What to Look For in a Photo Printer in 2022
When shopping for a good photo printer, consider how you’ll use it. A pro photographer will want a dedicated photo printer, but an all-in-one machine that can print documents and scan papers would work better for someone who just wants better home photo prints.
Of course, the image quality will be a top priority no matter what printer you pick. Good photo printers will use a combination of inks, either bottled or in cartridges, to produce their images. The best ones use 10 to 12 different inks to get high detail reproduction—even the budget photo printer on this list uses five inks.
You’ll want to avoid the run-of-the-mill home printers with one black and white and one color cartridge, as they won’t be able to capture the detail you’d want in a good photography print.
The physical footprint of your printer is another important factor. If you have limited space or just don’t like bulky pieces of tech, you’ll want to look for a smaller and lighter option. Several printers on this list can fit on a standard work desk, making it easy to find space for.
Both the up-front cost of the device itself and the long-term price of replacement paper and ink will factor into how much you pay over your photo printer’s lifetime. If you’re going to be cranking out a lot of high-quality prints, you’ll want to factor in the ink costs more often and go for a printer with refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges. It may also be worth it to consider a more expensive model with anti-clog features that’s less likely to need parts repaired or replaced.