Digital Journal — The digital camera boom has really become a high-growth market: Digital still camera shipments surpassed 63 million units worldwide in 2004, up more than 35 per cent over the year before, according to Lyra Research. Now, that trend has spawned a byproduct that is undoubtedly integral to scrapbook fanatics — the photo printer.
In North America, at-home printing of digital photos raked in $3.4 billion (US) in revenue in 2004, and industry observers expect that number to increase every year. So it’s no surprise that one of the shining stars in this market comes from a world leader in the printing industry — Epson.
Despite the fact the Epson PictureMate has been out for some time now, it still deserves another look. Dozens of photo printers have been launched over the last year, but the Epson PictureMate still reigns as one of the best photo printers available on the market today. For those still looking to buy a photo printer, or for those that are looking to scrap their poor-quality hunk of plastic, the Epson PictureMate might be just what you’re looking for.
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| The PictureMate’s slots accept a variety of storage media, making this printer ideal for any digital camera make. |
Designed in a lunchbox-style frame that is both compact and cute, the PictureMate weighs 5.5 pounds and shapes up to be 10x6x6 inches. Three multipurpose slots accept CompactFlash I and II, Microdrive, SmartMedia, Sony Memory Stick, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, and xD-Picture storage media. In addition, an optional Bluetooth adapter allows easy printing from Bluetooth devices such as PDAs or cell phones. A no-nonsense paper path ensures bend-free printouts of Epson’s 4×6-inch paper stock.
In terms of performance, the PictureMate surpassed Digital Journal‘s expectations by producing stellar photos that take advantage of the six-colour photo cartridge. Detail pops out with sharp focus and the colours look bright and lush. Increasing quality is the 5760 x 1440 dpi, which eliminate any lines or smudges. In fact, Epson says prints will resist fading for anywhere between 100 and 200 years. For the purpose of Digital Journal‘s testing, we’ll need a bit more time to confirm that number but Epson usually doesn’t kid around.
Another important review point in which the PictureMate scores big is the ease of setup: The PictureMate allows for easy navigation of on-board menus with its four-way toggle button, and various cropping templates make printing very versatile. While the unit’s LCD doesn’t preview images, printing an index sheet makes photo selection simple and tactile. In terms of practicality, a real thumbnail print is sometimes more useful than viewing an image on the LCD.
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| Epson PictureMate’s four-way toggle button makes printing photos as easy as possible. |
For the any at-home photographer expense is always an important factor. In that arena, the PictureMate succeeds wonderfully, costing about $289 (CDN) and printing photos for about 29 cents each. Users can even pick up a “personal photo lab” that consists of a photo cartridge and 100 glossy photo pages.
My guess would be that the next generation of PictureMate will come with batteries to make it portable, so next time you are planning a picnic, you can take your food basket and photo printer.
Overall, Epson’s PictureMate is an ideal companion to your digital camera. In both performance and long-term expense, the PictureMate surpasses most kiosks or real-life photo labs. Epson’s champion could kick start this nascent market into overdrive, and propel tech companies to challenge themselves with increasingly innovative products.
For its durability, exceptional quality of print and its cost efficiency, the Epson PictureMate is awarded Digital Journal‘s Best Product Award in the photo printer category.
