The Best Photo Printer for 2024 [By Experst]

Ever felt reminiscent of the good old days when the whole family came together to check the photo albums and walk down memory lane? Photo printers are here to help you bring these days back to the digital age.

It’s true that we now have more photos on our smartphones than ever before, but still, nothing beats the feeling of owning these irreplaceable moments and having physical copies of your photos that can’t be accidentally wiped away with a couple of clicks.

In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of the best printers that are built specifically for printing photos. Multi-purpose printers can be more versatile, but they can’t compete with the print quality and crispness you get on a dedicated photo printer. Let’s jump right into the reviews and help you pick between some of the best photo printers on the market.

Comparison Table

The 7 Best Photo Printers

1. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000

Let’s kick off our list with a printer that will bring a whole new dynamic to your workflow as a professional. If you’re a photographer or a designer and want an accessible way to display your work in its full glory, Canon has got you covered with its imagePROGRAF Pro-1000.

The photo printer makes use of a 17-inch wide format to display your vision with no compromises. It also has an accurate greyscale, taking black and white photos to a whole new level. You get deeper blacks, in addition to supporting a wide color gamut for stunning colored photos as well.

The inkjet photo printer comes with some tricks under its sleeves to ensure you get consistent, high-quality prints, no matter which paper type you go for.

The Air Feeding System is put in place to create a vacuum grip on your photo paper as it finds its way through the printing chamber to prevent it from skewing. This delivers an accurate ink placement for more detailed photo prints.

With its tubular ink delivery system, the photo printer Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000 delivers fast printing speeds and prevents ink from clogging when the printer is not used that often. This helps cut down the maintenance cost and ensures you won’t have to face any hassles to get your project printed and ready to be displayed.

Finally, with a 17-inch large format available at your disposal, we couldn’t help but wish the printer also supported roll-paper printing. This would allow artists to print panoramic and landscape photos as one cohesive project without having to worry about printing separate snippets then stitching them together.

Pros:

• Air Feeding System for accurate ink placement
• A 1.28-inch wide printing head, expanding the printing area for more speed
• Comes with dedicated nozzles for the matte and glossy black
• Accurate color reproduction and enhanced image clarity
• Climate Pledge friendly

Cons:

• No support for roll-paper printing
• On the pricey side
• Slow Print speed

Bottom Line

If you’re a graphic designer or photographer looking for the perfect photo printer to do your work justice, Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000 is the way to go. With its deep blacks, extensive color gamut, and wide format, you have a photo printer that can tackle different projects without skipping a beat.

2. Epson EcoTank ET-7700

Epson delivers a cost-effective photo printing solution with its EcoTank ET-7700. The printer ditches the traditional ink cartridges for more elaborate, easy-to-fill ink tanks. Such a design choice will help you save money in the long run, especially if you’re looking forward to printing plenty of photos for your collection.

Out of the box, you get 2 years’ worth of ink included with your purchase. This is enough to print up to 14,000 mono or 9,000 color A4 pages before you run out of ink. Furthermore, the EcoTank ET-7700 comes with dedicated photo paper and standard sheet trays for seamless switching between the two.

Speaking of paper, the printer can hold 100 sheets or 20 photo paper at a time. This means you won’t have to interrupt your printing session that often, and you can just focus on what to print next.

The printer also serves as an all-in-one device with its flatbed scanner and copier. Aside from the added value, you’re getting the benefit of one compact device that can do it all. This is especially crucial if you have limited space on your desk to work with.

Finally, the Epson EcoTank ET-7700 offers tons of versatility with its wide range of connectivity options. It has a built-in SD card slot for you to directly slip your memory and print without the need for a PC. Such PC-free printing is also possible thanks to the EcoTank ET-7700’s USB port that can speak directly to many of your devices.

It also offers wireless photo printing solutions with its Wi-Fi capabilities and Ethernet connection, so you can snap a photo from your smartphone and print it within seconds with no extra cables needed.

Pros:

• A 2.7-inch LCD for quick access to shortcuts and settings
• High print resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi
• 5-color inks support for an excellent color representation of your photos
• Low color ink costs
• Offers both wired and wireless connectivity, plus an SD card slot

Cons:

• The print speed isn’t the best

Bottom Line

Epson manages to remove one of the main barriers to photo printing, being the exorbitant ink costs. The EcoTank ET-7700 comes with ink tanks instead of cartridges that are cheaper to refill. It also offers different connectivity options to get you up and running, no matter which device you’re on.

3. Canon Pixma TS5320

You won’t have to break the bank to enjoy high-quality photo printing, as Canon delivers a budget option with its Pixma TS5320. The printer does an exceptional job with printing documents, diagrams, and most importantly, photos. It provides a well-rounded package at an entry price for people who do a moderate amount of printing.

Furthermore, the printer uses a hybrid ink system that requires only 2 fine ink cartridges to deliver accurate colors and sharp details. This streamlined system also makes ink replacement a no-brainer.

Upon the activation of your new printer, you become eligible to join Amazon’s Dash Replenishment program that lets you save 10% on all your ink cartridges. The printer also comes with smart features to automatically detect that it’s running low on ink and make cartridge reorders on your behalf.

Just like the Epson EcoTank ET-7700, the Canon Pixma TS5320 also offers scanner and copier functionality, making it your one go-to device for different projects. To ensure the printer’s different modes never gets overwhelming or complicated, Canon has a built-in 1.44-inch OLED display to help you navigate through the different menus and settings.

It’s also worth mentioning that the printer supports Amazon’s smart assistant, Alexa. This means you can control your printer with just your voice through any Alexa-powered device lying around at your home.

Pros:

• Compact footprint with 4 colors to choose from 
• Comes with Amazon’s Dash Replenishment program to save on cartridges
• Supports Amazon’s Alexa
• AirPrint from any iOS or macOS device

Cons:

• Limited connectivity options
• The 2 cartridge system isn’t as efficient

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an affordable option to get you started on printing your own photos at home, Canon might have the right answer with its TS5320. The printer uses a unique ink system to deliver natural-looking colors and detailed photos. It also comes with the same Wi-Fi capabilities you’d expect from the more expensive letter-size printers.

4. HP Envy 6055

Continuing on the budget-friendly trend that we’ve started with the Canon TS5320, HP comes swinging with its own all-in-one solution. Though the inkjet printer comes with some noticeable rough edges in order to keep the overall price in check, it still delivers a worthwhile package for people on a tight budget looking for a reliable photo printer.

Right off the bat, you’ll notice the limited connectivity options that the printer comes with. If you expect to find Ethernet or USB ports to start printing without having to rely on your PC, you’re out of luck here. It’s not all bad though, as the Envy 6055 supports wireless printing, offering a great way around the omission of the other connectivity options.

Another point to bear in mind is that the cartridges that come with your inkjet printer won’t have you covered for as much as you’d like to. They’re light on ink out-of-the-box, and unless you upgrade to high-capacity cartridges, you won’t get the best value when it comes to future ink refills.

Recall in our Epson EcoTank ET-7700 review, we weren’t blown away by the print speed. The situation is no better here, as the HP Envy 6055 comes at slightly lower numbers sitting at 10 ppm for black and 7 ppm for color printing. If you’re buying your printer for casual home usage, speed won’t be an issue, especially given its price.

At the end of the day, what makes or breaks a photo printer is its printing quality, and the HP Envy 6055 knocks it out of the park in this regard. You get support for borderless printing for your photos to stretch, covering the full paper size.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Borderless document and photo prints
• Easy setup using HP’s mobile app
• One-year limited warranty
• Environmentally-friendly production

Cons:

• Print speed could benefit from some improvement
• No separate photo tray
• No copier or scanner capabilities

Bottom Line

HP earns its well-deserved spot in the budget photo printers space with its Envy 6055. The all-in-one device is perfect for home use with its Wi-Fi connectivity, borderless printing, and easy setup. If you’re willing to upgrade to the more efficient, high-capacity cartridges and don’t mind the slower print speed, you’ll be satisfied with what HP delivers.

5. Epson SureColor P600

Epson photo printers are well-known for their high print resolution, and the SureColor P600 is no different. At a resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi, your photos will pop with stunning details and crispness. Add this to the support for massive canvas up to A2, and you get yourself the perfect business photo printer.

It’s worth mentioning that the Epson SureColor P600 doesn’t follow in the footsteps of its EcoTank ET-7700 counterpart regarding the implementation of the ink system. The P600 settles for the traditional individual color cartridges, allowing it to house more colors.

The SureColor part of the name hints at the printer’s 9-color UltraChrome HD ink set, which delivers life-like colors. This can be especially evident if you’re planning to print photos captured in HDR (High Dynamic Range.)

Furthermore, the Epson SureColor addresses our main complaint about the Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000, being the roll-paper printing. Here, you can print panoramic posters to cover the entire width of your walls.

By now, you already expect Wi-Fi connectivity to be the norm in the photo printing space, with more people using smartphones as their primary camera. The Epson SureColor P600 supports Apple’s AirPrint and Google’s CloudPrint, bringing the wireless printing capabilities to both ends of the spectrum.

Our only complaints are related to speed and print costs. The photo printer ensures each pixel is realized in its full glory, putting resolution front and center. This deliberate effort to put in as many ink dots per inch comes at the expense of slow print speeds. Finally, the printing cost is on the high side with all such colored ink put into faithfully recreating your photos.

Pros:

• Roll-paper printing
• Wireless connectivity with Apple’s and Google’s mobile OS support
• Impressive printing resolution
• Excellent color accuracy with natural-looking shades

Cons:

• Bulky footprint
• A slow print speed of 6 ppm

Bottom Line

Epson knocks it out of the park with its SureColor P600 photo printer, delivering unmatched color accuracy and high resolution. Such a combination makes it the perfect fit for business uses, considering you can mitigate the extra cost that the UltraChrome HD inks sets will run you.

6. Canon Pixma TS8320

We’ve got yet another photo printer from Canon, and this time around, the Canon Pixma TS8320 offers a large 4.3-inch touchscreen. This isn’t the first photo printer we feature with a screen interface; however, the earlier entries came with tiny screens that didn’t let you do much. They only served as a means of getting a quick glance at your settings.

This isn’t the case here, as the touchscreen opens up new ways to directly interact with your photo printer. You can seamlessly print, copy, or scan right from the inkjet printer itself without having to head back to your computer or smartphone.

Speaking of smartphones, the printer comes with an auto-expandable output tray, which extends on its own to catch your photos being printed.

Although it sounds fairly simple, yet such a feature allows you to power your printer directly from your smartphone as long as they’re both connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and start printing from anywhere in the house.

Furthermore, The Canon Pixma TS8320 fits perfectly into your smart home network. You can get your photos printed through voice commands using Alexa. This adds a whole new dynamic to the process of photo printing and makes it easier than ever to start pilling your favorite photos for the photo album of the year.

Pros:

• Fast print speed of 15 ppm for black and white photos
• A robust ink system with 6 different colors
• Alexa-ready printer
• An intuitive touchscreen making everything just a tap away

Cons:

• Relatively expensive

Bottom Line

Canon’s Pixma lineup has something for everyone! Here, the Canon Pixma TS8320 adds a responsive touchscreen to the mix, allowing you to print, scan, and copy with just a finger tab. Also, the fact that the printer can keep an idle mode to be activated directly from any smart device all over your house is a neat feature that adds many conveniences to the whole printing process.

7. HP Envy Photo 7855

We’ll wrap up our list with one uniquely designed photo printer that instantly catches the attention of anyone glancing at your desk. Aside from its odd design, the Envy Photo 7855 manages to squeeze in tons of features in a compact form factor that can easily fit anywhere.

In addition to the scanner and copier functionalities, the printer also comes with a built-in fax facility, making it a true all-in-one device. Furthermore, it follows on the same footprints as the Canon Pixma TS8320 and comes with a 2.65-inch touchscreen for more intuitive controls.

In order to squeeze all these features and components in a limited internal space, it’s understandable that HP engineers had to make cuts somewhere. Instead of offering single cartridges for each individual color similar to what we’ve seen with other photo printers, the Envy Photo 7855 combines all colors in a single cartridge.

This means you can’t expect the same level of color accuracy seen in, for example, the Epson SureColor P600 with its 9-cartridge inkjets. However, the printer still delivers decent photos that will look fine enough for most casual users.

Finally, the printer supports HP’s Instant Ink service, allowing it to figure out when you’re about to run out of ink and automatically orders replacement cartridges on your behalf. This way, your printer is always ready and waiting for you to come up with the next set of photos to be printed.

Pros:

• Feature-packed and comes with fax functionality
• Compact footprint
• Supports HP’s Instant Ink service
• Comes with a responsive touchscreen

Cons:

• The combined ink cartridge delivers far from ideal color accuracy

Bottom Line

If you’re a casual user who doesn’t print photos that often, it’d be smart to go for an all-in-one device to address many of your everyday needs all at once. HP’s feature-packed Envy Photo 7855 delivers decent photo output quality that will look good enough for most people.

How to Pick a Photo Printer

Most photo printers on the market are of the inkjet type, and for a good reason. Those inkjet printers bring photos to life with their higher resolutions and vivid colors, making them the go-to option for business and home use alike. Let’s dive into the features that define a dedicated photo printer to help you decide on the best one that suits your needs.

Resolution

This is the main selling point for many people shopping for a photo printer, as at the end of the day if your printer has all the features in the world but doesn’t deliver high-quality prints, all such features will go in vain.

Generally speaking, any printer dedicated to printing photos will come with a good enough resolution. Nevertheless, if you’re a professional designer or photographer looking to print your photos at the maximum resolution to realize your artistic vision, consider going for a resolution of 4800 x 12000 dpi or above.

Size

Depending on your workflow, the size of your photo printer can be a big deal or just an afterthought. For example, if you’re a photographer who’s always on the go, looking for the perfect shot, a compact, portable printer can be all that you need.

On the other hand, some people might not mind going for bulky photo printers for their higher print quality and more robust feature set. Another advantage to larger printers is their support for an even bigger paper size. You have room to print on wide, 17-inch sheets or go for roll-paper as your canvas for panoramic photo prints.

Speed

As a matter of fact, speed isn’t that much of a deal-breaker for most people upon choosing a photo printer. Photo output quality takes center stage here, so if speed means you’ll be compromising on image fidelity, many consumers will choose to put up with slower photo printers for the sake of quality.

Nevertheless, it’s still a key point to be considered if you find yourself torn between two printers with similar feature sets, and one of them is faster than the other. Speed makes a huge difference, especially if you’re planning to print tons of photos at a time.

Connectivity

With our smartphones becoming our pocket computers, it makes much sense that photo printers should play nicely with our phones, instead of having to use a PC as a middleman each time you want to print a photo.

Wireless printers are becoming the norm now with support for both AirPrint and CloudPrint, Apple’s and Google’s respective technologies for wireless printing.

That’s not all, as printers keep pushing for a PC-free printing experience! This is made possible through built-in USB ports that can directly read media from a connected flash drive. Furthermore, Ethernet ports add extra convenience to your printing experience, allowing you to print directly from the cloud service of your choice.

Our Verdict

Now that we’ve come to the end of our guide for the best photo printers, we hope you’re now closer than ever to finalizing your purchase decision. Wireless connectivity has become the standard now, and all the models featured on our list come with Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing you to print right away from your smartphones and tablets.

So, if you’re looking for a professional printer that supports wide format prints, go for the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 with its 17-inch wide-format or the Epson SureColor P600 with its roll-paper printing features.

Furthermore, budget models like the photo printer Canon Pixma TS5320 and the HP Envy 6055 ensure you get quality prints at the lower end of the price spectrum. Finally, HP Envy Photo 7855 offers an enticing all-in-one solution for people who care about the scan, copy, and fax features.