Best Photo Printers

A photo printer is a device primarily designed for printing images on special paper. That is why it is always colored and uses at least 3 shades. There are many such options on the market, but only a few can truly be called the best photo printers. We have compiled a rating, adding to it the best technique for taking photographs at home and in specialized salons. Perhaps he will help you make the right decision.

Which firm's photo printer is better to choose

This TOP includes companies that have been on the market for a long time and have already won the trust of buyers. Basically, it describes the products of firms operating in the middle price range and premium segment. Each of these brands is quite popular in the market and has earned a big name for itself. The following brands are in the top three:

• Hewlett-Packard Is one of the most popular and prestigious companies in the field of office equipment production. There are no really cheap products in its assortment, here are devices of the middle price range and premium models. Basically, it produces jet-type units that are suitable both for home use and for office use by a small team. It is one of the few companies that offer compact photo printers. They differ from similar options in bright colors and ease of use.
• Epson Is the main competitor of Hewlett-Packard, but, unlike it, it is not focused on the production of any one type of printers. In stock he has inkjet, matrix and laser models of office equipment. They are interesting because of their good resource, versatility with regard to the use of various types of paper and because of their ease of use. There are convenient control panels, large ink tanks, large trays for sheets with automatic feeding. Some of them can even be connected to a PC remotely over the Internet. There are also products that are suitable for synchronization with mobile devices.
• Ricoh - this Japanese company is not so widely known in the Russian market as compared to Epson and Hewlett-Packard. However, in recent years, its photo printers have been recognized as some of the best. She has models for printing in A3 and A4 format, they are favorably distinguished by an intuitive interface, economy of ink consumption, automation of work, which makes them comfortable to use. Basically, we are talking here about laser models, and therefore the price for them cannot be called low. However, the high quality fully compensates for this drawback, the photos are clean, clear, bright, like those of professionals.

The best MFPs for home

Rating of the best photo printers

The basis for adding office equipment to the rating was the numerous positive customer reviews, the successful results of our tests and high marks from experts in this area. When analyzing the characteristics of all models, we relied on the following points:

• Ease of use;
• Efficiency of use;
• Profitability;
• Versatility of operation;
• Life time;
• Value for money;
• Type - for professionals or amateurs;
• Dimensions and design;
• Duration of the warranty.

Among the characteristics, we paid attention to product life, print speed, number of colors, noise level, print resolution, wireless connectivity.We also took into account the warm-up time (for laser models) and first page out, the volume of the tray, the type and thickness of the paper used. Not the last place in the analysis of goods, as one of the selection criteria, was given to the reputation of manufacturing firms, which, because of their fame, often raise prices for their products.

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Best compact photo printers

There are very few such models on the market; they include devices that can be carried with you and connected to phones or tablets. With their help, it is allowed to print photos of limited sizes, on average, 7x15 cm. Despite their small dimensions, their cost is not low. Based on print quality and ease of use, we have selected the best photo printer out of 10 models.

HP Sprocket, Black

Looking at the small size of this device, you do not immediately understand why it is so expensive. However, the near-flawless print quality and excellent color reproduction make things clear. Of course, you cannot print large pictures on it, but standard (7.6 x 7.6 cm) it gives out easily. The feature of this technique is the ability to send a photo to it from a smartphone or tablet without connecting to a PC, which expands user capabilities and saves time. Despite its small size, 10 sheets of photo paper can be inserted here without problems.

The HP Sprocket, Black is quiet enough and doesn't consume much power at 15.91 watts. It is convenient to carry it in a bag and use it not only at home, since the weight of the product does not exceed 260 g. The device is easy to operate due to a well-thought-out design and “smart” software. On the left there is a power button, on the back there is a charging indicator, a place for a cable and a reset button.

Advantages

• Lack of a pull-out tray;
• Good print speed;
• One year warranty;
• The presence of Bluetooth;
• Accepts sticky photo paper;
• High resolution images.

disadvantages

• Does not feed paper automatically;
• Limited photo size.

Best professional photo printers

These devices allow you to print not only photographs, but also various advertising booklets, brochures, leaflets. Naturally, the cost of such products will be higher than average. Such devices usually work not only with A4 and A3 formats, but also with stickers. Of all the options available on the market, 3 units have been added to the rating. The reason for this was their efficiency in work, efficiency, ease of use.

Epson L1800

This photo printer is the best for printing photos, in part, due to the fact that it has built-in high capacity ink tanks. In total, 6 containers are available here, which are located as conveniently as possible and are invisible to others, being hidden under the lid. One filling station can print about 1,500 color pictures in 10x15 cm format. They are not smeared, the paints dry quickly and, before using, they do not need to be specially dried, as in the case of many other models.

When the ink runs out, in comparison with cartridge devices, they are replaced quite easily in the Epson L1800 inkjet photo printer, and the cost of the service is significantly reduced. The reviews also write about the economical consumption of paints thanks to the "droplet" printing technology of 1.5 picoliters. This printer, which prints photos in almost any conditions, is carried out without any problems, although its dimensions are considerable.

Advantages

• Wide range of paper weight - from 64 to 300 g / m2;
• Can print in black and white;
• Large resource - up to 75,000 pages;
• Good tray capacity - up to 100 sheets;
• Compatible with OS X, Windows;
• Complete kit for instant application.

disadvantages

• Supports only A3 paper size;
• The output speed of the finished photo is lower than that of the text (191 sec.);
• Considerable weight at 12.5 kg.

As the reviews show, Epson L1800 is suitable for both home use and office use for printing not only photos, but also advertising brochures.

Epson SureColor SC-P600

It is the best photo printer in terms of functionality and boasts a combination of high print quality and ease of use. Yes, the price for it is not low, but this is fully justified by the good results of use. It is based on the unique Vivid Magenta color formula, which allows you to get bright, rich, contrasting photos. This is what makes it possible to call this model professional.

This is one of the few devices in which, in addition to the basic ink (6 colors - yellow, cyan, turquoise, black, magenta light and saturated), gray shades are also used. This provides a wide color gamut that accurately reproduces the original tones when printed. The device looks even more attractive due to the impeccably high speed of output of prints - up to 150 seconds versus 191 seconds, which are observed in the previous version in the rating.

Advantages

• CD / DVD printing function;
• The presence of a special tray for creating layouts;
• Good resource of the print head;
• Meniscus control for precise positioning;
• Two ports for USB connection.

disadvantages

• Slightly noisy during operation.

Ricoh SP C260DNw

It is the optimal solution for both small offices and home use. This technique deserves attention due to high quality and at the same time economical printing. It easily copes with a large flow of jobs, producing about 20 pages per minute. Equally convenient here is the fact that the printer supports work in Mac, Windows and Linux environments. The device warms up almost instantly and is ready for use within 30 seconds after switching on.

The Ricoh SP C260DNw laser printer for printing photos works with A4, A5, A6, B5, B6 paper, and therefore allows you to get more than just pictures. It is very convenient here that 150 sheets can be loaded into the tray at once, and their density can be completely different, in the range of 60-160 g / m². As with all models, the cartridge resource is strictly individual for different colors, of which there are four - yellow, cyan, magenta, black. However, this is sufficient to produce crisp and vivid images.

Advantages

• Power consumption in printing mode up to 58.3 W;
• Withstands a load of up to 30,000 prints per month;
• The first page comes out in 14 seconds in any color;
• Can connect with smart devices;
• It is not difficult to refill the cartridge from the masters;
• Does not spoil the sheets.

disadvantages

• Weight 23.8 kg;
• A little noisy.

Best Photo Printers for Home Use

Such products are usually sold in the middle price range, they can have an automatic paper feed and a volumetric tray. Most often they support 4-6 colors, but the brightness and clarity of the image are acceptable. They are distinguished from professional devices by a lower print output speed and not such a good resource. The market is based on these devices. We examined 10 different options and selected 3 best photo printers based on their parameters.

HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C

This is a multifunctional device with an optimal combination of quality and price, which is interesting primarily because it allows you to print photos and documents directly from your smartphone. For this, inkjet cartridges are used here, however, they must have a special microcircuit, other options are not suitable here. But it is thanks to this that the high quality and accuracy of the print is ensured.

Despite the fact that the device is not very large, there is still a wireless connection, which means that it is not necessary to keep it near the computer. The connection between them can be provided using Wi-Fi, and it is configured quite simply using a special adapter. For one price, the buyer receives, together with a photo printer, a scanner and a copier, which is very profitable. But in this model, the load per month should not exceed 1200 A4 pages, otherwise it may fail prematurely.

Advantages

• Color printing resolution - up to 4800 x 1200 dots;
• Black and white images are produced at 1200 x 1200 dpi;
• Not very noisy;
• Convenient control panel;
• Relatively lightweight;
• Doesn't take up much space in the house.

disadvantages

• Does not independently determine the type of paper;
• Consumables must be submitted by yourself.

The HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C is a premium model, but it also cannot print and scan at the same time.

HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter

HP is one of the very best photo printer brands out there, so you expect a lot from it from the start. This model also did not disappoint, although outwardly it does not differ from its predecessors in the ranking. Its advantage lies in the use of original pigment inks of its own production, which guarantee a professional print quality, sharp color reproduction, durability and brightness.

This option is very beneficial for those who want to save on paper use, as it can be cut in half by printing borderless on both sides. Moreover, you can send a photo to it from any device that can be synchronized with it, including remotely. All this is possible with the Ethernet 10/100 option, and the HP All-in-One Printer Remote app lets you scan photos even from a mobile device.

Advantages

• 225-sheet tray;
• Paper does not jam;
• Withstands production of up to 15,000 pages per month;
• Finished prints do not fade in the sun and are stored for a long time;
• Easy to refill cartridges;
• Excellent performance;
• Automatic shutdown when idle.

disadvantages

• Supports not all sizes and types of paper;
• Works with Mac and Windows OS only.

Canon Pixma G1410

Outwardly, this model is very similar to the HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter, it is also an inkjet version. With its help, it is possible to obtain bright enough pictures with a resolution of up to 1200 × 4800 dpi. Images are smudge-free and color complaints do not occur. This effect is possible, in particular, due to the support of 4 colors.

The paint is not used as economically as in previous models, since the minimum drop size is 2pl. Even so, it is one of the best home photo printers on the market, with little ink replacement required. For the offered price it is just a gift!

Advantages

• Colored water-soluble ink;
• Borderless printing;
• Reliable FINE ink system.
• One set of inks is enough for 7000 pages;
• Resource - up to 6000 pages;
• Low noise level;
• Ease of use;
• Tray location on top.

disadvantages

• At high temperatures, slight drips of paint may be visible.

Which photo printer is better to buy

When choosing the best office or home photo printer, first of all, you need to pay attention to its color formula. It is desirable that there is a cartridge or ink tanks of at least 4 shades. The standard set is black, yellow, magenta and cyan. However, if there are more colors, the print is usually even brighter and more interesting.

For ease of printing, it is better that the device can connect to a PC wirelessly via Wi-Fi. No less relevant is the ability to transfer images directly from the phone, which is ideal for selfie lovers. Those who want to receive prints of various sizes should consider purchasing office equipment that supports A3, A3 +, A4 paper formats.

Here's what model you can choose for different purposes:

• You can buy the HP Sprocket, Black for quick printing of selfies.
• For use in a photo studio, for example, for the purpose of obtaining prints in a passport and other documents, the Epson L1800 is well suited.
• If you also need to print advertising brochures, in addition to photographs, you should pay attention to the Epson SureColor SC-P600.
• The Ricoh SP C260DNw is the best choice for handling different paper types and sizes.
• For amateur photographers, the non-professional options are the HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C and the HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter.

Even when it comes to the best photo printers, no one can guarantee that they are completely free from flaws. Therefore, we advise you to familiarize yourself with them in advance and understand whether they are important to you. In any case, this rating will help you make your choice!