Canon SELPHY ES2 Printer

PORTABLE PHOTO PRINTER DELIVERS QUALITY

The standalone SELPHY ES2 printer from Canon USA is a portable compact photo “lab” that makes 4×6″ prints in a minute at an average cost of 25 cents.

The ES2’s shiny, creamy-white plastic case has an elegant upright design with a carrying handle on top, and at the base are slots for most common media cards. It also has two USB ports for connecting to your camera or computer. On top is a well-designed, clearly labeled control panel with a flip-up 3″ LCD for viewing and editing files. A scroll wheel lets you cycle through your files and navigate menu items. Using a comprehensive set of creative options, you can add frames, clip art, and special effects, such as faded edges and speech bubbles, to your prints. The menu has plenty of options for adjusting the image including color saturation, brightness, cropping, and red-eye removal.

The SELPHY ES2 uses convenient cassettes that house paper and ink with enough supplies for 50 photos. Instead of using standard ink cartridges, the ES2 uses dye transfer: Color dyes are embedded in a ribbon and transferred to the paper using heat. This design means there are no nozzles to get clogged. Photos emerge dry with a gloss protective layer that will last up to 100 years if kept in a photo album. Print quality is quite good with rich colors and good shadow/highlight detail. The 4×6″ prints have a postcard template on the back with a box for a stamp—quite clever. This SELPHY ES2 printer performed without a hitch.—Steve Baczewski

PRICE: $199.99
FROM: Canon USA, Inc.
WEB: www.usa.canon.com
RATING: 4

LAYERS VERDICT
HOT Runs on optional battery pack
NOT Poor-quality sepia/black-and-white from color cartridge