MADISON, Wis. -- Consumer Reports recently tested seven of the newest portable snapshot printers and rated the products.

Vanessa Clark said she uses her home computer printer to print 8-by-10s of her children. But for smaller pictures, she said she does something else.

"The ones that I put in albums I send off to an outside service to have 4-by-6s made," Clark said.

People like Clark are just who the makers of snapshot printers are trying to reach. Consumer Reports tested seven of the newest ones, including snapshot printers from Kodak, HP and Epson.

Consumer Reports tester Susan Daino evaluated printers' speed, cost per print and picture quality, as well as how well they resist water damage and fading.

Overall results for all seven were very good, and Consumer Reports' Eileen McCooey said they can get the job done without a PC.

"With all of the printers that we've tested, it's very easy to print without using a computer. You can just connect the camera and the printer by a thin cable. You can insert the memory card from the camera into the printer or you can dock the camera right onto the printer with some models," McCooey said.

However, snapshot printers are limited to 4-by-6 or 5-by-7 photos, so they aren't as versatile as comparably priced inkjet printers. Those can deliver 8-by-10 photos, but not as effortlessly, testers said.

"Snapshot printers really have the edge for convenience," McCooey said. "They print onto pre-cut coated photo paper. It takes only a minute or so to produce a 4-by-6 print, and they have a carrying handle, which makes them very easily carried about. And some even use a rechargeable battery."

Consumer Reports said that two top-rated printers from Epson produced excellent photos. The Epson PictureMate Pal costs $130, and the Epson PictureMate Snap, which has a larger LCD screen and more editing functions, costs $180. Testers said both can deliver photos in just over a minute at a cost of 25 cents per print, which is about what drugstores charge.

Consumer Reports said the Epson PictureMate Snap also has an optional rechargeable battery, which can come in handy. It costs an additional $50.