Epson PictureMate Charm PM 225

Epson PictureMate Charm

The aptly named Epson PictureMate Charm snapshot printer gets by on just that: It does what it does nicely--though not very quickly. Priced at a midrange $150 (as of 11/3/09), it costs the same as the HP Photosmart A646 Compact Photo Printer but is somewhat less versatile. On the other hand, it offers better print quality for a cheaper cost of consumables. The PictureMate Charm required anywhere from 54 to 70 seconds to print each of our 4-by-6-inch test prints, but they were worth the wait. It produced flesh tones that looked healthy and normal, it handled both fast-motion and landscape shots with aplomb, and it balanced lights and darks evenly in monochrome images. The on-board editing options are limited to a few layouts, borders, and automated corrections based on image type (such as a night scene or a landscape). If you install the printer on a PC, you can do more using the bundled Easy PhotoPrint application, which offers a wealth of editing, customizing, and printing options. The features on this snapshot printer are basic but well executed. It has a 20-sheet input tray for just 4-by-6-inch media; by contrast, the HP Photosmart A646 can take three different sizes. Sheets exit onto the flip-out front panel.