Over a year ago I wrote this blog post. I've been thinking about the subject on and off ever since. Especially since with the birth of our new baby I wasn't able to keep up with or afford to print off my photos on a regular basis. So even with all of my preaching I was still falling the way of the hypocrite. But all the while I knew I wanted to get it taken care of, I just had no way of doing it. It became a mission to find a way to save my memories.
I decided to start with pictures I took with my phone and I knew there was a step I wanted to eliminate completely: downloading the pictures to my computer. Working on cell phone screens is difficult and I didn't want to have to deal with the hassle of working on photo websites on my phone. So that option was out. I thought more about whether downloading my photos was really that big of an issue and if I couldn't just print off my pictures myself of my all purpose printer. I was only able to get five sheets printed before I ran out of ink from a brand new cartridge, and I had to cut all of them out afterwards. So that option wasn't looking very cost effective and it still left my computer riddled with a bunch of pictures that now had to wait until I could afford $50 to buy more ink.
I needed something simpler and more cost effective. And then I heard about personal compact photo printers. It was as if my photo prayers had been answered. Currently on the market there are two models for compact photo printers that are the go-to machines that I've noticed: the Canon Selphy and the Epson PictureMate. I researched both, read many reviews and honestly couldn't come to a conclusion of which I would prefer more.
Each device has its positives and negatives. The Selphy is wifi connected which means you can print photos directly from your phone without them ever setting foot on your hard drive. It uses a unique printing technique called dye sublimation which allows for a 1:1 ratio of printer to ink (you're out of paper therefore you're out of ink). The Selphy's size also made it a forerunner. However, while it accepted SD cards, enabling you to print snapshots from your camera (another problem I'm looking to solve), my camera uses the compact flash card. And since my camera doesn't have wifi capabilities I would have to get a separate adapter in order for it to read my files. Thus causing the initial costs of the Selphy to go up. While reading reviews of the Selphy I also learned that the contrast of the prints was lacking. And I love a good contrast in photographs.
The PictureMate was more expensive, but it used the regular ink jet technology which meant true contrast for my photographs. This aspect was really important to me. But because the ratio of ink to paper was akin to all ink jet printers that meant, depending on what I was printing, I could start to lose certain inks before others making the coloring of the photographs off. Not to mention reviews stated that if not used daily the ink jet "squirters" would clog causing ink loss. This all was starting to make the Picturemate look less favorable. But then I read that it could read compact flash cards without an adapter! Oh my heart skipped a beat! I could print snapshots straight from my camera, solving another dilemma. It didn't have wifi connectivity so I would have to hook up my phone to it, but that didn't seem too big of an issue to me.
Both only print up to 4x6, which was fine by me since my goal is to print off all my snapshot-non-professional images and put them in family albums to sit on the coffee table. So would I go for easibilty with the Selphy or quality with the Picturemate?
In the end I still couldn't decide. Christmas loomed closer and I let my mom choose for me. She got me the Selphy for my Christmas present. And I'm glad she did. I love that I can print directly from my phone. I love that I don't have to guess how much ink I have left. I love how I can stow it away in a drawer. I love that my phone pics never make it to my computer. I don't even think about how it can't read my camera's memory card, because honestly I do most of my snapshot taking on my phone anyway. I don't even wonder what it would be like to have the Picturemate instead. That being said, had she gotten me the PictureMate, I would probably feel the same way about it.
Most importantly, I love that it's helping me save my hard drive and my memories. What steps are you taking to save your hard drive and your memories? Have you looked into personal compact photo printers?