Home > Consumer Reviews > Epson PictureMate 100 Personal Photo Lab Compact Printer

I started taking pictures digitally 5 or more years ago, but until I bought this I don't think I'd printed out more than 100 images in all that time. Since I got this I'm filling photo albums and sharing my pics with my family - which is the whole point of taking photos.

Fabulous quality (everyone thinks they're real photo prints until I tell them different) and 3 of my friends have bought one of these too having seen how mine works and what I get out of it. Ink and paper packs aren't cheap, but you get plenty of prints out of them so good value anyway.

We have been using and abusing this printer since Christmas and it has proved itself as one of our favourite gadgets.

A big plus point is this printer accepts our Fuji/Cannon XD Cards (including the new `H' series); they just plug into the slot in the front. You can also connect the printer to a computer via the USB port or, use PictBridge to connect to a camera directly by cable. The three ink cartridge is rather like a small VHS video cassette; it slots into the back of the printer. The paper `pack' rests in a flip-out hopper at the back.

We found you get around 80 prints per cartridge. However, once you get started printing, it is very easy to print dozens of photos in one go! Maybe printing with printer is too easy. BTW, I understand there are cheaper `Epson compatible' cartridges for this printer out there - somewhere!

The 6 x 4 inch prints are bright, sharp and clear; sometimes there is a very slight banding visible in sky areas, but this is under very close scrutiny and does not affect the viewing of prints at normal distances.

The BIG advantage of 'desk top' printers is there's no waiting in line at the dreaded photo developers! Plug it in, insert the memory card and away you go. You can literally take a digital photo and get it printed out in under two minutes; that's as fast as a Polaroid!

And being so portable, you could for example, take your printer along to a family event (wedding, kids party) and provide prints of the event to take away. You could also use it for making passport style photos; no need to find a functioning photo booth that also takes flattering images!

This inexpensive little gem is ideal for anyone with a growing collection of digital memory chips and a lot of empty photo albums!

5 star

I purchased this printer on a whim more than anything as I had a gift voucher to 'spend'. Always being a gadget fan, I thought that this would be just the thing to show off with. And IT IS. What an amazing printer. So easy and simple to use. No fuss, no mess and more or less, instant photgraphs. I was able to take photos of my mother's garden in bloom and take them in to her the same day in hospital where she has been for nine weeks. She showed them off so proudly.
I am so pleased that I took up the special price offer on this amazing little gadget! Thank you Amazon.

After a supurb order/delivery time from Amazon the PictureMate was unpacked and printing in stand alone mode in under 10 minutes. The print quality is very good ( You cannot really tell they are not commercial prints) and the printing time is approx 1 minute per copy, but why worry its still quicker than going to the chemist to have them printed. With Amazons paper and cartridge offer at the present time of £19.95 for 135 sheets and the correct cartridge it means that the prints are under 15 pence each . As the proud owner of 3 other printers I think that the Epsom PictureMate 100 will satisfy my 6 x 4 picture requirements without the hassle of connecting to my PC.
A really nice easy to use Photo printer

I had intended to buy one of the little HP photosmart printers for my wife's birthday until I discovered that HP region-code their ink cartridges (smacks of profiteering!)
I bought the Picturemate 100 instead; a decision I won't regret, my wife absolutely loves it! Printing from it is a doddle, switch it on, put in the camera memory card, select the picture you want on the colour LCD, press the button and out comes a beautiful photo, better than many you get from photo labs.
If you want to do more, just connect it to the computer and use as an ordinary printer.
Highly recommended