The Best Photo Printers 2020

Whether you’re a professional photographer, a keen amateur, or a snap-happy smartphone user, the chances are that you’ll want to print out your photos. If you’re keen to do your printing at home, a specialist photo printer will give you the quality and connectivity you need to have your memories in your hands in minutes.
 
There are many options available on the market right now, and whether you go for a professional, prosumer, or portable model will depend heavily on your budget and requirements. Capability and quality will vary hugely across different manufacturers and models, so it’s important to find the one that best suits your specific needs. 

You should think about the following things:

• Print cost – work out how much you’ll be paying per print (the manufacturer will usually provide an indication). How much you’re willing to spend will directly correlate with the level of quality you should expect from your photos. Also take into consideration the cost of replacement inks, as prices vary widely.
  
  
• Size – this can vary hugely for photo printers, from pocket-sized models, to machines that will need their own dedicated space in your home or office. Specialist photo printers tend to be much bigger than general printers, and some will need additional room behind them, so consider the space you have available.
  
  
• Print requirements – for dedicated photo printers, there can sometimes be a reduction in quality for black and white prints. If you’re planning to print color-free images, double check that your chosen printer is capable of doing so. Also consider the size and media you want to print on, as this can vary widely, too.
   
• Quality – if you’re going for a dedicated photo printer, you can expect the level of quality that you’d see in a drugstore print. As a general rule, the dots per inch (dpi) resolution is a great indicator of the quality you can expect.
   
• Quantity – check the monthly duty cycle, or the maximum recommended amount of prints, and ensure that it is more than you intend to print. This information can be lacking in some lower-end printers, so if you plan on printing high quantities, ensure that your chosen model provides this data.

Alternatively you could opt for a digital photo frame. Make your home look like a scene from Harry Potter.

Print speeds are relatively fast at around 30 seconds per 4 x 6 inch image, which is handy if you’re printing a batch of holiday snaps, and this model has no problems with handling both color and monochrome prints.

Output is possible at up to 13 x 19 inches, which is perfect if you want to print out larger versions of your images for posters or banners. The paper tray can accommodate 120 sheets of plain paper, or 20 sheets of thicker stock photo paper, which again will help you to get through batches of printing nice and quickly without having to reload the tray too often. And, if you want to print on particularly heavy stock paper, the single sheet rear feed tray has got you covered.

Connectivity includes Wi-Fi, which is handy if you take a lot of photos on your smartphone and don’t want the hassle of uploading them to your computer first, and Airprint, which is a must-have if you want to print from an Apple device. There’s also a USB port, so you can plug a memory stick directly into the printer without the need for a computer. Setup is nice and easy, and even if you install all the drivers and utilities you can get the job done in 15 minutes or so.

The dye-based inks that this Canon uses aren’t quite as resilient as pigment inkjet inks, and are also pricier. Despite the reduced durability, Canon reassures its customers with a promise that prints will last over 100 years under proper storage conditions. This model is a pretty hefty 43 lbs, and measuring in at 989 x 385 x 215 mm it’ll need plenty of room. But, it packs a lot of punch into that big body, so the bulk can be forgiven (assuming you’ve got space for it).

Epson’s SureColor P600 is a worthy runner-up: it also prints up to 13 x 19 inches, and in terms of quality, connectivity, setup, and ease of use, the two printers are pretty much in line with one another. But, where the Pro-100 prevails is its dynamic range. If you’re looking to print in greyscale, or even if not, you’ll really appreciate Canon’s abilities to add impact to shadows and darker areas in your images.

Whether you are printing in color or greyscale, this Canon delivers resolutions of up to 2,400 x 1,200 dpi, which will give you the professional-quality prints you need. Canon’s FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology monitors ink ejection conditions and detects clogs, ensuring that you don’t have any wasted prints. The smart Air Feeding System provides perfectly accurate ink-placement, which ensures that your photos are consistent and of a high quality.

With the ability to print photos up to 17 x 22 inches, this model offers the greatest sizes in the imagePROGRAF line. Speed and quietness are also impressive, and a high-quality color bordered 13 x 19 inch photo can be ready in just two and a half minutes.

Connectivity is as you’d expect with a printer of this caliber: USB 2.0, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi are all available, and Airprint is available if you’re an Apple-user. With the built-in Wi-Fi you can make the most of Canon’s PRINT app to wirelessly send images from your smartphone or tablet, as well as monitoring printer status and ink levels. Or, if you want to print directly from your camera, PictBridge provides that option.

Print Studio Pro 2.0 is the perfect software for providing enhanced printing options to improve your workflow. This includes soft proofing, which allows you to proof your final printed image on your computer, taking into account color reproduction for your chosen paper type.

This is not a compact printer by any means, and if you’re hoping for any kind of portability, this 70.5 lb. beast might not be the greatest option for you. But if you’re looking for a printer to deliver the best possible home-prints, this is the option for you.

Again, it’s Epson that comes in second to Canon. The SureColor SC-P800 is another strong option for professionals, and boasts a wide range of features including color calibration and specialist tools for fine artists. The setup and usability will definitely be tricky for beginners, but it’s unlikely that a beginner would go for the SC-P800 in the first place.

A 4 x 6 inch borderless image will take around 30 seconds to print, which isn’t bad for an entry level model like the PM-400, and will definitely be quick enough for you if you’re an occasional picture-printer. The stylish white frame feels solid and of a high quality, and at 4 lbs. the body is lightweight enough to be portable. Setup is incredibly easy, and even if you’re a printer-novice you’ll be printing in next to no time. Connectivity is also super simple to master, and inbuilt Wi-Fi allows you to print directly from your smartphone or tablet; further adding to the hassle-free aspect of this printer.

The print quality of this Epson isn’t going to win awards when compared with pricier printers, and for the quality output, the speed isn’t going to blow your mind, but you can’t go wrong with this Epson if you’re just looking to print pictures for your photo album.

Our alternative easy-to-use printer is a little ‘out there’, but needs to be included in our list due to its fun factor. HP’s Photosmart A826 doesn’t have a control panel, doesn’t need a computer, and the touchscreen really couldn’t be more simple to use; setup is essentially plug and play, too. The single print cartridge will manage around 55 4 x 6 inch print-outs, and you have the choice of printing via memory card, PictBridge, or an additional Bluetooth adapter. The hefty price tag makes it a little expensive for a novelty purchase but if you’re a fan of both photography and design, you might just think it’s worth it.

Installation is a breeze, so you don’t have to be in any way tech-minded to get your printing show on the road. There’s also 24/7 web support available, should you need a helping hand with setup or operation.

Where this printer can really save you money is with HP’s Instant Ink system, where you can pay a monthly subscription and have cartridges delivered, as and when you need them. As long as you choose the correct plan, and HP can help you with that, you can expect to save on your spend per print.

For such a cheap option you’ve got to expect some limitations, and with the Envy 5540 that limitation is speed. But, as you’re probably only printing in low volumes, that should be a small price to pay for this cheap but solid printer from HP.

Canon’s Pixma TS9020 is also great value. The 5 inch touchscreen is simple to operate and allows you to browse and print images directly from a digital camera or memory card, and Canon’s PRINT app makes it simple to connect to iOS and Android smartphones. The six separate color ink tanks provide great quality for the price, and an optical resolution of 2,400 x 4,800 dpi is more than enough for your home photos.

Weighing just 0.37 lbs. and measuring 75 x 116 x 23 mm, this palm-sized printer can literally be taken anywhere. It is battery powered too, so there’s no need to have access to mains power when you want to use it.

This printer doesn’t use ink so you won’t have to splash out on replacement cartridges. Instead, it uses heat to transform a pre-dyed sheet of paper into the picture you’re printing. The 2 x 3 inch sticky-backed paper is brilliant for scrapbooks, and if you don’t need the adhesive back, simply don’t peel the covering off! Media isn’t particularly cheap, but you’ll probably only be using this printer occasionally, and you’ll be saving on ink. The printer can hold up to ten sheets of pre-dyed paper at once, which saves time individually loading them.

It goes without saying that quality is not this stylish little printer’s USP, and with a resolution of 313 x 400 your pictures aren’t going to be gallery-quality. But, where you sacrifice quality, you gain in fun and portable printing of all your favorite Instagram-worthy moments.

Not quite as portable, but still brilliantly functional, is Canon’s SELPHY CP1200 printer. Weighing just 1.9 lbs, it is light enough to carry with you wherever you go, and the 4 x 6 inch prints are slightly superior to HP’s smaller offering. Connectivity is convenient via Wi-Fi and Apple’s Airprint, and Canon’s Selphy app will also make it super-quick to print from your smartphone. The spare battery is also a nice treat, but we think HP wins the battle of the portable printers for their fun-factor.

Canon is one of the masters of photography, and it’s great to see such a comprehensive printer on offer from them.