Whether you are a photography fan or someone who just likes your printed documents crisp and vibrant, an excellent photo printer is a must-have. You will find a wide variety of photo quality printers that use inkjet or sublimation type printing. Some even come with the bonus of being able to copy and scan as well.
In our roundup, you will find our top 10 favorites. So, let’s go through them and find the best photo printers for your needs…
Contents
- 0.1 Top 10 Photo Printers Product In 2023 Reviews
- 0.2 1 Canon TS8320 All In One Wireless Color Printer, Copier, Scanner, Home Inkjet Printer with Mobile Printing, White, Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready – Best All-in-One Photo Printer
- 0.3 2 Canon TS6320 All-In-One Wireless Color Printer with Copier, Scanner and Mobile Printing, White, Amazon Dash Replenishment – Best Wireless Photo Printer
- 0.4 3 Epson Expression Photo XP-970 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier – Best Epson Photo Printer and Scanner
- 0.5 4 Epson Expression Premium ET-7700 EcoTank Wireless 5-Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with Scanner, Copier and Ethernet – Best Wireless Printer for Photos
- 0.6 5 Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Color Professional Inkjet Printer with Airprint and Mobile Device Printing – Best Professional Photo Printer
- 0.7 6 Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Color Professional Inkjet Photo Printer – Most Versatile Professional Photo Printer
- 0.8 7 Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer – Best Inkjet Photo Printer
- 0.9 8 Kodak Mini 2 HD Wireless Portable Mobile Instant Photo Printer, Print Social Media Photos, Premium Quality Full Color Prints – Compatible w/iOS & Android Devices (White) – Best Portable Printer for Photos
- 0.10 9 Canon SELPHY CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer with AirPrint and Mopria Device Printing, Black (2234C001) – Best Canon Portable Photo Printer
- 0.11 10 Brother Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer, MFC-J690DW, Multi-function Color Printer, Duplex Printing, Mobile Printing, Amazon Dash Replenishment Enabled – Best Multi Function Photo Printer
- 1 Best Photo Printers Buying Guide
- 2 Looking For A Few More Options?
- 3 So, What Are The Best Photo Printers?
Top 10 Photo Printers Product In 2023 Reviews
| Product | Print Resolution | Connectivity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Print Resolution 4800dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth, or SD card | Price $$ | |
Print Resolution 2400dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB | Price $ | |
Also Great Epson Expression Photo XP-970  View Price | Print Resolution 5760dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet, or SD card | Price $$$ |
Print Resolution 5760dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB | Price $$$ | |
Also Great Canon Pixma Pro-100  View Price | Print Resolution 4800dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB | Price $$$ |
Also Great Canon PIXMA PRO-10  View Price | Print Resolution 4800dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB | Price $$$$ |
Print Resolution 5760dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB | Price $$$$ | |
Also Great Kodak Mini 2 HD  View Price | Print Resolution Dye Sublimation | Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB, or NFC | Price $ |
Also Great Canon SELPHY CP1300  View Price | Print Resolution Dye Sublimation | Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB, or SD card | Price $ |
Print Resolution 6000dpi | Connectivity Wi-Fi or USB | Price $ |
1 Canon TS8320 All In One Wireless Color Printer, Copier, Scanner, Home Inkjet Printer with Mobile Printing, White, Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready – Best All-in-One Photo Printer
The first up of our best photo printer reviews is the PIXMA TS8320 from Canon. This is an all-in-one printer that can be used to scan and copy. Setting up this printer is quite easy, thanks to the 4.3” LCD touchscreen on hand. It comes with a setup CD in the box for Windows.
If you want to use this printer with Linux or macOS, you can download additional drivers from Canon directly. You will want to make sure you have all of their optional editing software installed on your PC as well for the best overall functionality.
Get connected…
You can connect this printer up to a computer via USB or wirelessly through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You even have the ability to connect an SD card directly to the TS8320. When you connect to this printer wirelessly, you can print from a mobile device. Canon PRINT is just one example of the mobile apps that are compatible with this printer.
You will also have the ability to print through Google Assistant and even Amazon Alexa. The TS8320 can print at resolutions up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. It prints using a total of 6,656 nozzles.
Photo Blue…
This photo printer has six individual ink cartridges. You get one standard set of these included in the box. One of the cartridges is Photo Blue. The Photo Blue tank helps add more detail in shadows and even reduces photo gradation.
You can use a wide range of photo quality paper with this printer as well. If you are copying, you can expect speeds of up to 6.5 images per minute. This printer has a front and rear paper cassette that can hold up to 100 pages each. There is also a multi-purpose tray that can feed one sheet at a time.
(4.1 / 5)Pros
- USB and Wireless connectivity.
- 4.3” LCD touchscreen.
- Six standard toner cartridges included.
Cons
- Standard toner doesn’t last that long.
2 Canon TS6320 All-In-One Wireless Color Printer with Copier, Scanner and Mobile Printing, White, Amazon Dash Replenishment – Best Wireless Photo Printer
The Canon TS6320 is similar to the TS8320 in a few ways but comes at a smaller cost. Controlling this printer is done via a rather tiny 1.44” OLED screen and an LCD indicator. You will have only five different colored toner cartridges with this printer. Each cartridge can be replaced individually so you won’t need to shell out money for a whole five-piece set each time.
Windows and macOS software is bundled together with the included setup CD. You will notice that some of the software particulars will vary depending on the operating system you are using. Linux drivers can be found on Canon’s website.
Connectivity…
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and standard USB connectivity are available on the TS6320. You can also print through mobile devices using the Canon PRINT app or with AirPrint® or Mopria, for example.
This printer really focuses on wireless printing. Even if you have the printer turned off, you can start a print from your phone. It will automatically turn the printer on while also expanding the output tray on its own to collect the print. Voice-controlled printing is also available through Alexa and Google Assistant.
All-in-one…
This printer also prints at up to 4800 x 1200 dpi. Print quality is still good even though you only have 4,096 printing nozzles on hand. A 4 x 6 borderless photo will take on average 21 seconds to print. You can also copy and scan with this printer as well.
The scanner supplies an optical resolution of 1200 x 2400 dpi. Copying one page can take up to 19 seconds. Dual paper feeding is available on this printer. The 100-page cassette can hold both photo and plain paper at the same and will switch between them without having to swap out trays.
(4.3 / 5)Pros
- Dual paper feeding.
- Auto expanding collection tray.
- Numerous wireless connectivity options.
Cons
- Small 1.44” display.
3 Epson Expression Photo XP-970 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier – Best Epson Photo Printer and Scanner
Epson is up next with their Photo XP-970 photo printer, scanner, and copier. You can print directly from an SD card, or this printer can be connected via USB or wirelessly. It offers a wide selection of wireless mobile printing options.
Google Cloud Print™, Android printing, and Fire OS™ printing are just a few on offer. Epson also has its Epson iPrint™ app available on Android or iOS.
Pages per minute…
The XP-970 is a rather quick printer, scanner, and copier. Copying only takes 8.1 seconds, and scans come out at up to 9600dpi thanks to software interpolation. It can put out 8.5 pages per minute in monochrome while only a bit tad slower at eight pages per minute in color. This printer can also do 2-sided printing automatically and at speeds up to 4.5 pages per minute.
Even though this printer prints quickly, you will still find the images are of great quality. It has six different colored ink toners on hand that output images at an optimized dpi of 5760 x 1440. The yield of the included cartridges isn’t overly impressive, though. You will find you get about 240 color prints or 360 black prints before you need to refill.
Higher capacity toner cartridges are available at an added cost. Epson’s XP-970 is compatible with many types of photo paper. It can hold up to 100 sheets of plain paper with an output tray that can handle up to 30 sheets. There is also a secondary paper tray able to accommodate 20 sheets of premium-quality photo paper.
(4 / 5)Pros
- Easy to operate 4.3” LCD screen.
- Prints quickly.
- Multiple paper trays.
- Compatible with voice-assistants.
Cons
- The output tray capacity is only 30 sheets.
4 Epson Expression Premium ET-7700 EcoTank Wireless 5-Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with Scanner, Copier and Ethernet – Best Wireless Printer for Photos
The Expression Premium ET-7700 from Epson is a superb choice if you want to get as many photos as possible out of your toner. Featuring Epson EcoTank technology that enables you to print thousands of documents or photos with the included yellow, cyan, magenta, black, and photo black toner bottles.
Your photos will come out at up to 5760 x 1440 dpi. If you want to scan, you can do so at up to 9600 dpi.
Take note…
This is done through software enhancement. The scanner itself has an optical resolution of 1200 x 2400 dpi. Speaking of software, you will find a setup disc for Windows and macOS. If you use Linux, you will find compatible drivers on Epson’s site.
Front and center on this printer, you will notice the 2.7” LCD screen that allows you to view and even edit prints without using a computer. This works well, but for precise editing, you will definitely want to use your PC.
Get connected…
You can connect this printer to a laptop or desktop computer via USB. For network connectivity, you can either plug this into your wireless router with an ethernet cable or connected it wirelessly to an existing network. Apple AirPrint®, Google Cloud Print™ are also available.
You can also download and print directly from your iOS or Android device using the Epson Remote Print or the Epson iPrint™ App. With all the printing options available to this printer, we were glad to find that it has trays for both photo and standard paper.
(3.8 / 5)Pros
- Long toner life.
- SD card compatible printing.
- Can print at up to eight pages per minute in color.
Cons
- Does not come with a USB or Ethernet cable.
5 Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Color Professional Inkjet Printer with Airprint and Mobile Device Printing – Best Professional Photo Printer
Canon is back again offering up two more worthy competitors in this Best Photo Printers roundup. The Pixma Pro-100 has wireless, wired, and USB connectivity, as well as PictBridge compatibility.
PictBridge allows you to plug your camera directly into the printer and print. This does require a separate cable that is not included. This printer comes with eight different ink cartridges. It will print at a resolution up to 4800 x 2400 dpi using 6,144 printing nozzles. It prints using Canon’s Optimum Image Generating System. This essentially analyzes your print and optimizes the ink mixture for each section of it.
Paper compatibility…
The Pro-100 can handle a wide variety of paper sizes and weight from gloss, matte, fine art, and even DVD images, to name just a few. You will have a hard time finding a paper this printer can’t print on. You will have an automatic document feeder that can handle up to 150 sheets of standard paper. There is also a manual single sheet document feeder that will handle a wide variety of sizes.
This isn’t the quickest printer out there, but the print quality is exceptional, but you will be waiting for up to a minute and a half for one print. The printing speed, of course, varies by the size and quality of the print. An 8” x10” on A4 paper with a border will only take you 51 seconds, for instance.
Canon provides you with software and drivers for Windows and macOS. It also comes with plugins for Photoshop and Elements.
(4.2 / 5)Pros
- Eight ink cartridges for highly detailed images.
- Print Studio Pro plugin for Adobe® products.
- Two-way paper feeding trays.
- USB cable included.
Cons
- Printing from a mobile device is limited.
6 Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Color Professional Inkjet Photo Printer – Most Versatile Professional Photo Printer
The PIXMA PRO-10 may look similar to the Pro-100, but it is quite a bit different. You get the same wired and wireless connectivity options as well as it being PictBridge compatible.
Canon’s Pro-10 also has the ability to print on a variety of mediums. The included paper tray can hold up to 150 sheets of plain paper or up to 20 sheets of 4” x 6” photo paper. It also incorporates Canon’s Optimum Image Generating technology as well as leaving a uniform ink height throughout your prints.
Fantastic monochrome reproduction…
This printer prints at a resolution of 4800 x 2400 dpi, just like a lot of the other Canon printers we have looked at. What’s different is that this printer uses ten different colors of ink. It has exceptional monochrome print quality thanks to the grey, matte black, and photo black cartridges.
Your blacks will be deeper, and the greyscale of your prints will be much more dynamic. In coordination with the other seven colored inks, your photos will be vibrant and extremely detailed. The printer head on the Pro-10 has 7,680 nozzles! With the extreme amount of detail this printer offers, you will notice that each print takes exceptionally longer than some other printers.
Worth the wait…
You will have to wait between three and a half to just over five minutes for each print, depending on paper size and whether you are printing borderless or not. The starter ink cartridge set didn’t last as long as we would have liked.
This is a rather pricey printer, and with ten different ink cartridges to maintain, you will definitely find that this further adds to the price over the long run. Software for Windows and macOS is on hand, along with plugins for Adobe® products as well.
(4 / 5)Pros
- Amazing monochrome print quality.
- Ten different colored inks provide amazing vibrancy and depth.
- 7,680 printing nozzles.
Cons
- Expensive
- Print speed is slow.
7 Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer – Best Inkjet Photo Printer
Another superb printer that focuses on depth and clarity while printing is the Epson SureColor P600. This printer uses a 9-cartridge ink set for printing. It features two shades of magenta and of cyan ink while also having an unbelievable four different shades of black on hand along with one shade of yellow.
Look sharp!
Your photos will look sharp and vivid at the 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution this printer offers. You can also print images up to 13” wide and over 10 feet long if you use a paper roll. It can even print up to six pages per minute if you are on the speed setting and aren’t printing a photo.
There is also a maximum quality setting that will have you waiting up to four minutes if you are printing a 13” x 19” photo. We found that both settings produce pictures of outstanding quality.
Controls…
You can, of course, control all of this via the 2.7” LCD touchscreen. It might not be the most massive touchscreen we have seen on a printer, but it sure gets the job done easily. USB and Ethernet connectivity is available with the P600. You also have integrated Wi-Fi on hand as well.
Once you have the computer networked, Apple AirPrint® and Google Cloud Print™ will be available to use as well to control the printer. The software it comes with is quite good as well. The included setup CD will get this printer up and running in no time if you are using macOS or Windows.
(4.1 / 5)Pros
- Excellent at printing panoramic photos.
- The user interface is very intuitive.
- Comes with a great collection of software.
Cons
- Linux support could be better.
8 Kodak Mini 2 HD Wireless Portable Mobile Instant Photo Printer, Print Social Media Photos, Premium Quality Full Color Prints – Compatible w/iOS & Android Devices (White) – Best Portable Printer for Photos
Some of the best printers for photos also use a printing method called dye-sublimation. The Kodak Mini 2 is the world’s smallest sublimation printer. Measuring in at only 3” wide by 5.2” long and only 1” thick, you can quickly put the Mini 2 in your pocket and take it with you. To print with the Mini 2 on the go, you will want to have your mobile device with you.
You will also need to install the Kodak Photo Printer Mini app from your App Store. For iOS users, you are limited to Bluetooth connectivity only. If you use an Android device that has NFC, you can just touch your phone to the printer, and it will automatically load the print app for you.
Print size…
The Kodak Mini 2 uses an all-in-one style photo paper cartridge, limited to 2.1” by 3.4” photos. These are rather small and are equivalent to business card-sized photos. The small photo size does make this great for printing photos to put in a scrapbook, for example.
Kodak uses what they call 4 Pass High Photo Printing with the Mini 2. Your print will move in and out of the printer as each new color is applied. Photo quality is impressive, and prints only take about one minute and twenty seconds each.
(4.1 / 5)Pros
- Small and lightweight.
- Easy to charge via USB.
- NFC connectivity with Android.
Cons
- Battery life could be longer.
9 Canon SELPHY CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer with AirPrint and Mopria Device Printing, Black (2234C001) – Best Canon Portable Photo Printer
If you are looking for a portable printer that can print postcard-sized photos, the SELPHY CP1300 from Canon could be right for you. The CP1300 uses an easy to fill 18 sheet paper cartridge. The tray does stick out quite a bit, though, and can be easily unhoused, so keep that in mind.
You have a 3.2” screen along with easy to use controls on hand that will allow you to connect this printer up to a Wi-Fi network. Also, on hand is the ability to print from USB or even an SD card. iOS and Android devices can print using the Canon PRINT app as well.
Portability…
This printer is pretty lightweight at only 1.9lbs. You can easily fit it into your backpack and take it with you. You will want to make sure you are near a power outlet, though. There is an optional battery pack that you can buy, making this printer even more portable.
Photo quality is excellent, and the images are beautiful and detailed. You can also print smaller photos as well with additional paper stock.
(4.5 / 5)Pros
- It can print up to 16.8 million colors.
- 4” x 6” photos take only 46 seconds to print.
Cons
- Portability is limited without an added battery pack.
10 Brother Wireless All-in-One Inkjet Printer, MFC-J690DW, Multi-function Color Printer, Duplex Printing, Mobile Printing, Amazon Dash Replenishment Enabled – Best Multi Function Photo Printer
The last printer we are looking at is the MFC-J690DW from Brother. This multifunctional printer can also scan, copy, and even fax. It features duplex printing and has a paper cassette that can hold up to 100 sheets. You also have an output tray able to handle 50 sheets.
Wi-Fi and USB are available for connectivity. Brother supplies its own iPrint&Scan application for your mobile device as well as the choice to print from cloud-based services like Mopria®.
Not a slow coach…
The J690DW has four ink cartridges on hand that can print at up to 6000 x 1200 dpi. The standard cartridges only have a 200-page life span, unfortunately. Through the 2.7” color touchscreen, you can monitor ink levels and replace individual cartridges as need be. Once the printer is warmed up, you can expect print speeds up to 12 pages per minute in black or 10 in color.
You will have printer drivers available for Windows, macOS, and Linux available to you. Windows users do have access to a bit of extra software on hand that will provide you better overall functionality.
(4 / 5)Pros
- Can scan, copy, and fax.
- Telephone line-cord included.
- 6000 x 1200 printing resolution.
Cons
- Brother’s mobile app feels dated.
Best Photo Printers Buying Guide
Before deciding which photo printer is right for you, there are a few factors you should consider, so let’s go through them…
Sublimation vs. Inkjet
The best printers for photos we have tested are either inkjet or sublimation type printers.
Inkjet Photo Printers
Inkjet photo printers use a multitude of nozzles to spray ink on to your printing medium. The printer head will go across your printing medium leaving different colored drops of ink. As these microscopic drops dry, more are layered on and around them, allowing for a wide variety of color combinations. Inkjet type photo printers will typically use more than four colors of ink.
Sublimation Photo Printers
A photo printer that uses dye sublimation requires a specific printing medium to work. When you print using dye-sublimation, the actual ink is stored on a ribbon found on the printer head. The ink stored on the ribbon heats up as it passes over the film. This changes the ink into a gas which soaks into the paper.
This process can also lay down a clear coat on top of the finished print. Since the dye is actually infused into the printing medium, it tends to be more resistant to fading over time.
Resolution And Toner
The resolution at which an inkjet photo printer produces images is called Dots Per Inch or DPI for short. Photo quality inkjet printers will typically have a higher DPI than a standard inkjet printer.
Inkjet printers will print using a process called dithering. This essentially helps in creating a wider variety of colors by dropping dots in a variety of patterns and layers.
What About Sublimation Printers?
Sublimation printers allow for a continuous tone output when printing. This allows for any printed dot to technically be any color available. When you look at a dye sublimation printed photo up close, you aren’t able to distinguish individual pixels.
Dye sublimation prints are usually measured in the number of colors they can produce and typically look more natural when printed compared to inkjet prints.
What Do These Differences Mean For You?
You can print out as many photos as you want with an inkjet printer as long as you have toner available. Once you have used your dye sublimation printing medium, it cannot be reused. You will need to replace it.
Connectivity
Photo printers can usually be connected to your computer via USB. A lot of the time, they will also have the ability to connect to your home network. With a networked printer, you can print wireless from your PC, Smartphones, and Tablets as well. You may even have the ability to use printing services like Google Cloud Print™ and Mopria, to just name a few.
Manufacturers typically have their own iOS or Android apps available for wireless printing as well that can be used. Occasionally you will find integrated SD card and USB stick readers so you can print directly from the controls available on your printer.
Software
Whether you use Windows, macOS, or Linux, you will usually be able to find compatible drivers for your printer to use. Printers will typically come with a setup CD in the box. If your operating system files aren’t included on the setup CD, your best bet is to head to the manufacturer’s website and download the driver directly from there.
Also, manufacturers will typically provide you with editing software for your printer. If your printer is multifunctional, you may also find software to aid in scanning or copying, for example.
Looking For A Few More Options?
If so, check out our Best Color Laser Printers Reviews, our Best Portable Photo Printers Reviews, and our Best Portable Scanners Reviews,
And for the art lovers…
Be sure to take a look at our reviews of the Best Printers for Art Prints, our Best Cameras For Low Light Photography Reviews, our Best Wide Angle Lenses For Canon Reviews, and our Best Cameras For Beginners Reviews.
So, What Are The Best Photo Printers?
We found the best all-around printer for your typical photo printing needs to be the…
ET-7700 EcoTank from Epson.It offers excellent connectivity options and allows for many ways to print wirelessly. Setting up and controlling the printer also comes easy thanks to the LCD screen. The ET-7700 prints at 5760 x 1440dpi, and the resulting photos look stunning. You won’t have to wait long between prints either since it can print up to eight pages per minute.
With the ability to print quickly, you may worry that you will run out of toner in no time. The EcoTank technology on this printer is remarkable, letting you print out thousands of photos from the included toner cartridges. You can even scan and copy photos or documents with the ET-7700. This printer really does it all without breaking the bank.
Happy printing!
