Source policy
Three source types, one visible chain of evidence
DyeSubSource currently cites 36 sources. The source type describes where the information came from—not whether a press result is universal.
Official sources
Manufacturer documentation, official product technical sheets, official support, official distributor documentation, and recognized standards organizations. These are preferred for exact product settings and objective supplier-program facts.
Specialist sources
Established specialist suppliers, qualified technical educators, and equipment dealers publishing product-specific guidance. Their values are attributed as supplier guidance and are compared with official sources where possible.
Shop-reported sources
Moderated, identifiable shop testing with actual equipment, blank, transfer, and process details. It is evidence about one setup—not official guidance and not a universal recommendation.
What is excluded
- Anonymous claims without process detail
- AI-generated facts or invented testing
- Copied merchant descriptions
- Unapproved scraped live prices
- Claims of dealer authorization without an appropriate source
- Ratings, rankings, or “best” claims produced from affiliate value
What we keep with a source
We keep the source URL, publisher, title, source type, publication date when known, most recent check date, limited notes, and a history of meaningful changes. We do not store full copyrighted pages simply for convenience.