Epson PictureMate Charm - an Affordable, Portable Photo Printer

The PictureMate Charm is the newest portable 4"x6" photo printer in Epson's PictureMate line. Featuring a 2.5-inch LCD for one-touch printing with or without a computer, built-in memory card slots, and the ability to print wirelessly from camera cell phones via optional Bluetooth adapter, the Charm is …well…a charm of a portable printer! It also delivers smudge, scratch and water resistant photos that last up to four times longer than film-processed photos.

Tools are also included to crop photos, remove red eye, and change the photo color to black and white, sepia or color - right from the printer, with no computer needed. Pictures are then printed using Epson's PictureMate Print Packs, which include ink and either 150 sheets of 4"x6" glossy paper or 100 sheets of 4"x6" matte paper.

The Epson PictureMate Charm will be available on October 20, 2009 for $149.99.

Press release:

Epson Expands its Award-Winning Compact Photo Printer Line with PictureMate Charm

Oct. 13, 2009 – The ultimate companion in photo printing has arrived with the release of the affordable, portable Epson PictureMate® Charm. Offering the same impressive features and results as previous models in the renowned PictureMate line, including superior photo quality, economical print costs, long-lasting prints, and powerful image enhancement tools, PictureMate Charm is the ideal solution for printing and sharing cherished memories at home or on the go.

"Photo labs can be inconvenient and don’t always produce great results because they often sacrifice image quality in order to cut costs," said Stacey Tieu, associate product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America Inc. "Epson’s PictureMate Charm is the best alternative because it delivers the features that are important to consumers – uncompromised quality and ultimate convenience – allowing them to print superior 4"x6" photos with true-to-life skin tones, amazing detail and sharpness in as fast as 37 seconds1 whenever and where ever they want."

Whether at home, at a party or traveling on vacation, PictureMate Charm consistently delivers durable, better-than-lab-quality prints that are smudge, scratch and water resistant. The beautiful, true-to-life prints last up to four times longer than traditional, film-processed photos, resisting fading up to 96 years under glass and over 200 years in dark album storage2.

In addition, PictureMate Charm offers easy, one-touch printing with or without a computer. It features a 2.5" LCD screen to view, crop and print photos, as well as remove red eye and select popular photo layouts and color tones such as black and white, sepia or color. PictureMate Charm also prints from all popular memory cards with built-in card slots3, and prints wirelessly from PDAs and digital camera cell phones with an optional Bluetooth® adapter4.

PictureMate Charm delivers affordable prints on glossy and matte paper with Epson’s PictureMate Print Packs, which include ink and either 150 sheets of 4"x6" glossy paper or 100 sheets of 4"x6" matte paper. In addition, an optional, rechargeable battery is available for maximum portability to print photos outdoors or on the road.

With its extreme versatility, PictureMate Charm is also a smart tool for many professional industries, including wedding photographers and medical or dental offices. Its high-quality photo output, long-lasting, durable ink, and ultimate portability allow photographers to instantly provide images to clients at events, while medical professionals can conveniently track a patient’s recovery through before-and-after photos without having to wait for them to be processed at a lab.

Pricing and Availability

PictureMate Charm ($149.99*) will be available on Oct. 20 through a variety of online retail stores and Epson's retail site, www.epsonstore.com. For more information, please visit www.Epson.com.

SOURCE Epson America Inc.

1Color photo without a PC in borderless layout measured from start of paper feed. Actual print time will vary based on system configuration, software, and page complexity. See www.epson.com/printspeed for details.

2Based on accelerated testing of prints displayed under glass in indoor display conditions. Actual print stability will vary according to media, printed image, display conditions, light intensity, temperature, humidity and atmospheric conditions. Epson does not guarantee the longevity of prints. For maximum print life, display all prints under glass or UV filter or properly store them.

3Prints from CompactFlash® (Type I/II), Secure Digital (SD™), SDHC™ MMC, xD-Picture Card™ (Type M/H), Microdrive® and Memory Stick®.

4Bluetooth adapter sold separately; please visit www.MyPictureMate.com for ordering information.

* Estimated street price