PICTUREMATE CHARM PM-225 OEM PICTUREMATE PRINT PACK

Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 Review

Overview:

Very much resembling a small picnic basket when folded up, the Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 lives up to its namesake with sleek aesthetics and a compact size. The unit is not as high performing as its Show series brethren, but it also comes in a much less expensive package making it the preferable choice for many buyers.

Pros:

The overhead cost for the Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 is not the only thing that separates it in price form its Epson cousins; it is also cheaper to purchase consumables for this device. As a more basic piece of hardware, it does not offer all the bells and whistles found on other photo printers but, again, it could very well be the perfect choice for those looking for a bargain.

The Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 folds down into a very cute, clean package with a handle on it for storage and extra convenient transportation. In this state, its dimensions are a mere 6.7 x 9.1 x 5.7 inches (W x D x H). When completely unfolded, it sits around at 13.5 x 9.1 x 10.5 inches (W x D x H), which is still perfectly normal for a photo printer with a fold out output tray. Its weight without any paper is also just under 8 pounds, making carrying the unit around even easier.

With a monitor that is only 2.5 inches diagonally, the Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 just barely does the trick as far as menu navigation and photo selection. While some Epson devices have view screens as large as 7 inches, this tiny screen makes it difficult to select options from the 8 buttons that appear on the screen. Still, the screen is full color and of high quality, making it just barely up to its task.

Cons:

The Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225’s print times usually end up running over a minute, placing it on the slower end of the photo print scale. Like other Epson devices, the Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 is also limited only to a 4 x 6 inch size limitation, whereas brands such as HP throw in the additional option of printing to 5 x 7. Then again, those printers are full sized and the Charm is actually quite compact, so there is a trade off either way.

Though the Epson PictureMate Charm PM-225 is equipped with a variety of memory card slots, it does not come with a Bluetooth option as standard material. Users instead must purchase the Bluetooth hardware for about forty dollars. While keeping the price low with excluded features such as this is nice, users who require Bluetooth for photo printing are kind of out of luck.

With a starter ink cartridge that is only good for about 20 photo prints, the unit will quickly have to be restocked with consumables. Still, its cheap paper and cartridges bring its cost per photo to around 25 cents per, which is one of the cheapest you’ll find on the market. An available print pack includes both ink and paper, making it that much easier to restock the device as well.