Epson Picture Mate Cary NC

Rating: 7/10

Most people who own a computer would also have a printer, because together they form the basis for a home or small business office. Even a cheap inkjet is capable of turning out quite respectable quality documents and if you have some design software together with a bit of flair, you can probably print your own business cards and letterheads as well. But when it comes to printing photographs you need to invest in a printer that has more that the usual compliment of three colour inks, it should also be capable of a decent resolution. Which brings me to this latest model from Epson the PictureMate, a unit that's designed specifically for photo printing and nothing else. The printer is a strange looking beast, with a fold down handle that makes it look more like a 1970s portable radio. Unlike the other dedicated photo printers I've reviewed recently that use the dye sublimation method of printing, the PictureMate is a high-resolution six colour inkjet. However you don't have to fiddle about with lots of individual cartridges. That's because the media comes as a pack of 100 sheets of paper, together with a single cartridge that looks very much like a VHS tape and slides into the back.

It's obviously been designed with the digital photographer in mind, because it has three slots on the front that accept most of the popular digital media. There's also an LCD display on top that allows you to choose which shot you want to print, and offers a few formatting options, Although in this model the LCD panel is a menu only version that doesn't actually display a picture, which is a bit disappointing. It's not exactly a cheap printer and for this price I don't see why they didn't include one; it would have made the printer a lot more versatile. However when it comes to putting ink on paper the PictureMate is up there with the best, and with a pedigree like Epson's behind it, I can't say that I'm surprised. I suppose you can look at the PictureMate in two ways. There's no doubt that its simplicity itself to use, and doesn't even need to be attached to your computer, but this very fact makes it somewhat restricted. It only prints photos up to 10 x 15 cm and cannot be used for any other purpose. The prints at around 29p each are not exactly cheap but if you're looking for a one-touch solution to printing that growing mountain of digital photos, this could be it.

For more information, visit Micromart.co.uk