By Adli Yashir

WHEN you have tons of digital photos and no way to display them, Epson's PictureMate 310 with its 7-inch LCD screen could be the answer.

Plus, the lunch box-sized gadget prints excellent 4R photos too.

The printer-cum-photo frame comes with a new print pack comprising a video cassette-shaped colour ink cartridge and 300 sheets of 4R photo paper - double the capacity of Epson's previous model, the PictureMate 250.

Setting up the device was so easy that even my eight-year-old boy could do it without supervision.

Slot in the ink cartridge at the back, load the photo paper on top, power up the device and you are set to print.

This inkjet printer works on its own - no PC is needed. Unlike the Canon Selphy CP790 compact printer, Epson does not offer a battery pack option which would make this 3.2kg device truly portable.

There are memory card slots at the right side of the printer and a USB port for flash drives. The device can automatically detect images stored in them.

Or you can simply plug your digital camera into the printer via the PictBridge port.

Apart from the power button on the printer, all other function buttons reside on a remote control.

In my opinion, on-printer controls are better though. If you lose or misplace the tiny remote control, there is no way to make the gadget work.

To nitpick, I detected a slight lag in response between the remote control and the printer.

As for print speeds, it takes just 40seconds to print a 4R colour image at 5,670 x 1,440 pixels.

Using the included Epson glossy photo paper, the printouts dry almost instantly - there is no sticky feeling when you touch the prints.

Thanks to the Epson Claria Photographic Inks, printout quality is good: What I see on the screen is what I get in print.

Unlike the traditional photo frame, you cannot mount the PictureMate 310 on a wall.

So put it on a table or shelf. The bright and sharp LCD displays images at 800 x 480 pixels using a slideshow format. There are 12 slideshow designs to choose from.

Final say

An innovative display device that doubles as a compact printer; ideal for on-the-spot photo prints during parties and family functions.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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