Print quality

Index prints showing up to twenty frames per page can be printed from attached memory cards. Unfortunately the printed resolution of these index pages is very low, resulting in very muddy-looking miniatures of the originals.

When viewed at arm's length, our standard test print came out very well, with good skin tones and contrast.

By comparison, the same image printed to the same size using a full-size Epson Stylus Photo printer in combination with Epson Premium Glossy photo paper comes out with less contrast, but more depth and more accurate colour. Viewed close up, it’s much harder to see dot grain with this print than the PictureMate print.

Above is a 600ppi scan of the model's left eye from the PictureMate print. It's noticeably more grainy, with a coarse underlying texture. But detail has been well preserved.

The full-sized Epson photo ink-jet printer result is noticeably smoother in tone, though our example does happen to be affected by some very mild banding.

A much more dramatic difference in colour rendition is demonstrated by a print of a Colour Confidence test file.

Above is the same test image printed using a full-size Epson photo ink-jet printer. Unlike the PictureMate result, which is lacking in magenta and so revealing a greenish-yellow imbalance, this result is nearly spot on when compared to the reference print.

If you compare the colour graduation charts above (Epson PictureMate) and below (Epson Stylus Photo 935) an immediate difference is the whiter base of the PictureMate paper compared to Epson Premium Glossy (below).

Compared to the Epson 935, the Picturemate's magenta is less consistent, its yellow is cooler and the blue bar is cleaner. Black on the 935 is deeper and the greys more neutral too.

In our foliage and flowers test image, the PictureMate delivers the goods. There is no compression of the yellow tones in the flowers and the green of the leaves is natural and deep.

By contrast, the Epson 935 produces slightly over-saturated yellows and less faithful greens in the leaves.

Finally, in our test that examines sharp edged detail, serrations and grain in the PictureMate's grey bars are quite clear, though the jaggies are only to be expected as the bars are only around a quarter the size they would be when printed on a full A4 sheet.

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