Brill little personal photo printer (Epson Picturemate)

[Keith]

I've been setting mum and dad up with a computer system over time... and this year, dad got mum a digital camera. I knew what was coming, printer! The desktop ones can seem a bit fiddly sometime and if I had a penny for everytime someone said to me "why do I need a massive printer when I just want something to print out 6x4s like I used to get from the shops"

Anyway, a lot of pro photographers are using the epson picturemate for portable and home use. It's small, cheap, VERY easy to use and produces prints which people were saying were not only better than the hp/canon ones but better than the labs.

So I got one for them and WOW, it's really great. Slide in a memory card, press print and voila. It's that easy. Changing cartridges is very easy, not like a normal printer. It does take a couple of minutes per photo but that's ok.

If you see one of these things in a sale, buy! Especially good value in the US at the moment where apparently they're giving a $50 shopping card with it usable anywhere that accepts visa AND Apparently bestbuy are giving a $40 card as well!

I'm going to grab one for myself.

http://www.epsonpicturemate.com/

[Meezers]

May have to look into this...I am into downsizing....in other words...small computer...small PDA....small camera! Right now I don't even own a printer and all my photos are stored on digital media. Actually like this...but....may want to print a picture some day!

[PaulaK]

hmmmm, we were thinking of getting a printer especially to print pics for the rellies, sounds like just the job. :thumbs: They have it at PC World for £122, wonder if it will go in the sale? We've got a business account there methinks :whistle:

[ieuanr]

That is not a bad price at PC World. Considering they cost about 99+VAT in the trade.

What are the consumable costs going to be though?

I have a number of Epson photo printers and unless you use them regularly you end up wasting half the ink cleaning the heads every time you want to print a picture.

[Keith]

Prolonged tests have apparently worked it out to about the same as other printers I seem to remember an american review saying 23c per print. Epson have definitely got better at avoiding clogged heads (as hp have got worse).

The pc world price I THINK was web only not in store where it was still 149.

Anyway, it's a nice little unit, simple as could be and excellent quality.

[wdwgrandma]

I've been quite curious about this printer since the first commercial I saw advertising it. Keith, does it print EVERYTHING on the memory card, or can you select which photo to print?

[Keith]

It doesn't have a colour LCD like some of them do... but when you plug a card in, it prints out a sheet showing every photo on the card (small thumbnail version) with a number next to it. So you can browse the sheet and choose which photos to print as 6x4s.

Alternatively you can always just plug it into your computer and use it as a normal printer.

The *REALLY* cute bit of this is that if you have a digital camera that supports pictbridge/exif print, then you can directly attach your camera to the printer and use the lcd on the camera to choose which shot to print/crop/rotate etc. Really excellent

[wdwgrandma]

I was thinking that a printer like this would be wonderful to take on vacation or to family gatherings to provide people with instant (nearly) photos. No more waiting until you get home to upload and print!

[Keith]

I was thinking that a printer like this would be wonderful to take on vacation or to family gatherings to provide people with instant (nearly) photos. No more waiting until you get home to upload and print!

yep! really excellent and it's what many of the pros are using it for. Take it on location and voila, a few prints there and then.

[wdwgrandma]

I may have to give this little gem some further consideration!

[BevW]

WOO HOOO I got this for Christmas!!!! It's an awesome little printer and boy does it print out awesome pictures! I love it! I'm gonna go play with it some more.

got any questions??? I got answers! Well, most of them anyway!

[foreverducky]

WOO HOOO I got this for Christmas!!!! It's an awesome little printer and boy does it print out awesome pictures! I love it! I'm gonna go play with it some more.

got any questions??? I got answers! Well, most of them anyway!

Just one, can I have yours??? :D :lol: :wink:

[BevW]

don't make me laugh! I'm still sick! Rick got this for me for Christmas! He did a great job!

[foreverducky]

Okay, then about we share. You can have it on the weekends and I'll have it on the weekdays. :)

[BevW]

Okay, then about we share. You can have it on the weekends and I'll have it on the weekdays. :)

I was thinking more along the lines of every other week! :lol:

Honestly, it's the best little printer! The pictures are beautiful, and it prints pretty fast. I love it that I can crop pictures and print wallet pics too! I don't need a computer for this. I just need to remember which pictures I want to print up.

[foreverducky]

:lol:

Even wallets, how cool!

[BevW]

And black and white or sepia prints without changing the original!

[foreverducky]

okay, now I really want one. I love making black and white photos.
So you live in Texas, huh? :lol: :rotfl:

[BevW]

Yup...central Texas! You can borrow this little baby anytime!

[foreverducky]

:rotfl:
I think I'm going to check prices online.

[BevW]

good idea! :lmao:

[foreverducky]

Not bad prices.

So how long does it take to print one picture?
Also, I usually go to walmart for my prints, is the quality the same?

[ukwdwnut]

yeah i looked at one today too in staples, looks cool :D

[ukwdwnut]

What price are they at staples mike?
I paid £129 plus you got a free ink cartridge plus 100 pack print paper.Not to bad a deal do you think.:)

£145 :eek:

no not bad at all, happy printing :D

[Keith]

What price are they at staples mike?
I paid £129 plus you got a free ink cartridge plus 100 pack print paper.Not to bad a deal do you think.:)

Thats a heck of a deal!!!

[Keith]

I can just guess exactly what shop that is too... a certain little shop with a rather sour faced bald gentleman running it :>

[arcamalpha2003]

That is a great deal, was thinking of one of these myself, how thirsty on the ink are they?

Epson do another printer, six cartridge one thats meant to be quite good.

Bill.

[Shogun]

We have been told that they are far more economical than the HP version but it's early days yet. We will have to wait to see how long the cartridge lasts.

[arcamalpha2003]

We have been told that they are far more economical than the HP version but it's early days yet. We will have to wait to see how long the cartridge lasts.
Thanks for that, if you wanna know how long the cartridge lasts I'll send my memory card to you so you can print some pics off for me :wink: , only kidding.
Would you say the quality is on a par or better than normal photo's?
Just looking at the specs, will last 100 years in a glass frame, 200 years in an album, now I have the solution to what to leave in my will, a photo album for the future grandkids and great, great grandkids! :lol:

Bill.

[ukwdwnut]

its selling for £125.04 on amazon without xtras

[luvalab]

Excuse me for my ignorance, but most memory cards are the same right? Our camcorder has one for taking still pictures and I have been looking at these printers. So it's nice to hear that you are pleased with this brand SB. May have to check into it. Thanks for the info. :thumbs:

[Keith]

There are different types of memory card out there... SD, compact flash etc.. so you need to check what yours is and make sure that the picturemate supports it (but it supports all the main ones).

[Keith]

I've merged the picturemate threads together so future searches will find all the info! thanks!

[luvalab]

Thanks Keith I didn't know that.

[BevW]

I don't really know how long it takes to print up a picture! I"ll have to time it tomorrow! As for how long the ink lasts, I've only printed up about 10 pictures, so this may take awhile. The quality of the pictures are as good or better than lab quality. Cos you can adjust the picture on that little PictureMate! It's such a handy little thing!