Great Snapshots & A Snap To Use

I recently received as a gift the Epson PictureMate Snap PM240 and I must admit I was a bit skeptical about owning another unnecessary gadget. After all, I already have a Canon i560 printer and can print photos from it when I choose. After several days I decided to try the PictureMate, convinced that I would probably just store it away (or re-gift it) and that would be the end of it.
I was very pleasantly surprised. This boxy looking (resembles a small cosmetic case) little photo printer produces remarkable prints and is very ease to use.

Included with the printer is a starter cartridge and 20 4x6 photo sheets. There is also a power cord, a CD ROM with printer software if you wish to connect it to your PC or Mac, a starter guide and a basics user's manual. There is much more info on the CD. There is no USB cable provided. The unit can also be used as a portable with the purchase of an optional battery. I don't know what the cost of mine was, but I have seen them online for as little as $90. at Circuit City. There is also a unit called the PictureMate Flash which is identical to the PictureMate Snap, except that the Flash has a built-in CD burner.

Set-up was relatively simple. I chose not to install the CD and I will use the printer as a stand alone. There is no need to connect to your computer unless you want a few more editing tools that are available with the software. The PictureMate accepts most memory cards including SD and compact flash. After allowing for a short warm-up the first time the unit is activated, you simply insert the memory card into the appropriate slot and browse through the various menu settings to display and edit your photos. An adjustable 2.5 inch screen allows you to select and view the photos you wish to print.

You can print individual photos, all photos or a range of photos from the memory card. You can also print photos by date. If your camera supports DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), you can select the photos you wish to print directly on the camera and instruct the printer to print those images. You can also view the images in a slide show on the viewer screen. Other features include selection of photo sizes & formats, i.e borderless (default), bordered, wallet, mini-wallet, ID, passport, 2x2, 3x3, half-page, proof sheet, etc. You can utilize cropping, zoom, red-eye removal, date stamp, black & white, sepia and editing tools such as photo enhance, brightness, sharpness, saturation, etc. I have tried all of these tools and found them adequate, although not as powerful as those that are found in stand-alone editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or Elememts.

You can also add frames to the photos and decorate them with pre-installed decorations (most of them Disney type). Any settings that are applied to photos can be saved or cleared. The printer is kind of boxey looking and has a lidded cover that also protects the viewer screen and a drop down photo tray. There is also a carry handle attached which folds down and out of the way. The ink cartridge looks like a VHS tape and is inserted in the rear of the unit. The 4x6 photo papers are loaded from the top and can be stacked up to 20 at a time. Unfortunately, you cannot purchase the photo paper or the ink cartridge separately. They come together in a replacement package and cost about $40. for one cartridge and 150 photo sheets. Keep in mind that this printer will only accept 4x6 photo paper. It would have been nice if Epson had designed the printer to accept 8.5x11 sheets so you could have more printing options.

The best thing I can say about this nifty little stand-alone printer is that the photos it produces are fantastic. They are as good as any I have seen printed professionally by photo labs. The prints are beautiful and are long lasting and smudge proof and fade resistant, thanks to a technology pioneered by Epson many years ago. I would recommend that you use only Epson cartridges and photo paper, although I have tried other photo paper and they appear to be the same. However, I am not sure if they will last as long as those printed on genuine Epson paper. I have not seen any after market ink cartridges for this machine as yet, but I would stick to the Epson brand in any case.
The photos print very fast, especially at the default borderless setting, and I estimate the cost per photo to be about .30 cents, which is probably twice the price that you would pay at online photo processing sites, but you have the convenience of immediate prints with the PictureMate.
Another great feature of this printer is that it can be used without a computer. I especially appreciate this since I feel that I have enough hardware attached to my computer and did not relish adding one more. I simply take it out when I want to use it and store it away in its box when I am done. My PC really appreciates this!