At our house, we take a lot of pictures. Granny, Grandma, and me are all obsessed with chronicling Baby Diva, the early years.
So, I was very excited to have the opportunity to test the Epson PictureMate Dash. We immediately had an opportunity to see the convenience of this new photo printer. The ladies at Captain Dad’s office had been demanding new pictures of baby but we hadn’t gotten around to placing a new order at an online photo printing service.
With the easy to follow instructions, I had the PictureMate Dash was up and running in minutes. Photos print out quickly–in fact the 37 second print speed is faster than comparable photo printers on the market and 17 percent faster than the previous generation.
Just pop in a memory card, CD, DVD, or flash thumbdrive, or hook up a pictbridge camera, and you are ready to print. You can select photos by date, a handy feature, or browse using the tilt LCD screen. I didn’t even need my computer to crop, correct red-eye, add color effects, or adjust brightness. With the layout function, we were even able to create wallet sized picture.
Captain Dad’s co-workers were impressed with the excellent quality and I was amazed at how stunning the prints were. And the photo paper is smudge, scratch, water, fingerprint, and fade-resistant. These photos will remain sharp and vivid up to about 96 years in a glass frame and about 200 years in an album. No word on how long they last on Grandma’s fridge, but I suspect these photographs will look great for many decades regardless of how you display them.
Another advantage of the Dash is the optional battery ($50) so you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet. There’s even a Bluetooth adapter if you want to go truly wireless. For special occasions you can create an on the spot scrapbook memory with pens for the guests to write a message on their photos or print pictures for guests to take home as an instant party favor.
Baby and I are going to go visit Great Granny and, without leaving home or waiting for the mail, we’ll be able to bring her some professional quality photos we took just yesterday of baby in her pirate costume.
At about 26 cents for glossy prints (factoring in paper and ink), the Epson PictureMate Dash Photo Printer ($99), will not eliminate the need for online or in-store professional photo printing. However, for quick and instant photo gratification, the Dash is a fabulous option.
With the holidays coming soon, the Dash would make a great gift for new parents, grandparents, or any shutterbug on your list.
Epson PictureMate Dash Photo Printer: $99; 150 pack of glossy photo paper: $39.99; putting a smile on a 92 year-old great-grandmother’s face: priceless.
