Continuing its push into the peripherals market, Dell has launched its first 6 x 4in borderless photo printer. However, instead of using familiar inkjet printing, the 540 (designed by Kodak) uses an alternative technique known as thermal dye transfer technology.

A cartridge slips into the side of the printer, which contains cyan, magenta and yellow cellophane strips. To produce photos, the printer makes three passes to add each colour and a final transparent pass that adds a protective gloss.

The advantages of this method are instantly dry photos and cheap running costs. Each Dell Photo Print Pack, which contains 40 sheets of glossy paper and a print cartridge, equates to around 30p per print. Buy a triple pack and the cost per print drops to 27p per photo.

However, print quality is a concern. Compared to other printers of its ilk, the 540 produced grey-tinted photos and dull colours. The printer driver does include a 'vivid' mode to increase contrast, but this just seemed to make images look over-flooded with colour.

For the casual user, the Dell 540 is a neat device. Print quality may not be outstanding, but it's certainly not poor and it spits out each print in less than a minute. The ability to print from five different types of memory card, USB keys or Pictbridge-compatible cameras is a definite benefit and the initial cost is the cheapest we've seen.

The inbuilt menu system is easy to operate and the LCD screen is sharp. However, photo-printing enthusiasts will be more satisfied with other devices, even if they cost a little more.

At the time of writing, Dell was offering a discount on the 540, reducing its cost to just £118.68 (£101 ex VAT).

Contact:
Dell 0870 152 4699
www.dell.co.uk

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