Printer manufacturers have steadily been increasing the number of ink cartridges in their top of the range photo printers on the basis that the more basic colours they have to work with the more precise the overall result.

With a lightning-fast scanner and high-quality photo printing, it’s only hampered by speed and running costs. CD printing and transparency scanning are bonuses, though.

Economical running costs and a great scanner make it appealing, but it’s slow and hard to use as a standalone copier.

Epson has gone all-out on their digital photo flagship -- it has eliminated all office-centric features to deliver an enthusiast's juggernaut with film scanning, a six colour ink-tank, and plenty of memory card slots.

This isn't the first time we've looked at the tiny Esky-esque PictureMate from Epson and at the time as a standalone product it garnered a Recommended award. It's good to see it do the same in a comparative environment, walking off with a second recommendation from the Labs team.

Looking similar to a retro portable radio, the PictureMate has a touch of style to it that is backed up by the overall quality of the product. At a buck under $400 it won’t appeal to everyone, particularly seeing as it’s a dedicated photoprinter, requires its own specialist photo pack and restricts you to postcard sized prints.

Finishing just below average overall, this unit scored highly in the performance department

Surprising us with its below average results in all categories of testing, the Epson CX5300 lacked any form of removable media input.

Epson has two current specialist photo printers and the model which takes care of the lower end is the $399 Stylus Photo 810.

You're taken through each step by a series of onscreen animated diagrams that are a far sight more helpful than other guides the competition offers.

On paper, the 760 boasts several improvements over its predecessors, the most noticeable being noise reduction.

In Epsons more than comprehensive range it sits near the top, offering high speed in addition to impressive print quality.

Colour Inkjet PRINTER

Epson are marketing this scanner as a versatile unit, capable of meeting the demands of home, school, office and graphics users.