Epson PictureMate Snap PM 240 Printer - My turn to vent!

[C.Ann]

Okay - several years ago I purchased two of these printers - one for me and one for my adult DD.. One of the main reasons we got it was for the Disney (and other) frames you could choose to place around our photos.. That has pretty much been a bust.. On the screen they are so small I can't see them in order to choose what I want (due to my vision problems) and when I tried to register for their Creative Zone - hoping I could see them there - it wouldn't go through.. Fine - I can live without that - even though it did influence my purchases..

On the plus side, I have never seen photos turn out as well as these do (a hundred times better than the Kodak printer that was purchased for me to use with my Kodak Digital Camera).. They are far and away superior to any prints I could get at a store.. The cost would actually be less per photo except for the problems that I have with the printer and that's where my vent comes in..

Every single time I go to use it (I keep it up on my shelf in my bedroom as that is the only place I have to store it - and of course I also bring it to the lake with me), the heads have to be aligned and/or cleaned again.. This takes a considerable amount of Epson ink and paper - substitutions are not available.. The pack with the ink and 4x6 glossy photo paper is not cheap when you have to waste a quarter of the ink and many, many sheets of photo paper to try to align the heads.. And the process - where you have to pick out the squares with the least bands/lines in them are so teeny, tiny, even a person with perfect vision is hard pressed to see them and make the correct selection.. When (and if) you're lucky enough to get that done, 9 times out of ten you have to clean the heads(nozzles) too - wasting more ink and paper.. Grrr..

It's SO frustrating - because the photos are awesome - but it even states right in the manual that you need to take these actions whenever you move it.. (It also runs on battery so you can "print on the go".. Yeah - right..)

I could understand if you were tossing it around, tipping it sideways, throwing it in your car, slamming it down on your desk or kitchen table - but simply moving it from the shelf to the desk should not cause the need to do all of these maintenance actions.. And it would certainly be helpful if you could actually SEE the squares for the alignment process so you could choose the correct ones.. (I have to use a magnifying glass..)

I'm so disappointed - because I love the photos that it produces - eventually.. I just had to print out some photos I need to take to my dr. on Tuesday and it took me well over 2 hours to get it aligned (so the photos weren't lines after lines after lines - a total mess..) All this for 6 photos!

Does anyone else who owns one of these have the same - or similar - issues? (DD's does the same thing..)

In the back of the manual it does state that if you're not satisfied with the number of photos you are getting from the ink/photo pack you can return the unused paper with your recipt & the UPC and they will reimburse you $1.10 for each sheet of paper - but that's not exactly what the problem is..

Would it do any good to email them about my concerns in regards to not being able to move the printer even in the gentlest manner - from the shelf to my desk (no room to keep it there in one place even if I wanted to and it's supposed to be "portable) - without having to go through the realignment & head (nozzle) cleaning process every single time - wasting my ink and photo paper?

It seems like the only way I can use it to my advantage is to go through that entire process and then sit and print out a couple of hundred photos at one time so I don't end up wasting the paper and ink on maintenance..

If there's nothing else I can do, can anyone here reccomend another small, portable printer - specifically for photos only - that produces the awesome quality that the Epson does once I finally get it working right?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - even as cranky as I'm feeling right now - LOL..

 

[Tiger926]

Unfortunately, you have to print out a batch of photos at one time. The ink is permanent pigment based ink, which globs up. It is a big pain, but the photos come out nice.

I have the older version (right before the snap), and I do batch photos, where I print out the entire cartridge at one time. Then, I leave it for a few months, and do some more.

Now that you mention it, I haven't printed in ages, as you can't beat Costco's .08 print sales. In terms of longevity for archival photo purposes, the Epson photos last a bit longer than the Fuji Crystal Archive papers and Noritsu printer that my local Costco uses, but I am ok with that, as we are talking years and years.

I regret the purchase of my Epson Picturemate printer too, as I have had issues with it as well. It was hardly worth the price for the Disney borders, as there are only a few of them, but since I'm a scrapbooker, I love that I could print 2 different photos on a 4 x 6 photo, as that has been great for my kids' scrapbooks, but I can't justfiy the cost of the paper/ink packages any longer, when compared to Costco.

Sorry you have been having trouble with your printer. Good luck in figuring it out! Tiger

 

[C.Ann]

Unfortunately, you have to print out a batch of photos at one time. The ink is permanent pigment based ink, which globs up. It is a big pain, but the photos come out nice.

I have the older version (right before the snap), and I do batch photos, where I print out the entire cartridge at one time. Then, I leave it for a few months, and do some more.

Now that you mention it, I haven't printed in ages, as you can't beat Costco's .08 print sales. In terms of longevity for archival photo purposes, the Epson photos last a bit longer than the Fuji Crystal Archive papers and Noritsu printer that my local Costco uses, but I am ok with that, as we are talking years and years.

I regret the purchase of my Epson Picturemate printer too, as I have had issues with it as well. It was hardly worth the price for the Disney borders, as there are only a few of them, but since I'm a scrapbooker, I love that I could print 2 different photos on a 4 x 6 photo, as that has been great for my kids' scrapbooks, but I can't justfiy the cost of the paper/ink packages any longer, when compared to Costco.

Sorry you have been having trouble with your printer. Good luck in figuring it out! Tiger

Yup - I'm a scrapbooker too- and normally, I would be printing out piles and piles of photos at the same time - but in this case I just needed those 6 for the doctor and it really annoyed me that I had to waste so much ink and paper in order to get decent shots..

From now on I'm just going to have to print big batches at a time - because I really do love the quality of those photos! This was a fluke - having to do so few on such a short notice..

I still think I'll send Epson an email though.. I don't expect them to do anything about it, but maybe they'll keep this in mind when they design future small photo printers..

 

[DMRick]

I find if I use my picture mates at least twice a week, I have no problems with them. It's talked about often on craft and printer boards, as well as scrapbooking. Epson ink is a pain, so we don't let it sit without use. Traveling with them (to craft and scrap shows) has never been a problem..it's letting them sit unused that is the problem. So my foster kittens get pictures printed often.

 

[Disney Addicted]

I wonder how much of the printer head realignment is actually due to the printer being moved.

I have an Epson Stylus Photo RX595. Quite large and sits on my computer desk beside my printer. It does not get moved. And I'm still always cleaning the printer heads as well. It drives me nuts! To the point where I'm seriously considering never purchasing an Epson printer again.

Ohh, and I already never use it to print photos anymore for your same reasons. Like one of the PPs, I also send my photos to Costco. It's just not convenient to use my Epson printer when I end up wanting to smash it into little pieces almost daily.

 

[Tiger926]

Yup - I'm a scrapbooker too- and normally, I would be printing out piles and piles of photos at the same time - but in this case I just needed those 6 for the doctor and it really annoyed me that I had to waste so much ink and paper in order to get decent shots..

From now on I'm just going to have to print big batches at a time - because I really do love the quality of those photos! This was a fluke - having to do so few on such a short notice..

I still think I'll send Epson an email though.. I don't expect them to do anything about it, but maybe they'll keep this in mind when they design future small photo printers..

Yup, send them an email. They will probably mention the print guarantee, which I think I used 1x.

Good luck!

I find if I use my picture mates at least twice a week, I have no problems with them. It's talked about often on craft and printer boards, as well as scrapbooking. Epson ink is a pain, so we don't let it sit without use. Traveling with them (to craft and scrap shows) has never been a problem..it's letting them sit unused that is the problem. So my foster kittens get pictures printed often.

Yes, it is talked about very often. Like I said, it's the nature of the ink, as it's very archival in nature.

I wonder how much of the printer head realignment is actually due to the printer being moved.

I have an Epson Stylus Photo RX595. Quite large and sits on my computer desk beside my printer. It does not get moved. And I'm still always cleaning the printer heads as well. It drives me nuts! To the point where I'm seriously considering never purchasing an Epson printer again.

Ohh, and I already never use it to print photos anymore for your same reasons. Like one of the PPs, I also send my photos to Costco. It's just not convenient to use my Epson printer when I end up wanting to smash it into little pieces almost daily.

I also have the exact same printer, and don't have any issues with it at all. I sometimes don't print very often on it, and I am fine with it. My Rx 595 is very good.

Sorry, it has frustrated you so much. I hope you find a good printing solution that works well for you! Costco is great!

Tiger

 

[C.Ann]

Yup, send them an email. They will probably mention the print guarantee, which I think I used 1x.

Good luck!

Yes, it is talked about very often. Like I said, it's the nature of the ink, as it's very archival in nature.

Sorry, it has frustrated you so much. I hope you find a good printing solution that works well for you! Costco is great!

Tiger

I don't visit any craft/scrapbook sites so I wasn't aware that Epson problems are discussed.. Interesting..

I would be inclined to go along with the dried out ink theory too (it happened with my large HP All-in-one printer at the lake because I let it set for almost 7 months without using it and the ink did in fact dry out), but I had just put new ink in the Epson before I started the process of trying to print the photos.. Color was fine - it was those darn lines through the photos..

Anyhow, I did send an email last night - got a confirmation today - and we'll see what happens.. I wish everyone who had problems would email them though - then they might get the drift that there's an issue with the design and moving the printer that causes the alignment to go out of whack..

I'll let you know what they say.. Thanks!

 

[safetymom]

I used to travel with my Picture Mate across the country on a plane and have never had to align the heads. You should leave the printer off until you need to use it, you should never turn it off by using a power strip.

There is enough ink in the cartridge to print over 150 prints, way more than the paper they provide.

Once you start to use a cartridge you should replace it every six months whether you use it all or not.

If you have a stubborn clog run several cleaning cycles, if it still isn't printing correctly let it sit overnight. It should work fine the next day.

 

[safetymom]

You should be running cleaning cycles, not aligning the heads. If you are testing to see if all the inks are printing you can cut regular paper into 4x6 size and print on that for your tests.

 

[DMRick]

I think you know a bit about Epson printers and scrapbook and craft boards LOL. I think I'd take your advice even over Epsons.

running cleaning cycles, not aligning the heads. If you are testing to see if all the inks are printing you can cut regular paper into 4x6 size and print on that for your tests.

 

[C.Ann]

You should be running cleaning cycles, not aligning the heads. If you are testing to see if all the inks are printing you can cut regular paper into 4x6 size and print on that for your tests.

I followed the trouble shooting instructions in the manual specifically for "lines in photos" (many, many lines in the photos I was trying to print last night) and according to their instructions, you are supposed to do head realignments (not running cleaning cycles) to correct the problem.. Of course I also did all of the other maintenance options after I got most of the lines out - but it took forever - and the photos I finally ended up with are only "okay" in my opinion - not nearly what I'm used to having when I use that printer..

The next time I use it, I will make sure I have at least 100+ photos to print out at one time and as long as it doesn't end up out of alignment again (between now & then), I "should" end up with the quality that I find amazing (and acceptable) for a small, portable, home photo printer..

I'm curious to see what they say when they give the actual response to my email though (not just the confirmation that they received it).. I have a feeling that if I googled it, I would find many, many people who have had the same problem.. Maybe I'll do that - after I see what kind of response I get from Epson..

Thanks for your suggestions though..

 

[safetymom]

I followed the trouble shooting instructions in the manual specifically for "lines in photos" (many, many lines in the photos I was trying to print last night) and according to their instructions, you are supposed to do head realignments (not running cleaning cycles) to correct the problem.. Of course I also did all of the other maintenance options after I got most of the lines out - but it took forever - and the photos I finally ended up with are only "okay" in my opinion - not nearly what I'm used to having when I use that printer..

The next time I use it, I will make sure I have at least 100+ photos to print out at one time and as long as it doesn't end up out of alignment again (between now & then), I "should" end up with the quality that I find amazing (and acceptable) for a small, portable, home photo printer..

I'm curious to see what they say when they give the actual response to my email though (not just the confirmation that they received it).. I have a feeling that if I googled it, I would find many, many people who have had the same problem.. Maybe I'll do that - after I see what kind of response I get from Epson..

Thanks for your suggestions though..

The reason you have lines in your photos is because all the ink nozzles are not putting out ink. Aligning them will not fix that problem. Have you run a nozzle check in the maintenance menu? Are the lines complete there? If they are not then you need to run cleaning cycles.

Just trying to help after many years of experience with Epson printers.

 

[C.Ann]

The reason you have lines in your photos is because all the ink nozzles are not putting out ink. Aligning them will not fix that problem. Have you run a nozzle check in the maintenance menu? Are the lines complete there? If they are not then you need to run cleaning cycles.

Just trying to help after many years of experience with Epson printers.

And I appreciate your help.. Yes - I did the nozzle check as well - and no, the lines were not complete.. So I also did the cleaning cycle..

However, that was after I did the aligning (per the manual) and got probably 95% of the lines/bands out of the photos.. So the aligning actually did do what the manual said it would do (and I probably could have got the other 5% out if I continued with the aligning over and over again - but I was too frustrated by then - didn't want to waste more time, ink, & paper) - so I moved on to all of the other maintenance options in the menu.. (None of those had any impact on the lines/bands though - simply improved the color of the photo..)

If I felt like fiddling with it again today, I could probably get it back to perfection - but I don't have enough photos ready to print out, so I'll wait until I have a big batch.. (I do have another box of paper & ink on hand, so I can really go to town once I have enough photos ready to spend the time doing it..) I'll probably do that after Christmas - when I have all the photos ready from my season at the lake; a couple of birthday parties; the damage up there from Hurrican Irene at one of the campgrounds - as well as a couple of neighbors places; the fall snow photos (when we had just the dusting up there and the fall foliage was at its peak); and of course all of the photos I'll be taking during the upcoming holidays..

Again, I do appreciate your input..

 

[Tiger926]

The reason you have lines in your photos is because all the ink nozzles are not putting out ink. Aligning them will not fix that problem. Have you run a nozzle check in the maintenance menu? Are the lines complete there? If they are not then you need to run cleaning cycles.

Just trying to help after many years of experience with Epson printers.

Exactly. This is what I was referring to earlier. The pigment ink globs up the heads, and thus, you get lines. A bunch of maintenance cycles will usually rectify the problem, but that costs lots of ink and paper. My printer never gets moved, and yet I can switch between nozzle checks and aligning, and these both work to unclog the print heads, if and when they get clogged up.

It's the nature of the ink, as it dries up and sets into the print heads.

And I appreciate your help.. Yes - I did the nozzle check as well - and no, the lines were not complete.. So I also did the cleaning cycle..

However, that was after I did the aligning (per the manual) and got probably 95% of the lines/bands out of the photos.. So the aligning actually did do what the manual said it would do (and I probably could have got the other 5% out if I continued with the aligning over and over again - but I was too frustrated by then - didn't want to waste more time, ink, & paper) - so I moved on to all of the other maintenance options in the menu.. (None of those had any impact on the lines/bands though - simply improved the color of the photo..)

If I felt like fiddling with it again today, I could probably get it back to perfection - but I don't have enough photos ready to print out, so I'll wait until I have a big batch.. (I do have another box of paper & ink on hand, so I can really go to town once I have enough photos ready to spend the time doing it..) I'll probably do that after Christmas - when I have all the photos ready from my season at the lake; a couple of birthday parties; the damage up there from Hurrican Irene at one of the campgrounds - as well as a couple of neighbors places; the fall snow photos (when we had just the dusting up there and the fall foliage was at its peak); and of course all of the photos I'll be taking during the upcoming holidays..

Again, I do appreciate your input..

Good luck! It is best to do batch printing on one cartridge with Picturemates, as I mentioned earlier.

Happy printing, Tiger