Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition July 13th, 2005 | by Rebecca Day

Performance

PictureMate prints a pretty picture.  Detail is sharp, color is true and the prints are as impressive as those from any photo printer I've seen.  PictureMate won't win a speed race but it's fine for low-volume printing.  Although Epson listed a time of 75 seconds for a 4 x 6" print, the 1.7 MB image I printed clocked in at 1:36. 

Epson boasts that the prints can withstand a dousing of water and indeed they did under my faucet test.  That would be good for printing at a party, where suds can wind up on anything. 

Conclusion

When PictureMate first came out, it was a refreshing downsized departure from the more business-like photo printers on the market.  Its form factor now looks bulky compared with competitors' portable printers.  And its plastic parts don't feel like they're built to withstand long-term portable use. 

The market will see at least one portable printer that adds 5 x 7" printing capability later in the year and PictureMate will lag behind at 4 x 6".  For budget-minded consumers, the $249 price may seem steep when they can buy a standard size photo printer for $69 or less. 

Still, it's a terrific little printer.  For those who want to print on demand without having to power up the PC, you can't go wrong with the PictureMate Deluxe. 

Pros:

-          Works independently from the PC

-          Good quality pictures

-          Supports a battery

-          Simple operation

Cons:

-          Flimsy feeling construction

-          Does not support 5” x 7” printing

-          Steep price