Thread: Epson PictureMate PM 215

The shape, size and weight of the Epson PictureMate PM 215 is very different from the Canon Selphy CP 760. It is larger and also much heavier, with a weight of about 2.2 kgs. The PictureMate PM 215 looks like a small square plastic bucket or picnic basket that you would take to the beach, and it even ' has a nice handle so it can be carried anywhere conveniently.

The PM 215 has a 2.5-inch display which is covered by a turquoise coloured lid. The lid also has a dark-tinted window' right above the display, so you can have a quick look without even opening it up. When you lift the lid, the display and the buttons of this printer are exposed. The display, by default, is flat, but can be tilted to adjust the angle. The paper feeder is located just behind the display. The paper-out tray is revealed by a simple push at the front, which then reveals the tray. Memory card reader slots are also present behind this tray and the direct print button is together with all the other buttons. The power adapter is connected at the rear of the printer, where you also find the USB ports to connect the PM 215 to a PC or to a camera.

Similarly to the Canon Selphy CP 760, the Epson PictureMate PM 215 also comes with a single cartridge called an Epson Photo Cartridge which has to be loaded from the rear of the printer. If the cartridge is not installed, the PM 215 displays an error message and also gives instructions on how to install the cartridge.

The Epson PM 215 was the fastest printer to deliver prints at maximum quality as it took just 47.1 seconds. The colour reproduction with this printer was quite accurate, but there was loss of detail. With the first test image, the scene with the water was good and accurate with little loss of details. In the greyscale chart, the last two shades of black were merged together and in the sharpness zone, there was some jagged lines reproduced towards the end. With the second test image, the entire image looked balanced, even though there was supposed to be more of a green tone 'to the image; also the colours'at the base of the image were too fluorescent. The third test image was also well-balanced and had black reproduced correctly. Even so, there were details missing in some parts of the test image, such as the dimples in the golf ball and some textures. The Combi document was much better than that produced by the Canon Selphy CP 760, and the text was also reproduced smoothly. The red cherries looked great and were well differentiated. The only place where this printer was lacking was with the yellow text on the black background; here it showed a similar outcome to the Selphy CP 760.