A photo printer makes a good addition to your personal equipment for a variety of reasons. Whether you are a photographer, a photography enthusiast, craft maker, or just someone who loves taking photos of your kids and their moments, the best photo printer will make a big difference in how you preserve the memories you want to keep.
To print pictures of high quality, you must invest in a photo printer that uses a dynamic ink system that can translate various color shades. Its color reproduction technology must be top-notch. More so, prints must be able to resist fading and discoloration, even after so many years. After all, high-quality photo prints should keep memories for the future to appreciate.
For more bang for the buck, you can also go for the best all-in-one printer for photos. This photo printer can also print documents, scan, as well as photocopy. It also comes cheaper for its functionality, making it the most preferred choice for home use.
When choosing the best photo printer, you should also consider the cost per print. This is to compare if it is more economical to buy your own instead of having it printed in printing shops. Assess the frequency of your need to print photos to see if it is a good investment. Aside from the capital cost in purchasing the photo printer, you also have to consider the consumables like paper and ink, as well as the occasional miscellaneous expenses like a new cartridge or maintenance services.
We reviewed the top photo printer choices available online today and narrowed them down to our most recommended three that can do professional photo printing.
| Name | Key Feature | |
|---|---|---|
| Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer– Editor’s Choice | Utilizes the Lucia Pro Ink System that contains 11 color cartridges and an ink optimizer | Check Price |
| Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer | Multi-purpose printer – print, scan, photocopy | Check Price |
| HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing | With optional subscription-based, automatic ink refill ordering feature | Check Price |
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer – Editor’s Choice
This photo printer is one of the best in its class in terms of versatility and quality. It is best recommended for photographers, photo exhibitors, or anyone who needs to do large-format printing. Overall, it outputs professional-grade photos regardless of the size.
Printing high-quality photos involve precision. That is, ink should be released at a density that gives it more definition and richness. This is particularly important in large-scale printing where every detail counts and is given more emphasis. And this is what this photo printer delivers. It uses the Lucia Pro Ink System that ensures the ink is dispersed on the paper in the right places with the appropriate density. This makes it the best printer for photographers.
More so, accurate ink placement is important in doing faithful reproduction of images from the lens to the print. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer has a unique feeding system wherein a mechanism in the photo printer vacuum-grasp the paper, regardless of type, to keep it in place while the ink system does its job.
The last thing you may want to happen in your photo printer is clogging. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer wanted to stay professional too, at least, in terms of performance and reliability. It does digital photo printing using a fine print head that works with a tubular ink system. This is the kind of technology that reduces the tendency for clogging and at the same time, speeds up the whole printing process.
Since it does professional digital photo printing, expect richer and more vivid colors and enhanced darker areas in your photos. This photo printer uses 11 colors for its ink system to best replicate the colors, hues, and gradients. This way, it can provide justice to every photographer’s work of art.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Does wide-format professional photo printing | You have to use it frequently to maximize its ink efficiency |
| Utilizes an anti-clogging technology | |
| Utilizes the Lucia Pro Ink System that contains 11 colors and an ink optimizer | |
| Enhances the darker areas in your photo | |
| Can print bordered photos up to 17” x 22” |
Conclusion
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer is a reliable investment for people looking to print wide-format photos more than occasionally. This photo printer makes a great choice for photographers who specialize in artsy subjects; the superb ink system can faithfully reproduce the captured colors to paper.
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer
This wireless photo printer can seamlessly connect with your wireless network so you can print photos directly from any of your devices, including mobile ones. You can print directly from your tablet, laptop, or smartphone. But even without a wireless network, you can still print from your mobile device by using its Wi-Fi direct feature.
Meanwhile, this photo printer also comes with a slot for your USB and SD card so you can print directly without the need for another peripheral. This provides you with the convenience of getting your prints on-demand, with less waiting time.
When it comes to performance, it can provide high-quality prints on the consumer level with its 5-color ink system. Epson inks are generally smudge-proof and resistant to water and fading, which allows you to keep your memories, in terms of best quality photo prints, alive for a very long time.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer is a multi-purpose photo printer that also provides a host of other functions. Aside from reproducing high-quality prints, it can help you do the job faster with its 2-sided printing function. Meanwhile, you can also use it to scan documents and do photocopying.
Aside from versatility in its functions that meet your usual printing requirements at home, this is also a reliable photo printer for your creative projects. It comes with the Creative Print app that allows you to create custom invitations, cards, or other projects. You can also use the app to print photos directly from your Facebook or Instagram account.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer comes with a 30-page automatic paper feeder that can fit 4” x 6” and 8” x 10” paper. This photo printer also comes with a touchscreen display where you can adjust settings and edit photos directly before printing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Multi-purpose printer – print, scan, photocopy | Some users complain about the flimsy paper tray |
| Utilizes a 5-color ink system; still more than a traditional document printer | |
| Comes with a 4.3″ touchscreen display where you can edit your photos before printing (when viewing them from the USB or SD card inserted directly on the photo printer’s slot for it) | |
| Executes print speed at 12 seconds (rated using a 4″ x 6″ print) | |
| Wireless printing |
Conclusion
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Wireless Color Photo Printer is one of the best economical options when it comes to printing high-quality photographs meant for memory preservation and other creative projects.
HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing
If Alexa is a mainstay in your home, then rejoice as you can have her command your photo printer to do its tasks as well. And aside from voice command, this home photo printer also offers a gamut of smart functionalities that will make printing easier and more convenient.
You can print photos wirelessly from your mobile device. You can either use your built-in mobile printing app for it or use the Wi-Fi direct feature. Meanwhile, aside from integrating it into your smart home network, you can also do so too in your existing computer network. It has both Wi-Fi (dual-band) and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as Ethernet function (for wired networks).
Get high-quality prints from the HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing via its tri-color ink cartridge system. Another smart feature is that your photo printer can order ink for itself before it runs out (subscription-based). This ensures continuous printing with less hassle on your end. Opting for this feature can also save you on ink costs aside from hassle-free ink replenishment.
You can print custom-size photos, as well as standard photo print sizes, from this versatile photo printer. It has dedicated paper trays for different paper sizes for a more precise paper feeding and an optimized printing process.
Aside from wireless printing capability, you can also print photos from your USB or SD card. Simply insert your optical storage device on the dedicated slot, then view, choose, and edit the photos directly on this photo printer’s colored touchscreen display before hitting the print button.
More so, you can also fetch your photos from your cloud storage like Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud and print them directly. You can also access and print the photos from your social media accounts. All of these can be done via the HP Smart app.
As an added feature, you can also connect your camera to it and use it to scan images and display them directly on the photo printer‘s screen. It conveniences you into scanning documents and printing them faster.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can be integrated into your smart home system (via Alexa) | The quality of prints are just okay, but we included it on our list because of its flexibility and convenience |
| With optional subscription-based, automatic ink refill ordering feature | |
| Can support multiple photo storage devices (physical and cloud-based) | |
| Can do wireless printing | |
| Can be accessed and operated on via a mobile app or the built-in colored touchscreen | |
| With separate photo trays for different paper sizes |
Conclusion
The HP ENVY Photo 7855 All in One Photo Printer with Wireless Printing provides you the best service in terms of convenience. This photo printer is also loaded with features, including smart capabilities.
Final Verdict
High quality prints play a significant role in helping a photographer show solid proofs of his art and craftsmanship. In the same way, it also helps preserve beautifully captured memories we have of the most important moments we want to impart to our loved ones in the future.
Either you are looking for the best professional photo printer or the best home photo printer, both needs should be addressed by our Editor’s Choice.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer ticks all the requirements when it comes to high-quality photo prints. It does faithful reproduction of your stills through rich colors and clarity as if you are looking at the lens of a high-end camera.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photographic Inkjet Printer uses different technologies for color reproduction, ink management, and operational efficiency to make sure you can rely on it for the best quality prints all the time.