Pros: Low cost of prints, smudge/water proof, card reader, compatible with external devices
Cons: Hardware is huge & not very "portable", muddy yellows, sometimes muddy text & contrasts
The Bottom Line: If you don't care about size & weight, but care about good photos that cost half as much as most other printers, then this would be one to consider.
wsmunch's Full Review: Epson PictureMateâ„¢ C11C623001 InkJet Photo Print...
Epson is a printer manufacturer that has more of a loyal following for a customer base, rather than one based on overall quality. Low end Epson printers are prone to finicky issues relating to software, cartridge replacement, and ink-waste. Most of these problems seem to be non-existent with it's high-end printers, though many balk at spending over $400 just to get good prints from good hardware. Epson prints overall are quite satisfactory and are very popular for their waterproof photo prints (with their ink and paper, of course). Even though Epson seems to be a step behind some of the other manufacturers, they still manage to keep pace and keep themselves included in the printing market. The Epson PictureMate is their latest printer release as they try to wiggle themselves a share of the portable photo printer sales dominated mostly by HP and Kodak.
Hardware
Some wonder if this is really a printer, or if it's a lunchpail. The Epson PictureMate is the largest 4x6" photo printer I've ever seen, especially one that claims to be easily portable. The front of the unit has a fold-down tray where finished prints land, and has a door on the right-hand side that folds down to expose the memory card reader (I don't quite understand why they had to have such a large cover). The top rear of the unit folds out with a small click, which lets the user load up to 20 sheets of photo paper. The back of the unit has the power port, USB to PC port, and PictBridge/Direct-connect port. The PictBridge feature allows direct-printing through PictBridge enabled or direct-print enabled digital cameras only. The USB direct-connect feature of the port allows the connection of external CD-RW drives, zip drives, and flash drives, so you can one-button backup images to these external peripherals. When you want to backup the images from your memory card, you unplug the Picturemate from the PC (if it's connected), plug in your external USB device into the back of the unit, and then press the "Save Photo" button. When you're done confirming the backup, you just wait for the images to transfer (depends on how much data needs to be copied) or burn, and that's it! This is a pretty neat feature for those bringing their printer with them on vacation and want to unload pictures from their memory card so they can take more. Below that is a hinged door which opens up and houses the ink cartridge. There is a green lever that is used to lock and unlock the cartridge into place. By far, this is one of the easiest 6-ink printers to load the cartridge into since it loads like a VCR tape into the back (and most everyone should be familiar with this process). The top of the unit has the text LCD screen, power button, cancel button, print button, save photo, and menu navigation button (consists of: back, OK, and vertical navigation). The rubber-gripped handle feels securely attached (though I wouldn't swing it around) and can swivel forwards and backwards to be put out of the way.
The Epson PictureMate gives you minimal enhancement over the pictures that you want to print straight from the unit. You can crop & resize images, change borderless printing (options of border, borderless, proof sheet, and wallet sizes), and include/exclude date/time stamps. That's pretty much it. The menu is easy to navigate through the options, though those who want greater modifications will have to use PC based software before printing. You can perform ink maintenance from the unit by checking nozzles, cleaning printheads, and aligning printheads. The main LCD screen is easy to read, though users can adjust the contrast to their liking. The interface makes it simple to choose which photos you want printed (though if you don't know the specific ones you want, you'll have to either print a proof sheet or look it up in the digital camera) and the quantity as well. Printing from the computer is done like any other printer might. Once the drivers are loaded onto the PC, you can print any and all photos stored on your computer directly to the PictureMate.
Included in the box:
• Epson PictureMate Printer
• Power Adapter & Cord
• Photo Cartridge & Paper (20 sheets)
• CD-Rom
• Manual
Software Epson gives a pretty decent software package that is easy to navigate and manage your images. The Film Factory lets you browse through your images and pick ones to print out, or set up printing projects. You can pick how you want to print out your pictures from the choices on the left hand menu: standard prints, index prints, duplicate prints, greeting cards, stickers, calendars, and combination prints. For the standard, index, and duplicate prints, you just pick the photo(s) you want to use, choose the layout, edit the layout, and then print. The buttons are set in a step-by-step process and you simply click through. Unfortunately, the software doesn't allow you to print any of the other options since there are no templates available for those types; you have to pay to upgrade the software to be able to get the full features that Epson has available in the Film Factory software. I found this somewhat disappointing since I really wanted to see what the software had to offer in terms of album printing. The Film Factory has an interesting way of organizing groups of your photos. You can choose to create a "roll of film", which is your own grouping of photos together based on your own criteria. You can add and remove individual images from these rolls, and you can move, delete, sort, and view each of the rolls on their own. The icons for the rolls shows the date created and the number of pictures in the rolls. The same feature can be done with folders and labeling, but I think that this method makes it faster and more intuitive to browse through larger collections of pictures. You have options to import and export images, add comments, and even add sound files to pictures in your collection. There are some options for image editing available as well. You can rotate, trim, modify color (black & white, sepia), add soft-focus, eliminate red-eye, mofidy brightness & contrast, and modify color. Any additional editing features that would be in the program aren't evident since this is a limited version. While the software isn't too bad at being a photo-well for browsing through and sorting pictures, it's still a bit cheap when you consider that they really could have thrown in the templates to try out the different printing options.
Quality
The photos that come from the Epson PictureMate look pretty darn good, but don't look a whole lot better than the other 4x6" photo printers available, considering that Epson uses 6 ink colors instead of three or four. The additional ink colors are meant to give greater accuracy and detail to the pictures, though side-by-side comparisons don't show much of a difference (and in some cases the Epson picture didn't look as good). Close scrutiny of the print will show Epson's method of printing as one can notice the faint, horizontal lines of print. Since most people don't look at their prints like this, but at arm's length, it's invisible to the unaided eye. Any type of ink-printing process is going to leave some amount of trace, so where some companies look "dotted" up close (like HP), Epson looks striped. Overall, the images are sharp though problem areas for the PictureMate would be: muddy yellows, over-rich blues, muddy translucents, and mediocre texts & greyscale contrasts. While some may appreciate the extra blue in pictures that would benefit (blue eyes, blue sky/water), it's actually more blue than what the image subject really is. People who desire color accuracy more than enhancement will want to keep this in consideration. Translucent objects can tend to get muddy easily, especially if there is something else behind it that is representing structure or color. Subtle reflections are done rather well (better than HP) but the printer still fails to ink out some of the details. By itself, it may not be entirely noticeable, though when you compare the picture to non-ink prints (such as Kodak or Sony) you can see how those brands are able to accurately & completely reproduce everything. This is important to know for people who take pictures of jewelry, cars, or shiny plastics. Portions of text (especially where there are multiple levels of contrast) don't do terribly well as the edges & definitions tend to fuzz and get muddy pretty quick. This doesn't come as much of a surprise, since Epson hasn't always been particularly strong when it comes to solid blacks and text prints. Other than that, the pictures that come from the Epson PictureMate are good enough to please most people and they're both smugeproof and waterproof.
Supplies & Cost of Ownership
This is the hook right here. So far, Epson offers the lowest cost of ownership with it's 100ct photo packages, sold in retail for $29.99. At the standard (non-sale) price put the cost of each print to $0.29 each. Each print pack contains 100 sheets of Epson photo paper and one print cartridge that will have ink for each of those papers (self-consuming kit). It's really easy to replenish supplies for the PictureMate. You can get twice the amount of prints with the Epson than you could with what Kodak or Sony has to offer. Traditional 35mm prints cost around a quarter per print, and many local drug-stores or large chains (like Walmart) offer printing services that range from $0.20 to $0.75 per print. The photos that come from this printer are comparable to lab-quality prints (maybe should be considered near lab-quality) and are just as good as anything that you will get done at local stores. It's incredible that Epson can offer such a low cost of printing, especially when you consider the convenience of at-home printing with the guaranteed consistent print quality (since not all places use quality materials).
Issues
So far, this product is too new and I haven't experienced (or heard from customers) any problems with it so far. Though, based on Epson's ink system and history with their low-end printers, I wouldn't be surprised if there were issues with nozzles or the ink delivery system that developed through time and use. The ink cartridge itself is an open cartridge, meaning that you can remove it from the printer and actually shake ink out onto the floor. There could be the potential for the ink to saturate (or clog nozzles) if it has gone through a period of inactivity, so the colors would be slightly off from what they used to print. This is all speculation (based on Epson brand), so it may be that these problems won't happen. We'll have to wait and see.
The paper is fed vertically, though, and that itself can be susceptible to paper feed issues. Dust will tend to settle down into the gears, which can eventually affect how well the paper is pulled through for the print. After it starts to age past the basic warranty, the unit can jerk the paper during the printing process, which results in a misaligned print. This isn't singular to Epson, since this can be quite common with any brand printer that chooses to load and feed paper vertically.
COMPETITION COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
So out of all the current, portable, 4x6" photo printers, which is the best to get? Well I was curious (moreso slacking off at work, yet still being productive in the sense of valueable information) and figgured that a showdown between the top contenders was at hand. I took 3 pictures using a Kodak Z740 digital camera at the 5 megapixel level. The pictures, combined, had a mixture of complex and simple elements, text, varying levels of contrast, bold colors, and some mixed colors as well. The pictures were taken indoors in well-lit conditions, and with perfect focus. I took the memory card out of the camera and printed the 3 pictures on five of the current, portable printers (each with their own brand supplies) that are sold on retail shelves: Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus, Sony DPP-FP30, Canon CP400, Epson PictureMate, and HP Photosmart 325. Each group of three pictures were compared to the subject of the photo and compared to each of the other prints. Basically, I was looking for anything that I could point out as a difference whatsoever. After reviewing all fifteen photos, I've been able to make conclusive observations about the photo quality of each of the printer units, which are listed below in the overall comparisons. Here's the lowdown.
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus • Weight: 2.43lbs (38.88oz)
• Size: 13.1" x 7.4" x 3.3" (with tray)
• Image LCD Screen: No (viewed through camera)
• Flash Card Reader: Yes (SD/MMC)
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: 8-15 years
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, accurate, continuous color & detail
• Photo Weaknesses: Expensive cost of prints, subtle softness of edges (text too)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Very portable, easy operation, recharges batteries, IR port
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No picture previewing & direct printing for non-PictBridge or non-Kodak users (or ones with models incompatible)
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.62
Sony DPP-FP30 • Weight: 2.18lbs (38oz w/o tray)
• Size: 6.88" x 2.38" x 5.38" (w/o tray)
• Image LCD Screen: No
• Flash Card Reader: No
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Approximately 8-16 years (based on print technology)
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, accurate, continuous color & detail
• Photo Weaknesses: Light magenta hue cast over every picture (makes images look unnaturally warm)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Highly portable, accepts 2 sizes of paper
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No picture previewing & direct printing for non-PictBridge cameras
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.62
Canon CP400 • Weight: (28.9oz)
• Size: 6.73" x 4.72" x 2.1"
• Image LCD Screen: No
• Flash Card Reader: No
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Up to 100 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, continuous color & detail, bold blacks, sharp text & edges
• Photo Weaknesses: Photos darker overall & loses some subtle colors
• Hardware Strength Summary: Purse-sized portability (or big pocket)
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No previewing or direct printing for non-PictBridge cameras, no power button
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.55
Epson PictureMate • Weight: 5.5lbs (88oz)
• Size: 10" x 12" x 6.4"
• Image LCD Screen: No (screen is for menu & options only)
• Flash Card Reader: Yes
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: Yes
• Print Technology: Ink
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, photo black, red, blue
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Up to 100-200 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Good overall quality, low print cost
• Photo Weaknesses: Colors can muddy (yellows), blues too rich, fuzzy text, mediocre greyscale & contrast (moreso for detailed areas)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Easy loading of 6-ink cartridge, standalone printing, save pictures to external storage w/o PC, optional wireless adapter
• Hardware Weakness Summary: Huge, heavy, picture preview through proof-sheet only
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.29
HP Photosmart 325 • Weight: 2.6lbs (41.6oz)
• Size: 8.7" x 4.6" x 4.6"
• Image LCD Screen: Yes
• Flash Card Reader: Yes
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: Yes
• Print Technology: Ink
• Colors Used: Magenta, yellow, cyan
• Smudge-Proof: No
• Picture Longevity: Up to 75 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Great quality, bold reds & yellows, sharp, low print-cost potential
• Photo Weaknesses: Weak printing of reflective & translucent, prints darkened very slightly
• Hardware Strength Summary: Very portable, standalone previewing & printing of all pictures, wireless, optional internal battery
• Hardware Weakness Summary: Potential (low) for paper jams
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.53
Summary
The Epson PictureMate is definitely a mixed bag. On one hand, you have: lowest-cost printing, greatest compatibility for PC free printing, and the unique PC free photo backup feature. On the other hand, you have: largest & heaviest unit of the "portable 4x6" photo lab printers, good quality prints that should be better when you consider it's using 6 inks. I think that the photo backup feature is quite clever and very useful, though the best application would be when you're on vacation and need to free up space on your memory card to take more pictures. Unfortunately, this is the worst unit to take on vacation since it's so big and heavy! The prints look great, but they don't look any better (and in some cases not as good) than HP's Photosmart 325, which uses half the inks (with no black either). Unlike the thermal printers, Epson does give better compatibilty and direct-print options and gives you twice the amount of prints for the same price. Those who want the least expensive cost of printing (without having to bargain shop) and don't care about the bulk would really like this Epson PictureMate. It's a shame they couldn't design it smaller, since I think that's the biggest setback. If it was designed smaller and lighter, I think that it would be giving most other printers a run for the market share. It's not easy to pick a clear winner from all the 4x6" photo printers available, since each have it's own strengths and weaknesses, but I think that Epson does a pretty good job with the PictureMate.
Recommended Accessories
• PictureMate Print Pack
• USB Cable (for PC printing)
• Bluetooth Adapter (for wireless printing)
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