Panasonic KX-PX20 Compact Photo Printer Review
Read a review of the Panasonic KX-PX20 compact photo printer.
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Setup/Drivers and Software
Out of the box* (7.00)*The Panasonic PX-20 comes with the basic equipment, including the paper cassette, power cord, AC adapter, starter kit (ink cassette for five prints and five sheets of postcard paper), installation CD, quick start guide in Spanish only, and paper manual. Also included is a video cable and remote control.

The Image Adjustment tab provides the user with options for adjusting the image using an Auto Mode feature, with selections for Off (no Auto adjustment), Auto, Soft Skin, Indoor, Vividness, and Night Scenery. A preview window on the left displays two versions of the same sample fruit stand image. The lower version displays an example of any change in settings. Manual adjustments for Density and Balance are found in the box to the right, with settings for brightness, saturation, contrast, and sharpness possible. A color grid shows to the right, and users can select a particular color square to adjust the color of the image in that direction.
Software* (0)*The KX-PX20 ships with no software. Any computer printing needs to be conducted with existing software programs on the host computer.
Photo Performance
General **performance**Warm*-up**(5.89)*Warm-up time for the PX20 of 14 seconds yielded a moderate score compared to all printers tested, but it scored lowest of all compact printers tested. The other two dye sub printers tested, the Canon CP730 and the Sony FP90, came up to ready status in 11 and 7 seconds, respectively. Power Usage (5.83)
The PX20 also scored the lowest in our power usage test. We use a watt meter to test the watts used by the printer in various modes, including off, ready, idle, and printing. While it did use less average watts while printing than the CP730 and the FP90, the Panasonic PX20 used more power while off and in ready mode than the other two compact dye sub printers. This brought its score down lower.
**Photo Speed/Timing*** (3.66)*
Because the dye sublimation printing process requires four passes of the paper through the paper path to lay down the three colors plus the clear overcoat, printing speeds are slower than most inkjet and laser printers. The Panasonic PX20 prints even slower than many other dye subs and all of the dye subs we’ve tested, especially when printing from memory cards. The PX20 produced only about half a page per minute (around 2 minutes per page) for both small (6 mb) and large (19 mb) file sizes.
Compared to two compact inkjet printers that have come through our labs, the PX20 scored in the middle. It was much slower than the Epson PM240 and slightly faster than the HP A440. **Color Accuracy*** (2.15)*Dye sub printers are not known for their color accuracy. Their color reproduction is limited. This is reflected in the scores of our color accuracy test, which we perform using a digital version of the Gretag Macbeth Colorchecker chart, devised for us by Bror Hultgren of Image Integration. The chart is a grid of standardized color patches representing often photographed colors and tones, including skin tones, shy blue, foliage green, and a six-step tonal scale of white to gray. An example of this chart is displayed below.
We print the digital Colorchecker chart out using the test printer, and then we read the color values (a coordinate value of where the color falls within a given color space) using our spectrophotometer. These La**b** values, as they are known, are compared to the actual values of the color patches. The difference between the printed chart’s values and the actual values results in a color error for each patch. The average error is what we base our color accuracy score on. The Panasonic KX-PX20 scored a very low 2.18, representing a mean color error of 10.01, the second highest color error of any printer yet tested, second only to a laser printer. The Canon CP730 and the Sony FP90 scored close to this, but both had a lower error value—8.61 and 9.75, respectively. The individual error values usually give an indication that a printer’s representation of colors is skewed toward or away from a certain side of the color spectrum. Often greens or yellows are consistently off. In the case of the PX20, there seems to be no set pattern. For example, blue had one of the largest error values of about 15, while cyan had one of the lowest error values, at just over 2. White had a low error value, while the other gray tones had much larger errors. Dark skin tones also showed a large error value. Most values were at least above 9. We also printed the chart using a custom-made profile (using the EyeOnePro), and this showed much less color error, only 5.72. The greatest error showed in the greens, most notably green and bluish green. The lowest error values showed in the gray scale. Skin tones also had low error values. However, since most users of this printer will not be creating their own profiles, this printer is scored based on the default settings. The custom profile illustrates that this printer is capable of greater color accuracy than is possible using the default settings. **Color Gamut***(1.74)*Color gamut is the range of colors that a printer is capable of reproducing. We measure this value using Gamutvision, which graphically displays the printer’s color profiles in comparison to an existing standard. We use Adobe RGB, a color space that is well beyond what most compact printers are able to reproduce. However, since we at Printerinfo test the whole range of printers from these compact models through high-end, wide format printers, it’s more appropriate to use the more commonly used Adobe RGB standard.
Gamutvision also displays the numeric value for these profiles, based on the number of colors the printer can reproduce. The Adobe RGB space displays a constant 1,225,088 colors. High-end photo printers can produce within the 60th percentile of colors, while most mid-range printers lie within the 40th to 50th percentiles. Other compact photo printers tested, including the Canon CP730 and Sony FP90 dye sub printers, scored in the low 40th percentile.
Since no profiles were provided with Panasonic PX20 compact photo printer, we created our own using Gretag Macbeth’s color profiling equipment: the Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer and the Eye-One Match software. We do this for every printer we test and compare the gamuts for each profile. The PX20 yielded only 29 percent of the Adobe RGB space, a very poor showing. The chart below shows the AdobeRGB color space as the wire frame and the PX20 custom color profile as the solid color form in the center. The PX20 profile is lacking in every respect, falling far short in every color except whites and very light yellows and pinks.

Dmax*(2.96)*Another measure of print quality is the density of the black tones that the printer is capable of printing. The deeper the black, the potentially wider tonal range the printer can reproduce. The ideal standard value for a very rich, deep black is 2.50. This vale is known as Dmax. Many high-end photo printers can usually attain a Dmax value around 2.30. Unfortunately, the Panasonic PX20’s Dmax value was one of the poorest we’ve seen—1.56. The other dye sub printer’s we’ve tested scored much higher. The Canon CP730 achieved a Dmax of 2.01, while the Sony FP90 produced an impressive 2.30, very high for a compact photo printer. The PX20’s score was somewhat comparable to a low-end inkjet printer by HP, the A440, which produced a Dmax of only 1.71. **Monochrome***(4.00)*The PX20’s low Dmax score is certainly a reflection of its black-and-white printing performance. Our test print showed a very washed out and muddy print, with very limited definition and contrast, and a poor tonal range. The blacks clearly do not pop as much as is seen in the original image or prints made with other printers, leaving the print with a washed-out appearance. We would have liked to show a scan of the print here to illustrate our point, but unfortunately, the scan degraded the quality of the image enough to make a valid comparison to the original unfair.
Tour/Components
Tour*Front*With the paper cassette door and folding LCD screen closed, the front of the PX-20 is a simple silver rectangle. The top edge of the screen is visible at the top of the front. Only a few small features are visible on the printer’s front. A small, rectangular piece of frosted plastic on the left covers the remote control receiver. Below this is the PictBridge logo, indicating that the port for the camera connection lies directly behind this. The slender, rectangular paper cassette compartment cover sits along the bottom of the front, with a finger slot in the top center to allow for opening. Along the top right and left edges of the door are a set of six raised dots to indicate where the user should push to lock the door back in place after closing. With the LCD screen opened, the dark gray, rectangular housing surrounding the screen can be seen, and, with the printer turned off, just the black screen can be seen inset into the housing. The Panasonic logo sits below this.
*Back*The most obvious features visible on the back of the PX-20 are the heat vents, three sections of dots along the left and center. The AC port is on the left, and the Video Out port and the USB port lie to the right.
Design/Interface
Controls/Buttons/Dials* (8.00)*The Panasonic PX20 has a very simple control panel, with just six buttons. Most of these sit in the well below the display screen, which, when folded down, hides all them. The power button sits along the left edge of printer, outside this well. A small LED sits above the button to indicate when its on or off. A red light shines when the unit is plugged in and off, while a green button shines when the unit is on.
Inks / Toner
Configuration ***(8.00)*The ink cartridges on compact dye sublimation photo printers like the Panasonic PX20 are one of the simplest configurations possible, with a single cassette providing all three colors and the overcoat layer. These cartridges are virtually the same for all printers, although the exact design is specific to each manufacturer. While dye sub printers may not produce the best looking prints, they do provide the user with easy cartridge loading and no messy inks. The dyes are affixed on the thin roll of film within the cassette. A section of film equivalent to the size of the print is used for each color. Heated rollers allow the dye to be transferred to the paper based on the image information communicated from the memory card or computer.
Print Settings/Options
Print Quality Settings* (0)*Like other compact printers, print quality remains constant for the Panasonic PX20. In the case of dye sub printers, quality is usually fixed at 300 x 300 dpi. Neither the driver nor the unit’s menu provide options for quality settings. **Internal Editing*** (6.00)*Users can select between Auto mode or adjust density/balance, color levels, or white balance themselves in the Image Adjustment menu. Effects can also be applied to the images, including monochrome effects (see below), Warm, Cool, Soft Portrait, Embossed Heart, Oil Painting, Japanese Paper, Convex Sphere, and Concave Sphere. Many of these are cheesy but appropriate to a simple printer like this. These changes are only viewable on the stock image included in the menu. Users can only see how the filter applies to their image after printing it out. Users can also create calendars and composite images with the PX20. There is also a whole gallery of clip art, including generic cartoony characters and text greetings in multiple languages.

**Dedicated B&W Settings / Effects*** (5.00)*Panasonic PX20 users can choose between the basic selections of monochrome settings, including warm monochrome, cool monochrome, and sepia. It’s standard to have these options, but it would be nice to see more color options for those craftily inclined.

Media Types* (5.00)*Paper types for the PX20 are mostly limited to basic postcard paper or wide paper for printing 16:9 aspect ratio pictures. Stickers and adhesive paper can also be purchased.
Connectivity
Formats/Compatibility*(6.00)*The PX20 is designed to work with Panasonic’s LUMIX line of cameras via the PictBridge port behind the paper cassette door. Other PictBridge-enabled cameras can also be hooked up to the PX20. The printyer has one USB port for hooking the printer up to a computer. There is also a video port for prinitng images from a television.
**Media Slots***(3.00)*The PX20 is limited in its media compatibility, with only a slot for SD cards. Most other compact printers have at least a slot for CompactFlash cards. However, Panasonic only uses SD cards for its cameras, and the PX printers are meant to be used with LUMIX cameras, so the choice is not surprising. However, this makes these printers less than useful to consumers with cameras using media cards other than SD. **Wireless Interface*** (0)*There are no options for wireless connectivity with the PX20. **Network*** (0)*No network options are provided for the PX20, as is the case with many compact printers.
Overall Impressions/Ease of Use
Ease of Use*(7.00)*The extensive menu, large LCD, and simple control panel make the Panasonic KX-PX20 a very easy compact printer to use. The menu is mostly intuitive. It’s very compact and easy to carry, although the lack of a carrying handle, as is found on the Sony FP90, is unfortunate. Unlike the Canon models, the Panasonic PX20 isn’t equipped with a battery, optional or otherwise, which would make this a truly portable and versatile printer. **Value *(2.00)*For the money, users can do much better with other compact photo printers, dye sub or inkjet. The expensive cost per print and poor image quality alone makes this a poor buy next to models such as the Sony FP90 and The Epson PictureMate Flash. But the lack of wireless compatibility, single memory card slot, and lack of optional battery go well beyond this to make the PX20 simply not worth the cost, unless the consumer is wed to Panasonic products. Comparisons**
Conclusion
**Likes**- Large, 3.6" LCD screen.- Easy-to-use menu.- Simple, intuitive control panel. **Dislikes**- Poor image quality.- Only one media card slot (SD).- No wireless connectivity.- High cost per print. **Conclusion**The Panasonic KX-PX20 is a dye sublimation printer selling for $199. It’s comparable in size to many other dye subs, such as Canon and Sony models. The printer comes with a starter ink cassette and paper cassette good for five prints, power cord, instruction manual, installation CD, and remote control. It sets up quickly and is easy to operate. The ink cassette installs effortlessly, like most dye sub printers, and the paper cassette is better designed than others. The unit is meant to be used with Panasonic Lumix cameras, and these and other PictBridge enabled cameras can be hooked up directly to the printer to make prints. Media cards can also be used, but only SD and Multimedia cards.
Specs/Ratings
Specs/Ratings****