Mao,
I've found a few printers that I'd like you to consider, but to tell
the truth, most everything I read points me in one direction...to the
Epson PictureMate line of printers. They are routinely rated highly
for picture quality and convenience, and are regarded as one of the
lowest cost printers around, in terms of per-print cost of
consumables.
There are a few other options to look at as well, and I've provided
information on all of them below.
Right up front, though, let me note that most of the high-quality
consumer-oriented photo printers produce mid-sized prints...generally
4x6 or 5x7 inches. If you had different capabilities in mind, please
let me know through the usual means, and I'll see what else is out
there.
For starters, here's a pretty good overview article on the per-picture
costs of various printers. Note, though, that the article is more
than a year old, so it's already becoming a bit dated:
http://pcworld.com/article/id,119573-page,5/article.html
Photo Printers: The Price of Great Pictures
March 03, 2005
One of their top recommendation is the Epson PictureMate:
...It prints only on 4-by-6-inch paper, but it will print two
wallet-size photos on one sheet.
...We found the PictureMate a pleasure to use--and the least expensive
to operate of all the printers we tested. Epson advertises that prints
cost 29 cents each; its $29 print packs come with 100 sheets of paper
and an ink cartridge, which the company guarantees will last at least
100 sheets.
[NOTE that more recent article put the per-picture cost even lower, at 23 cents]
Other printers mentioned in the article had much higher consumables costs:
...Printing costs for the HP Photosmart 375 are more than three times
higher than the PictureMate's
...The Sony DPP-EX50's unique TV interface makes it a fun addition to
the living room, but you'll get equally attractive prints at a much
lower cost with the Epson PictureMate
Another thumbs-up for the PictureMate can be found here:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/photo_and_video/photo-printers/fullstory.html#intro
...The Epson PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition (*est. $150) is
recommended more often in reviews than any other photo printer, due in
no small part to its low ink and paper costs. This model has just been
updated with a new look and next-generation inks as the Epson
PictureMate Snap (*est. $200). A 100-sheet paper pack with ink costs
about $23, so photos cost about 23¢ each.
And here:
http://www.amazon.com/Epson-PictureMate-Personal-Photo-Printer/dp/B0002KHZGK
...Remarkably low operating cost, about 29 cents per print
...The PictureMate from Epson is a photo printer designed to produce
lab-quality prints from the comfort of your own home. With its simple
one-touch printing, 5,760 x 1,440 maximum dpi resolution, and
convenient PictureMate Print Packs, this printer is a remarkable
combination of quality, ease of use, and affordability.
The official PictureMate site is here:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/PictureMate/pmwhyPM_Compare.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes
where you can compare specs on the various models available. They
seem to offer all the features you mentioned, in terms of memory,
downloads, etc.
====================
There are other options, of course, although I didn't see anything
about the others that would make them a clear choice over the
PictureMate line. Still, it pays to do a careful comparison before
making a choice.
This one can do 4x8" prints:
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SELPHY-CP510-Compact-Printer/dp/B000AZ2BAW
Canon SELPHY CP510 Compact Photo Printer
...The Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP510 is so incredibly fast--and
surprisingly affordable-- it will change everything you thought you
knew about Canon photo printers. It's simply amazing....The CP510
produces brilliantly colored, long lasting prints that rival the
appearance and durability of images created by a professional photo
lab. It takes just 74 seconds to create Wide size (4" x 8") prints.
Postcard size (4" x 6") images print in just 58 seconds, and credit
card size pictures require only 31 seconds to print.
...Immediate prints direct from your digital camera at less than 30
cents per print.
This one's an unusual looking printer that's gotten some nice reviews:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/hiti_630ps.html
HiTi Photo Printer 630PS
...These small footprint printers produce borderless 4" x 6" prints
with 256 gradation levels per color which are dot-free thanks to
continuous tone printing.
...Anyone that uses a photo printer, inkjet or dye sub technology,
knows that the cost of consumables (ink, ribbons, paper) can quickly
exceed the cost of the printer. The HiTi 630PS has a per print cost of
only 40¢, its 50-print kit that includes the ribbon cartridge and 50
sheets of paper for $19.95.
Here's the HiTi website:
http://www.hitouchimaging.com/
Kodak makes a printer than can keep the per-print costs down to a
reasonable level if you purchase the supplies in the larger packs:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/kodak_500_printer.html
Easyshare Photo Printer 500
...The Photo Printer 500 makes 4×6-inch prints directly from virtually
any digital media in about 60 seconds
...The PH-40 print packs contain the ribbon cartridge and two packs of
printing paper with 20 sheets in each pack. The ribbon is good for all
40 prints, separating the paper into two packages helps keep it
fresher. The street price is $24.99 so the "per print" cost is rather
high at $0.62 each...The PH-80 print pack for $39.99 will make 80
prints ($0.50 per print). For the greatest value buy the PH-160 print
pack, it's $46.99 and makes 160 prints which lowers the cost down to
an economical $0.29 each.
This Sony probably comes close in per-picture price to matching the Epson:
http://www.shop.pcmag.com/shop/product/Sony+DPPFP55+Thermal+Photo+Printer/34296601.aspx
Sony DPP-FP55 Thermal Photo Printer
...For the most part, the new Sony PictureStation DPP-FP55 ($150
street) can serve as the archetypal dedicated photo printer. Limited
to 4- by 6-inch photos, it can print from PictBridge-enabled cameras,
memory cards, and computers.
...For a thermal-dye printer, the DPP-FP55 also does well on cost per
photo. If you buy the most economical paper-plus-dye pack ($35 street
for 120 photos) the per-print cost is just over 29 cents. That's more
expensive than it is with some ink jet?based photo printers?Epson, for
example, offers a 270-photo pack for its PictureMate models, including
the PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition, that works out to 24 cents per
photo. But it's a reasonably low price for thermal-dye technology.
And this HP PhotoSmart is comparable to the Sony:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2010282,00.asp
HP Photosmart A516 Compact Photo Printer
...Cost per print is a touch higher than I'd like, at a minimum 29.2
cents per photo, based on $34.99 (direct) for packs with enough ink
and paper for 120 photos.
====================
I hope this is enough information to help you make a well-informed decision.
And like I said earlier, if your interested in some other class of
printers, just let me know, and I'll start afresh.
All the best,
paf
search strategy -- Google search on [ "photo printer" per-picture cost ] |
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