC | 700 PC prints | Approximately 14.9 seconds | Approximately 13.8 kg |
| CZ-01 | Smallest and lightest in the lineup, with a curl-reduction function | 4 × 4, 4 × 6, 4.5 × 4.5, 4.5 × 8 inches | 150 PC prints | Approximately 18.8 seconds | Approximately 5.8 kg |
The six models can be viewed as three groups. The CX-02, CX-02S, CW-02, and CY are the main models for 4 × 6-inch postcard-size prints and 6 × 8-inch prints, differing in roll capacity and speed. The CX-02W is a large-format model that prints up to A4. The CZ-01, introduced in 2019, is a portable 5.8 kg model intended for use at tourist attractions and event venues. Of these, only the CX-02S is explicitly described in the website’s model listing as capable of printing on adhesive photo media.
Individual product pages: CX-02 / CX-02S, CX-02W, CW-02, CY, and CZ-01.
### The European and US websites list different products
The same company lists different models on its regional websites:
- The European website, operated by Citizen Systems Europe, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, lists four models: CZ-01, CY-02, CX-02, and CX-02W (Citizen Systems Europe photo printers). The CY-02 is absent from the Japanese website. Its official specifications state a capacity of 700 prints per roll at 4 × 6 inches, or 350 prints at 6 × 8 inches (CY-02 product page).
- The US website’s homepage lists only label, POS, mobile, and kiosk printers as its product ranges, with no photo printer category (Citizen Systems America). The company has not announced an exit from the US photo printer market. This site records only the website’s state observed on September 25, 2026.
## Officially stated applications: ID photos, souvenir photos, kiosks, studios, and photo stickers
Citizen’s own descriptions of where these printers are used can be pieced together from three official sources:
- The 2016 CX-02 press release states that they are used “in various settings, including self-service photo printing, ID photos, and commemorative event photos.” Its list of principal applications also includes souvenir photos at weddings and events, and use by professional photographers (シチズン時計 press release, July 4, 2016).
- The 2019 CZ-01 press release describes use in studios taking commemorative and family photographs, as well as “photo kiosks” that print pictures from smartphones or digital cameras (シチズン時計 press release, October 23, 2019).
- In the “Applications” fields on the Japanese product pages, the CX-02, CW-02, and CY are labeled “Events / Photos / ID photos / Photo stickers.” The CX-02W is labeled “Events / Photos / Studio photography,” and the CZ-01 “Events / Photos / ID photos.”
One distinction needs to be made explicit here: the official wording is 写真シール, meaning photo stickers. Citizen’s website, press releases, and catalogs do not mention プリクラ, meaning Japanese purikura photo sticker booths, or name any photobooth brands. This site therefore does not claim that Japanese purikura booths use Citizen printers. The same caution applies to ID photo booths: Ki-Re-i, a familiar sight on Japanese streets, is operated by DNP; see [Japan’s Ki-Re-i ID photo booths](/p/9843). Official sources do not identify which ID photo booths contain Citizen printers. For the Japanese purikura industry itself, see [Thirty Years of Japanese Purikura](/p/9821). For printers actually photographed inside Korean-style photobooths, see the [Photo Slate field study](/p/9627).
The press releases also reveal the scale the company expected. The CX-02, released in September 2016, had an annual shipment target of “at least 10,000 units,” combining domestic and overseas shipments. The CZ-01, released on October 31, 2019, had an annual sales target of “3,000 units,” combining domestic and overseas sales. These were plans at the time of launch. Actual sales figures have not been disclosed.
## How much do photo printers earn? The company does not disclose this separately
Citizen does not disclose photo printer revenue separately. It does not even provide a separate revenue figure for printers as a whole. The closest available figures are for the former Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment (電子機器他事業), reported through fiscal 2024. That segment included all printers—receipt, label, photo, and others—along with healthcare equipment and other products. It was not exclusively a photo printer business:
| Fiscal year | Electronic Equipment and Other Products revenue | Operating margin | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal 2022 | JPY 20.4 billion | 5.6% | Medium-Term Management Plan 2027 |
| Fiscal 2023 | JPY 22.5 billion | 7.1% | Medium-Term Management Plan 2027 |
| Fiscal 2024 | JPY 24.9 billion | Approximately 10.8%, calculated by this site from operating profit of JPY 2.7 billion | 140th Annual Securities Report |
| From fiscal 2025 | Segment discontinued and incorporated into the Devices segment | Printer figures cannot be identified separately | 141st Annual Securities Report |
Over those three years, the segment’s revenue grew from JPY 20.4 billion to JPY 24.9 billion, and its operating margin rose each year. In its medium-term management plan, the company explained that healthcare equipment was weighed down by exchange rates and weak sales in fiscal 2024, while “photo printers performed well on steady demand and drove profitability” (Medium-Term Management Plan 2027).
Two figures must be distinguished. The approximately 10.8% operating margin for fiscal 2024 is an actual result calculated by this site from the annual securities report’s revenue of JPY 24.9 billion and operating profit of JPY 2.7 billion. The 12.0% shown for the same segment in the medium-term management plan was a fiscal 2024 forecast, published in March 2025, rather than an actual result.
From fiscal 2025, the segment’s principal businesses were incorporated into the Devices segment and reported together with automotive components, motors, and ceramics. Printer revenue can no longer be identified separately. The 141st Annual Securities Report offers only a short written explanation: photo printers performed steadily on stable demand, but printers overall recorded a slight revenue decline because of the effect of a large order in the previous year.
### What the Medium-Term Management Plan 2027 says about photo printers
In the Medium-Term Management Plan 2027, published by シチズン時計 on March 25, 2025, the Devices segment’s “Strategies for Growth Businesses” page places photo printers alongside motors and ceramics. It states:
> Position photo printers as a growth business, secure stable profits, and advance investment for the future.
The same page lists three principal initiatives:
- Expand orders from growing customers and broaden overseas sales channels for high-value-added products.
- Develop new technologies, including high-resolution products.
- Promote proposals for comprehensive solutions for medical and logistics applications.
The “Issues to Be Addressed” section of the 141st Annual Securities Report likewise states that the printer business aims to expand revenue with photo printers at its center. The Devices segment as a whole targets revenue of JPY 70 billion and an operating margin of at least 5% in fiscal 2027.
## The competitive landscape: 三菱電機 discontinued production, Sony transferred its business to DNP, and 富士フイルム remains
The Japanese dye-sublimation photo printer industry in which Citizen operates has lost two companies over the past decade or so:
- 三菱電機: Its website retains only an after-sales service page. The discontinued commercial printer list, dated April 1, 2021, shows that the last models ceased production in March 2021, with repair parts retained through March 2029 (三菱電機 discontinued model list).
- Sony: It transferred its digital photo printer business to DNP in 2011, according to the corporate history in DNP’s integrated report. See the [in-depth DNP company study](/p/9847).
- 富士フイルム: Its official photo printer page still lists the dye-sublimation ASK-400 (富士フイルム photo printers).
After 三菱電機 withdrew, Citizen created a page on its European website recommending its own models to 三菱電機 users. The page opens by stating, “Mitsubishi, has formally announced the end-of-life (EOL) of their dye-sublimation photo printer line.” It then lists models including the CP-D90DW, CP-D80DW, CP-D707DW, and CP9800DW, comparing them with suitable Citizen replacements and their specifications (Citizen’s European website: alternatives to 三菱電機 photo printers).
## Citizen’s relationship with DNP: cross-shareholdings and two models with almost identical specifications
DNP and Citizen both make dye-sublimation photo printers. Official documents establish two points about the relationship between them.
### Cross-shareholdings
The “Specified Investment Shares” table in シチズン時計’s 141st Annual Securities Report lists 223,000 shares in 大日本印刷, with a carrying value of JPY 630 million. The stated reason for holding them is “to facilitate business activities in our Devices segment.” The column asking whether DNP holds shares in シチズン時計 says “Yes.” The previous year’s 140th report also listed 223,000 shares, with the stated purpose referring to the then-existing Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment.
That is as far as the report goes. Citizen does not quantify the benefits of the holding, citing trade secrets. Official sources do not state whether the companies buy or sell ribbons, photo paper, or printers from one another. This site does not interpret the shareholding as evidence of a procurement relationship.
### CZ-01 and DNP DP-QW410: almost identical specifications
In autumn 2019, each company announced a portable photo printer. Their officially published specifications are compared below:
| Item | Citizen CZ-01 | DNP DP-QW410 |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement | Press release on October 23, 2019; released October 31 | Press release on September 6, 2019; shipments began in late October |
| Dimensions | 208 × 240 × 198 mm | 208 × 240 × 198 mm |
| Weight | Approximately 5.8 kg | Approximately 5.8 kg |
| Supported print sizes | 4 × 4, 4 × 6, 4.5 × 4.5, 4.5 × 8 inches | 4 × 4, 4 × 6, 4.5 × 4.5, 4.5 × 8 inches |
| Resolution | 300 × 300 dpi | 300 dpi |
| Time for a 4 × 6-inch print | Approximately 19 seconds | Approximately 19 seconds |
| Time for a 4.5 × 8-inch print | Approximately 24 seconds | Approximately 24 seconds |
| Prints per roll | 150 at 4 × 6 inches; 110 at 4.5 × 8 inches | 150 at 4 × 6 inches; 110 at 4.5 × 8 inches |
Sources: シチズン時計 press release, October 23, 2019; DNP press release, September 6, 2019.
The two printers have identical dimensions, weight, supported print sizes, speeds, and prints per roll. DNP’s press release additionally states that its printer uses “DNP’s proprietary 4.5-inch print head.” However, neither company officially explains whether the two models share a platform, and neither mentions the other. This site presents the two sets of official specifications side by side without concluding that they are “the same printer” or that one is manufactured for the other.
Likewise, Citizen’s consumables pages, user manuals, catalogs, and annual securities reports do not identify who makes the ribbons and photo paper used in its photo printers. This site found no official answer and does not speculate.
## Taiwan: Citizen is best known for watches; no official photo printer distributor was found
For Taiwanese readers, Citizen is most familiar as a watch brand. Its official Taiwanese website, citizenwatch.com.tw, uses the brand name “CITIZEN” throughout. The operator is 香港商星辰表(香港)有限公司台灣分公司, located at 4F, No. 130, Section 3, Nanjing East Road, Taipei (CITIZEN’s official Taiwanese website). In シチズン時計’s annual securities report, 星辰表(香港)有限公司 is listed as a wholly owned subsidiary in the watch segment. This means the Taiwanese watch business is operated by the Taiwan branch of the group’s Hong Kong subsidiary, rather than an outside distributor. The Chinese wording “星辰” appears in that company’s name.
The Citizen group has another official presence in Taiwan for machine tools. Its group locations page lists CINCOM MIYANO TAIWAN in Taipei (シチズン group locations), while シチズンマシナリー’s overseas locations page also lists a technical center in Taichung (シチズンマシナリー overseas locations).
For photo printers, this site found no official distributor in Taiwan:
- シチズン・システムズ’s locations page lists only Japan, the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Jiangmen, and Dongguan, with no Taiwan location. The Hong Kong company is officially described as an Asian trade and logistics hub overseeing the product supply network (シチズン・システムズ locations).
- The Japanese website’s distributor list covers only Japan. Its Japanese photo printer catalog states that all listed products are specifications for the Japanese domestic market and that overseas orders and support are not provided (Citizen photo printer catalog).
- The European website’s photo printer purchasing page lists dealers only in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (Citizen Systems Europe: Where to buy).
If Citizen photo printers are available on the Taiwanese market, official sources do not explain how they arrived, and this site does not speculate. By comparison, DNP has a photo printer distributor in Taiwan; see the [in-depth DNP company study](/p/9847).
## Latest developments: no new models announced in 2025–2026
This site reviewed the news items on シチズン・システムズ’s Japanese website, announcements on its printer website, シチズン時計’s press releases from January 2025 through September 2026, and press releases on the European website, one by one. No new photo printer models were announced in 2025–2026. The only related official announcements were these:
- On January 17, 2024, the company announced “CZ-01 スマートイベントフォト” in Japan, a photo printing system that lets users arrange photos on a smartphone and print them with the CZ-01 (シチズン・システムズ, January 17, 2024). As of September 2026, this remained the Japanese website’s latest photo printer product announcement.
- On March 11, 2025, the European subsidiary introduced LinkServer for Photo, free software for Citizen photo printers (Citizen Systems Europe, March 11, 2025). This was software, not a new printer.
- On August 20, 2025, the European subsidiary announced its participation in IAAPA 2025, an amusement park industry trade show, where it would exhibit the CX-02, CX-02W, CZ-01, and CY-02 (Citizen Systems Europe, August 20, 2025).
There is also one point that official documents mention without clarifying. シチズン時計’s 140th Annual Securities Report says that sales expansion for a new photo printer product progressed smoothly in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. It does not identify the model, and the Japanese product pages do not resolve the question. This site found no answer. The CY-02, which appears only on the European website, also has no identifiable formal announcement date. Website archives establish only that it was listed on the European website by July 2017 at the latest.
Article keywords: Citizen, シチズン, シチズン・システムズ, 西鐵城, photo printers, dye-sublimation printers, CX-02, CZ-01, CW-02, 大日本印刷, DNP
## FAQ
### Why does watch company Citizen also make photo printers?
Citizen’s photo printer business is operated by its subsidiary シチズン・システムズ. That company already made commercial printers such as POS receipt and label printers before adding the dye-sublimation CX photo printer series in 2007. Official sources do not explain the original reason for entering the photo printer market. The 2025 medium-term management plan, however, positions photo printers as a growth business.
### What photo printer models does Citizen offer?
In September 2026, the Japanese website listed six: CX-02; CX-02S, which prints on adhesive photo paper; CX-02W, which supports up to A4; the high-capacity CW-02; CY; and the lightweight, 5.8 kg CZ-01. The European website listed four: CZ-01, CY-02, CX-02, and CX-02W. The CY-02 was absent from the Japanese website.
### Do photo sticker booths use Citizen printers?
Citizen’s officially stated applications include 写真シール, or photo stickers, and the CX-02S can print on adhesive photo paper. However, its website, press releases, and catalogs do not mention プリクラ, meaning Japanese purikura booths, or any photobooth brand. This site found no official explanation identifying which printer manufacturer individual photobooth brands use.
### What is the relationship between Citizen and DNP?
Both make dye-sublimation photo printers, and they hold shares in each other. シチズン時計 holds 223,000 shares in 大日本印刷, stating that the purpose is to facilitate business activities in its Devices segment. DNP also holds shares in シチズン時計. The Citizen CZ-01 and DNP DP-QW410 have almost identical official specifications, but neither company explains whether they share a platform. Official sources also do not identify who manufactures the ribbons and photo paper used in Citizen printers.
### Is there an official Citizen photo printer distributor in Taiwan?
This site found none. Citizen’s Taiwanese watch business is operated by 香港商星辰表(香港)有限公司台灣分公司. However, the locations page for シチズン・システムズ, which handles printers, does not list Taiwan. The Japanese catalog states that overseas orders are not accepted, and the European purchasing page lists dealers only in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
### How much do Citizen’s photo printers earn annually?
The company does not disclose this separately. The closest figures are for the former Electronic Equipment and Other Products segment, reported through fiscal 2024, which included all printers and healthcare equipment. Its revenue was JPY 20.4 billion in fiscal 2022, JPY 22.5 billion in fiscal 2023, and JPY 24.9 billion in fiscal 2024. From fiscal 2025, it was incorporated into the Devices segment, making printer figures impossible to identify separately.