High quality shots at a great price

I bought this printer specifically to print 6 x 4 prints easily and quickly from my SLR digital camera, and my Samsung D500 mobile phone. I design gardens and I wanted a printer that was reliable, inexpensive and always to hand, whether I spontaneously dash into the garden as a rare flower opens, or I've taken a quick shot of a plant in a nursery to show a client.

I spotted this printer on sale in Tesco (UK supermarket). I knew I could return it if I was not happy with the print quality. But I went home and read some reviews first, because I couldn't believe the low price. I liked what I read and, needless to say, took one home.

The packaging of this machine is imaginatively designed. It's not just an ordinary box. It's actually a pleasure to open it; you feel as if you are opening a gift. Everything is arranged in sections that fold out. A bit like Apple's packaging. It's easy to get everything back in again if you need to.

The printer itself is small and attractive. I use an iMac G5 and the colours - white and silver - complement the computer perfectly (which was, I'm sure, Samsung's intention. Although there is also a red and white version). Everything you need to get going is in the box.

The instructions for the printer are really clear and it is easy and quick to set up. There is a quick setup guide in the box, and a digital manual on the disk that also contains the drivers (no drivers needed for the Mac, of course). The tray is sturdy and easy to slot in/remove. The thermal cartridge is also easy to remove and replace. Refill packs are readily available and come in 40 or 120 sheet packs - each with a cartridge. (The 120 pack is only double the price of the 40 sheet pack. You guessed which ones I buy!).

It's great fun to watch this little machine print. The paper goes back and forth and a different colour (yellow, magenta, cyan) is overlaid each time. Make sure you leave space at the back of the printer, as the paper pops out of the back during this procedure. Finally a protective,'finger-print proof', transparent glossy layer is applied and 'Bingo', your photo is ready. The paper has perforations that you tear off at one end. Shots are printed out borderless. Apparently the print method is called 'dye-sublimination' and, unlike inkjets, the images are not made out of dots. The whole process takes about a minute.

Dots or not, the quality of the prints is great for a printer of this price. I was not disappointed. Some did tend to be a little tiny bit on the dark side, but that might be because they were printed at the very end of the cartridge's life. In any event, It is easy to remedy this in the software provided or in a third party software.

The software that comes with the printer is called 'Photo Thru'. It allows you, via a menu on the top left, to easily select any image on your hard drive to print. The selected photo then appears in the main window of the software, and you can edit and adjust it before printing. Personally, I prefer to use Photoshop to enhance and print my stuff, basically because I find it easier and Photo Thru has some options that are irrelevant to the SPP 2020 (like printing multiple images on an A4 sheet, for example). But for those who don't have or need Photoshop, this software has everything you require to edit and print your shots, and the interface is clear and easy to get to grips with.

But you don't even need a computer to print with the SPP 2020. If your camera is Pict Bridge compatible, you can connect it directly to the printer via a port on the left hand side, and use your camera controls to adjust and print the image (you will need to buy a cable for this if you didn't get one with your camera). Be aware that some reviews mistakenly state that this printer has memory card slots. It does not. If you need memory card slots, the SPP 2040 is the next model up, with a higher specification (memory slots, controls on the top of the printer, and a mini screen) - and a much higher price!

My old Canon EOS D30 is not Pict Bridge compatible - that is, I cannot upload photos directly to the printer to print without going via my computer. I do have memory card slots on my other printer, however, (HP C6180) but I find I seldom use them. I usually prefer to upload to my Mac and tweak things anyway. I don't think the extra options are worth the extra cash.

So, what about the picture quality? It's great! How great? Well, the HP C6180's prints are absolutely superb. But the SPP 2020s are really not far off! I have printed out 6 x 4s on both and compared them. I also have an HP 990 and I made a print from this, too. The SPP 2020 outclassed the HP 990 by miles on colour and image detail. The HP C6180 only beat the Samsung on detail and speed. And really not by an awful lot, considering its size and price. Impressive.

As a bonus, the prints really are finger-print proof. And, to some extent (as I discovered by mistake) waterproof. Although, I wouldn't go overboard there (no pun intended).

As an everyday printer that takes up very little space on your desk, is reasonably cheap to run and is fun to use, the Samsung SPP 2020 is, in my humble opinion, in a class of its own.