8 best photo printers

For printing photos, an ordinary color printer will not work. A high resolution device (dots per inch) and compatibility with common paper sizes, such as 10 × 15 or 20 × 30 centimeters, is required. But photo printers differ from ordinary printers not only in print density.

We have compiled a rating of 8 of the best models of photo printers, which will be an excellent assistant to both a beginner and professional photographer.

How to choose a photo printer: what to look for

When choosing a photo printer, it is recommended to pay attention to three parameters:

1. Compatible paper sizes;

2. Type and density (quality) of printing;

3. Additional functions.

Compatible paper sizes

Almost all photo printers intended for home or semi-professional use support printing on paper sizes up to A4 size inclusive. If necessary, you can purchase a device that displays images and prints of large dimensions. But these photo printers are much more expensive than home and semi-professional.

Print Type and Quality

By type of printing photo printers are divided into sublimation and inkjet.

1. Laser poorly suited for displaying detailed images, since their resolution rarely exceeds 2400 × 2400 dpi. Sublimation and inkjet photo printers, in turn, can cause up to 8000 points.

2. Sublimation technology creates images with realistic color reproduction and high saturation of shades. Such prints are durable, resistant to fading and detailed. But at the same time, sublimation printers are more expensive than inkjet ones, consumables for them are also distinguished by high prices, and the printing process on A4 sheet takes 3-4 minutes. In addition, sublimation photo printers are usually designed for a single paper size, most often standard 10 × 15 centimeters.

3. Inkjet Photo Printers cheaper and more economical, and also print faster. However, to get high-quality images, you should choose models that use 5-8 shades of toner. Conventional 3-4 toner photo printers are not capable of transmitting a wide range of tones and half tones.

Its resolution and visual “smoothness” depend on the resolution of the image. The higher it is, the better. A resolution of 4800 × 1200 dpi (dots per inch) is optimal for home use.

Additional functions

Additional functions of the photo printer determine its practicality. Among the most useful are:

1. Network interface Wi-Fi to connect the printer without wires;

2. Direct printing mode, also called Picture Bridge, for sending photos to a printer directly from a smartphone;

3. External USB connector for camera connection;

4. Card reader for installing memory cards from the camera.

5. Some photo printers are equipped with a touch screen, thanks to which it becomes more convenient to choose pictures for printing.

Top Photo Printer Rankings

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best inexpensive printers for printing photos - a budget of up to 10,000 rubles.	1	Canon PIXMA G1400	11 864 ₽
	2	Epson L312	9 390 ₽
	3	Canon PIXMA TS5040	4 790 ₽
The best photo printers of the average price category (up to 15,000 rubles)	1	Canon PIXMA iX6840	14 290 ₽
	2	Epson L486	14 340 ₽
The best semi-professional photo printers	1	Canon PIXMA PRO-1	-
	2	Canon PIXMA PRO-100S	34 410 ₽
	3	Epson Stylus Photo 1500W	37 996 ₽

The best inexpensive printers for printing photos - a budget of up to 10,000 rubles.

Canon PIXMA G1400

Rating: 4.9

Why first place: Four-color inkjet photo printer with a system of continuous ink supply.

Description: The Canon PIXMA G1400 printer takes the first place in a rating thanks to profitability. It is equipped with a continuous ink supply system, with the toner containers placed on the front panel. Therefore, you can see how much paint is left.

The photo printer uses thermal inkjet printing, resolution - 4800 × 1200 dpi for color images. It takes 60 seconds for the device to output a photo of 10 × 15 cm. The printer is four-color, using a color toner based on dyes and pigment black. The resource of one cartridge is enough for 6-7 thousand pages, then it is refilled.

Since the photo printer belongs to the budget segment, it is not equipped with the Picture Bridge function - only the connection with the computer is used for printing. There is also no private network interface, but you can configure it through Windows sharing.

Epson L312

Rating: 4.8

Why second place: Four-color printer with a continuous ink supply system, but compatible only with paper with a density of up to 180 g / m².

Description: Epson L312 Photo Printer takes the second place in the rating, because it is intended for home rather than amateur or semi-professional use. The device is also equipped with a continuous ink supply system, in which four toners are used - color based on dyes and pigment black. The jet piezoelectric printing technology is used, it takes 69 seconds to output a photo 10 × 15 centimeters.

The print resolution is the same for black and white and color images and is 5760 × 1440 dpi. This is enough for high detail "pictures". Cartridge lasts 4500 pages for each of the color toner shades and 7500 pages for black. Containers with "ink" are in a special unit, made outside the case.

The printer does not have its own network interface, card reader, or Picture Bridge feature. It works only with a computer.

Canon PIXMA TS5040

Rating: 4.7

Why third place: Photo Printer with Picture Bridge, scanner and copier modes, high print resolution ... but an unsuccessful head design.

Description: The Canon PIXMA TS5040 device, which closes the rating of budget photo printers, is not exactly a photo printer. Rather, it is an MFP that can take pictures on paper. For these purposes, a four-color cartridge with pigment black and color dye-based toners, as well as a piezo-electric inkjet technique are used. It takes 39 seconds for the printer to print a 10 × 15 centimeter photo.

Image resolution on paper is 4800 × 1200 dots per inch. The printer prints at speeds up to 12.6 sheets per minute, but only in black and white. In color, performance drops to 9 pages.

The printer supports Wi-Fi connectivity and quick setup as a network; prints photos from mobile devices using Picture Bridge technology. Equipped with a scanner and works in copier mode. Supports data transfer via IRDA (infrared).

The best photo printers of the average price category (up to 15,000 rubles)

Canon PIXMA iX6840

Rating: 4.9

Why first place: Thermal inkjet printing and resolution of 9600 × 2400 dpi.

Description: The Canon PIXMA iX6840 Photo Printer is at the top of the price range of devices due to its high resolution for color printing — it is 9600 × 2400 dpi. In addition, the device uses a thermal inkjet technique that provides realistic and rich shades on paper; and five shades of the cartridge. In addition to the purple, yellow and cyan toners on dyes, it uses two shades of black - on dyes and pigment. Due to this, dark shades are saturated and realistic, with transitions and gradients.

The printer can print on glossy paper. Image output of 10 × 15 centimeters takes 36 seconds. And the print speed is up to 10.4 full-color images per minute and up to 14 black and white.

The printer connects to the local network via Ethernet and Wi-Fi; supports Picture Bridge and AirPrint for printing from mobile devices; equipped with a USB port for communicating with cameras.

Epson L486

Rating: 4.8

Why the second place: Piezoelectric jet MFP with a lower print resolution than the leader of the rating.

Description: Epson L486 is a universal multifunction printer, which is suitable for printing photos. The maximum resolution of color images on paper is 5760 × 1440 dots per inch, which is enough to display detailed “pictures”. The main advantage of the MFP is its high print speed, which for black-and-white layouts is up to 33 pages per minute, and for full-color ones - up to 15 pages. However, the time to print a photo on glossy paper measuring 10 × 15 centimeters is 69 seconds.

The photo printer is equipped with a four-color cartridge that uses dye-based toners (including black). A continuous ink supply system is built into the MFP, the volume of paint container of each color is 70 ml.

The printer supports network connection via Wi-Fi, printing technology from mobile devices Picture Bridge and AirPrint, is equipped with a USB port for communication with the camera and card reader for SD memory cards.

The best semi-professional photo printers

Canon PIXMA PRO-1

Rating: 5.0

Why first place: Inkjet printer with 12 colors of printing.

Description: The Canon PIXMA PRO-1 Photo Printer has the largest number of print colors in the rating: 12 different shades. Used traditional inkjet technology. This provides the most realistic gradients, transitions and halftones. The contrast on the corresponding paper is 350: 1 - the limit for inkjet printers. The device can print on A3 size sheets. Resolution is 4800 × 2400 dpi.

The printer also has a high print speed. For example, it takes only 2 minutes and 55 seconds to output an A3 format print with a laboratory image quality.The printer prints on glossy, matte and photo paper with a density of up to 350 g / m²as well as on disks.

The model is equipped with only one network interface - Ethernet (RJ-45). He also has a USB connector for direct printing of images from cameras and other external media.

Canon PIXMA PRO-100S

Rating: 4.9

Why second place: Less flowers than the leader of the ranking, but cheaper.

Description: Canon PIXMA PRO-100S is the youngest model in the PRO line. Unlike its predecessor, it uses eight colors for printing. The rest of the technical specifications are similar - and the maximum resolution is 4800 × 2400 dpi, and the ability to print impressions on paper up to A3, and close to the maximum contrast ratio for inkjet technology.

Since less color is used, the printer is slightly faster than its predecessor. It takes 1 minute 30 seconds to print a photo on sheet A3 with a laboratory image quality.

The printer connects to a wired LAN through an Ethernet port and to a wireless one via Wi-Fi. Supports printing technology from mobile devices AirPrint and Picture Bridge. Compatible with proprietary application for Android and iOS. Equipped with a USB port for connecting cameras and external drives.

Epson Stylus Photo 1500W

Rating: 4.8

Why third place: 6-color, more expensive than all the others, but with a drop of 1.5 pl.

Description: Epson Stylus Photo 1500W piezo-electric inkjet photo printer is distinguished by the smallest drop volume in the rating - 1.5 pl. Due to this, it prints the smoothest, most accurate and natural gradients. The printer uses 6 colors. The maximum resolution when printing a full-color image is 5760 × 1440 dpi; print size - up to A3 inclusive.

The printer prints on glossy, matte and photo paper, as well as on CDs. The color cartridge resource is 470 pages, black and white - 810 pages. Print speeds of up to 16 images per minute, but taking a photo of 10 × 15 centimeters on paper takes 45 seconds.

The model is included in the wired and wireless network. There is no support for AirPrint and Picture Bridge, as well as USB connectors or a card reader, all printing is done through a connected computer.

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Attention! This rating is subjective, is not advertising and does not serve as a guide to the purchase. Before buying, you should consult with a specialist.