Best Photo Printers

Epson snapshot printers are judged best overall

The Epson PictureMate series of inkjet snapshot printers overwhelmingly earns the most top ratings in reviews. The PictureMate line consists of two models: the Dash PM 260 (*Est. $150) and Zoom PM 290 (*Est. $230), both of which print 4-by-6-inch photos. The Dash is the base model, upon which the Zoom adds a DVD reader and CD-RW burner. Aside from the DVD and CD hardware, the two printers are identical and review findings for one can be reliably attributed to the other.

The PictureMate Dash and Zoom both offer a 3.6-inch LCD preview screen with a variety of user-friendly options for viewing, selecting and printing photos. You can use its software for various photo effects, such as converting photographs to monochrome or sepia, adding borders, removing red eye and adjusting brightness and tone. A maximum resolution of 5760 by 1440 dpi and 3 picoliter droplet size are designed to create images that are roughly equivalent to photo-lab quality. Reviewers calculate that ink and paper expenses put the cost of each print at approximately 25 cents per photo.

Experts are quick to emphasize that the most important measure of a snapshot printer is photo quality and that high-quality prints are worth waiting for. Luckily, with the PictureMate printers, they say waiting isn't a requirement. Reviewers unanimously rank the Dash and Zoom as the fastest portable photo printers tested. One writer, Paul Smart of Gadget Speak, claims speed of 22 seconds from photo selection to print. Other reviewers found average speeds between 38 and 42 seconds per photo; even these more conservative estimates are up to two times faster than the competition. Even better, photos come off the printer already dry, as well as water- and scratch-resistant. Epson's inks are certified to last 200 years in storage or 96 years behind glass.

When it comes to the print quality, the majority of reviewers enthuse over both the Dash and the Zoom: combined, the two printers top the ratings charts at TrustedReviews.com, PC World, PC Magazine, Macworld, Gadget Speak, About.com and Computer Shopper. PC Magazine's M. David Stone writes that all photos he printed from the Zoom qualify as true photo-lab quality; Brian Chen, of Macworld, is similarly impressed and compliments the prints as crisp and detailed, with excellent color accuracy. TrustedReviews.com's Simon Williams notes "smooth gradations of tone and plenty of detail in darker, as well as fully-illuminated, areas," feats he attributes to Epson's unusual move to include a dedicated black ink cartridge in the snapshot printers. Michael Carr of About.com describes prints simply as "immaculate."

Not all experts are in agreement on print quality, however. The most ardent criticism of the PictureMate printers comes from CNet.com's Felisa Yang, whose litany of complaints includes graininess, loss of detail and washed-out color tones. Most other reviewers' descriptions are in direct opposition to Cnet.com's findings; only Melissa Riofrio of PC World comes close to agreeing with Yang when she writes that "sharp edges fell slightly short of crisp" and the palette "made flesh tones look washed out." In spite of these shortcomings, Riofrio lists the PictureMate Dash in the top slot on her list of the five best snapshot printers.

The Epson PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom models are both PictBridge and Bluetooth compatible, with slots for every major memory card format. The Dash weighs around five pounds and the Zoom slightly more, at just over six pounds. Both models are PC and Mac compatible and support an optional battery pack (*est. $50) that lasts for about two hours per charge.

Canon photo printers also finish respectably

The Epson photo printers use the same type of ink used in Epson full-size inkjet printers. By contrast, Canon printers use thermal-dye technology. In most reviews, the Epson and Canon lines of printers run neck-and-neck: TrustedReviews.com gives them identical ratings and Recommended status. PC Magazine and Computer Shopper both prefer Epson but only by the slimmest of margins, with just a half-point ratings advantage. CNet.com, on the other hand, gives Canon's Selphy CP770 (*Est. $95) and CP760 (*Est. $90) a half-point lead over Epson's PictureMate Dash.

PC World's Melissa Riofrio is the most critical of the Canon Selphy CP770. On her list of top five snapshot printers, she puts the Selphy CP770 at the very bottom, calling the printer merely "adequate."

The leading thermal-dye snapshot printers are the two models in Canon's Selphy line, the CP760 and CP770. The Selphy CP760 is a lightweight 2.1 pounds, but a paper feed path that extends beyond the front and back of the machine hampers portability, as does an A/C-only power source. Canon sells an optional battery (*est. $80) that is compatible with the more expensive CP770, but the 3.2 pound CP770 still features the front-and-back paper feed. The Selphy printers are also not Bluetooth-enabled, though Canon sells an optional Bluetooth key for $50. For these reasons, experts point out that these "portable" photo printers are best used as stationary models.

All reviewers praise the print quality from the Selphy printers. Chris Holt of Macworld describes the CP770's prints as "some of the highest quality photos around." Computer Shopper's Jamie Bsales points out that the low 300 by 300 dpi resolution is deceiving, since thermal-dye technology isn't subject to the same resolution limitations as inkjet printers; Bsales refers to the Selphy CP770's photo details as "flawless." Nearly every review of the CP760 and CP770 compliments the color saturation, fine detail and delicately rendered flesh tones (a special challenge for photo printers). Even Melissa Riofrio, whose distaste for thermal-dye printing permeates every sentence of her CP770 review, concedes that the prints are "decent." Reviewers calculate print costs at approximately 28 cents per photo -- about three-cents more than photos from the PictureMate printers. Reviewers warn that owners will need to purchase paper for the Selphy immediately, as Canon only bundles enough for five photos.

The most consistent complaint about the Selphy's prints has nothing to do with quality, but with time; expert testing finds that the Selphy printers are significantly slower than the Epson PictureMate photo printers, averaging over a minute per print. Photos come off the printers dry, though, as well as scratch- and water-resistant. Canon's prints are certified to last 100 years in dark storage and 30 years behind glass.

Canon's Selphy CP760 and CP770 print snapshots up to 4 by 8 inches; however, it's important to note that thermal-dye cartridges are fixed size. This means that a user who wants to print both 4-by-6-inch and 4-by-8-inch photos will need to purchase two different cartridges. Both Selphy models feature a 2.5-inch LCD screen for selecting, editing and printing photos. Editing options include red-eye removal, conversion to monochrome and sepia tones and color management. CNet.com's Justin Yu describes the on-board controls as "practically idiot-proof" and other experts agree that the printer is user-friendly and intuitive.

Melissa Riofrio's adamant dislike of the Selphy printers brings up a final point of consideration for environmentally-minded consumers. She describes the thermal-dye process as "plastic-intensive" and points out the need for different cartridges for each print size and that Canon has not yet instituted a recycling program for their thermal-dye cartridges. HP does have a free ink-cartridge recycling program that includes free shipping.