Working with digital images

[KCIWebMaster]

I'm thinking about purchasing Epson's new PictureMate (I think that's the name) photo printer.  It's supposed to be portable, prints 4x6 pics and only costs 0.30 per print.  

Does anyone have any experience with it? I've read good reviews so far. I want to print more of my pics since they never seem to make it off my pc otherwise.

One of my hesitations is that it only prints 4x6 and sometimes I want some enlargements. But I guess for that purpose I can order them online or go to a photo place.  My current printer (Lexmark Z11) is just OK and requires expensive paper to get good pictures.

Thanks!

[Mike54]

Hi KCI and welcome to the Q&A Board,

Just doing a quick search around the web I could only find positive reviews for the machine but I don't have any first hand knowledge of it. I'm curious as to how many images you think you might be printing. I'm certainly not trying to put you off getting the printer (I have one dedicated for images too) but I find it much more economical to work with the online developers rather that keep buying inks and paper. There are any number of them that produce 4 x 6 prints well under $.30/ea and with quality results. If you're going to want to print a fair amount of pictures you might do to check out one of those services. (winkflash.com, ofoto.com, shutterfly.com, adoramapix.com, etc.)

[ShutterbugGail]

I know nothing abut PictureMate but do know that Epson photo printers do an outstanding job. If a portable is what you need, then you should go with it. However, I'd personally feel very limited by only being able to make 4x6" prints. I often make 5x7" and 8x10" prints. If I need much larger, then is when I go to a photo place.

For what it's worth, I bought a new printer a few months ago, which has a special tray for 4x6" paper. So, all I have to do is switch a lever if I want  to print 8.5 X 11."

One more thing to consider is the cost of the ink cartridges and if they are single unit or individual color ink tanks. The latter saves money because you only need to buy a new cartridge for one color when it runs out  (of course, I always keep extras on hand because most printers cease to function when one tank is empty).

[ShutterbugGail]

Here's some info about the types of ink and differences in ink cartridges.  Remember, manufacturer's make the most money on the supplies, not the printer itself. So it's important to find out about what ink cartridges and tanks cost.

http://www.digicamhelp.com/inkjet-supplies/inkjet-cartridges.htm

[KCIWebMaster]

Thanks Gail and Mike.

I do use Snapfish.com to print photos ocassionally and will probably continue to do so for larger prints, but I like the instant gratification of printing them at home.  I have many years' worth of pictures that I would like  put in albums since if you look at our albums now they stop around the year 2000 (right around the time I stopped using a film camera).

Maybe I will take a look at other printers that can print bigger pictures.  I don't really care about the portability function but I was impressed by the cost/pic claim.

[John_I]

Hello. I have had the PictureMate 4x6 photo printer for months now. The results and the quality are the best I have ever seen. You have control over the results too, something a photolab often does not have the time or the $$ from the customer to do. For larger prints I have an older HP that does a really good job on Epson paper for 8x10s, but does not do well on 4x6 and doesn't do borderless. I have a Nikon CP8800 so it should be clear that I am starting with some mighty good pics from a technical point of view.
Cheers  John_I in Toronto

[Mike54]

Hi there John and welcome. Thanks for the input, it's always good to hear from someone who actually has the equipment in question.

[bill_kate]

Great

[admin]

Great

Hi Bill,

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