The Sony PictureStation DPP-FP90 is a $199 compact photo printer that can produce up to 4x6-inch prints, but proves to be a mixed bag. Although the printer itself is small and compact, the prints it produced were rather unappealing, with flat, inaccurate color.
The FP90 is a small printer, measuring just 7.1 x 5.5 x 2.5 inches. One of its best features is the big, bright, 3.5-inch flip-up LCD screen on top. This is much bigger screen than most compact printers, which typically have screens ranging in size from 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Next to the screen are the simple controls, including the clearly-labeled Print button and the pink Auto Touch-Up button, which automatically corrects common problems in images. Three memory card slots on the front provide plenty of flexibility for printing images without a computer.
Another benefit of the big screen is that it makes using the on-screen menus a breeze. Menus show both text and icons for the various features and include useful screens like one that identifies all the memory card slots. This makes the FP90 a very simple printer to use; we were ready to start printing from a memory card just 2 minutes after unpacking the printer. The computer setup was nearly as quick; it took us just 3.5 minutes to connect and install the software on a PC.
The FP90 is strictly mid-range when it comes to printing speed. It takes 96 seconds to produce a 4x6 photo print from a memory card, 38 seconds slower than the Canon Selphy CP730. Printing from the computer is slightly quicker, at 68 seconds, but again, the Canon has the edge on speed, taking less than a minute to print. If you need to produce a lot of prints quickly, there are several faster options than the FP90.
The FP90 isn’t a good pick if you’re looking for the best print quality, either. We found skin tones to be inaccurate. Dark skin tones print almost blue, a very unflattering look. The printer's color gamut performance is average for dye sublimation printers, managing to reproduce just 45 percent of the possible colors. More sophisticated inkjet printers can achieve color gamuts in the 50th to 60th percentiles.
All this means the FP90 doesn't stack up well against the compact photo printer competition. The Canon Selphy CP730 ($149) dye sublimation printer is quicker and cheaper, and the Epson PictureMate PM420 ($99) compact inkjet printer produces better looking prints at half the price. But the FP90 does have the advantage of having the largest LCD screen in its class, which makes it easier to view images and control the device.
Because of this, the FP90 might be a good pick for someone who is intimidated by technology; the big screen and friendly controls make it perfect for printing pictures with minimal fuss. Other users may be disappointed by the lackluster print quality. The FP90's poor skin tone reproduction will be enough to persuade most users to look elsewhere.
