Epson PM 290 Ink
PictureMate Zoom PM 290 Ink Cartridges

Epson PM 290 Printer Review

The Epson PictureMate Zoom PM 290 is a remarkable machine. It is a 4x6 photo inkjet printer with the portability of a small cooler, and it even has a carrying handle. Despite its compact size, it has excellent speed and print quality, and Epson PM 290 ink is affordable enough to compare well with most similar products, such as HP 27 ink.

The PM 290 is a little bigger than previous models, but it has more to show for it. It has a 3.6 inch screen compared to 2.5 on earlier models, and print speed has gone from 42 seconds to 37 seconds per page. The unit can only print borderless 4x6 photos, so don't expect to extract word documents from its paper tray, but for the simplicity of doing a single task and doing it well, it is quite well-designed. Most impressively, it has an included CD burner. This allows users to load photos from a memory card or camera and save them onto a disc, effectively making it a nice portable backup solution.

Epson PictureMate Zoom ink cartridges only have a capacity of 100 sheets, but they are packaged along with 100 sheets of paper, allowing you to replace both at the same time. Third-party compatible Epson PM 290 ink cartridges are available at lower prices to save even more money. Printer ink is easy to find and easy to replace. The low price and decent capacity of Epson PM 290 ink makes it very economical, though the cost per page is not as low as with HP 940XL Black ink.

In their review of the Epson PictureMate Zoom, Digital Photography Now found it to have great quality and speed. They also liked its CD writer and low printer ink costs. They found it bulkier than previous designs, however.

Overall, the Epson PM 290 is an excellent choice for buyers who need an ultra-portable solution or those who want to print without needing a computer. However, for large offices, a Phaser printer with Xerox 108R00661 ink may be more suitable.