Best Printers - Best Photo Printers

Introduction

There are so many options to consider when buying an inkjet photo printer that it can be hard to identify the one that is ideal for your needs. In addition to budget and personal preferences, you also need to take your printing plans into account. Do you want a printer that can handle letter-size color prints or larger? Will you also want 4 x 6 prints or wallet-size photos? What about a portable snapshot printer that can travel with you?

Printer Features to Consider

There's no simple method for identifying the ideal inkjet photo printer, but here are some important items to consider when comparing printers:

Make sure the maximum print size will be large enough. A dedicated photo printer with a maximum 4 x 6 photo output is great for snapshots, but if you're going to frame the photos and put them on your wall, you may also need prints that are 8 x 10 or larger.
Also make sure your printer works with paper in the smaller sizes - you may want photos for your wallet.
Consider the types of paper available for the printer, and what your personal preference is (matte or glossy).
Remember that vendors offer several different paper choices for your printer. You can save money on photos destined for the refrigerator door if you can get reasonably good photo output by printing on inexpensive paper.
Do the cartridges include additional ink colors - light cyan, light magenta, red, green, or blue? These colors don't necessarily enhance the color in photos, but they can improve subtle gradations in skin tones and the like.
Most printers print black on glossy photo paper by mixing cyan, yellow, and magenta. If you prefer black-and-white photos, look for a printer that uses black ink for glossy paper, typically in a second cartridge for inkjets.

In addition to the above, if you're considering a letter-size inkjet photo printer that will make beautiful photo prints, look for one with the following features:

A resolution of 1440dpi. Much higher resolution capabilities are available, however the difference between a print made at 1440dpi and another made at 2880dpi is noticeable only by a critical observer.
Six ink colors, preferably in individual tanks. Four-color printers simply cannot reproduce an adequately wide range of subtle hues and tones. Individual ink tanks are ideal because you can replace only the tank that runs out. In the long run, that's more economical than buying a large cartridge that includes three or six ink colors.
An ink droplet size of 4 picoliters, or preferably smaller if you're a perfectionist or make very large prints. (A picoliter is a millionth of a liter.) Smaller droplets offer several benefits: more subtle gradations of color, more detail in the print, and a smoother overall appearance. [Some printers generate droplets as small as 1.5 picoliters!]
A lightfast or print permanence rating of 25 or more years. Such ratings refer to the life of a print (framed, matted and displayed under glass) before significant fading becomes noticeable. The latest Canon Pixma, Epson Stylus Photo,and HP Photosmart printers all meet or exceed the 25-year rating when using the printer makers' premium or professional grade photo papers.

Comparing the Top 10 Inkjet Printers for Photos

The ten inkjet printers highlighted in the table below, covering a wide range of prices and features, are currently the top choices in recent comparison studies based on consumer preference and satisfaction.

Image	Printer Model	Price	Description
	Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Inkjet Printer	$450 to $550	The Epson Stylus R1800 was at the top of most comparison studies. This printer creates large, archival quality glossy and matte photos worthy of display. - Prints 4" x 6" photos as fast as 42 seconds - Up to 5760 x 1440-dpi resolution - 13" x 44" maximum printable area
	Epson PictureMate Snap 4x6 Photo Printer	$99 to $135	The power to print professional quality photos at home or on the go! An impressive range of features: >- 4" x 6" max paper size - prints in 45 seconds - PC or Mac compatible - Uses 6-color inkjet cartridge - Ink and paper rated to last up to 200 years without fading - Up to 5760 x 720-dpi color resolution - Card slots included
	Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Wide-Format Inkjet Printer	$275 to $450	Brilliant, 13" x 19" enlargements, auto photo correction and direct CD/DVD printing - all from one remarkable printer. - Prints 4" x 6" photos as fast as 46 seconds - Up to 5760 x 1440-dpi resolution - 13" x 19" maximum printable area - Borderless printing
	Epson Stylus Photo 260 Inkjet Printer	$90 to $130	Delivers ultra hi-definition photos and documents at truly amazing speeds! - Prints up to 30 ppm black or color - Up to 5760 x 1440-dpi color resolution - 4" x 6" photos as fast as 13 seconds - PictBridge compatible - Claria™ ink for photos that stay brilliant - Automatic photo correction - Direct printing onto CDs/DVDs - PC-free photo printing from cameras or phones - 8.5" x 44" maximum printable area
	Canon PIXMA iP6700D Photo Printer (1441B002)	$60 to $130	This versatile machine is a photo-printing powerhouse. Its patented print head technology and six ink tanks produce beautiful, long-lasting prints with startling color and detail. - Prints 4" x 6" borderless photos in as few as 47 seconds; 8" x 10" in as few as 76 seconds - Up to 9600 x 2400-dpi resolution - Built-in card slots; PictBridge compatible
	Epson PictureMate Pal (PM 200) 4x6 Photo Printer	$175 to $250	This Epson looks like a simple picnic lunchbox, but open up the lid and paper tray and you'll have a portable photo printer (the optional battery pack allows you to print anywhere). You can preview your images and do basic image editing on the 2.5-inch LCD screen. With a Bluetooth adapter, you can print directly from your handheld. Alternatively, you can slot your media into the built-in memory card reader or your USB thumbdrive to the PictBridge port.
	Canon PIXMA iP5300 Photo Printer (1438B002)	$180 to $250	The flagship iP5300 premium photo printer is among the first to feature Canon's new 3-size droplets (1, 2, 5 picoliter) technology and a double encoder system to achieve high print speed with accuracy. - Prints 4" x 6" borderless photos in 21 seconds - Maximum 9,600dpi resolution - Direct photo printing; PictBridge
	Epson Stylus Photo R800 Inkjet Printer	$350 to $425	Get amazing borderless prints, with up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi printouts. This printer separates the colors and blacks into eight separate cartridges, which makes it nice for photo printing. A cool extra: this printer can print directly onto inkjet printable DVDs and CDs.
	Epson Stylus Photo R380 Inkjet Printer	$130	This full-featured printer includes a host of PC-free capabilities that save you valuable time when printing your photos. - Prints up to 30 ppm black, 30 ppm color - Up to 5760 x 1440-dpi color resolution - 4" x 6" photos as fast as 13 seconds - 3.5" color LCD and memory card slots to print PC-free v - PictBridge compatible - Claria™ ink for photos that stay brilliant - Direct printing onto CDs/DVDs - PC-free photo printing from cameras or phones - 8.5" x 44" maximum printable area
	HP B8350 Photosmart Pro Photo Printer (Q8492A#ABA)	$350	Impressive results for everyday printing. - Prints up to 31 ppm black, 22 ppm color - Up to 4800 optimized-dpi color resolution - Professional-quality photos from wallet size up to 13 x 19-inches - 4" x 6" photos print as fast as 26 seconds, 13 x 19 in less than 1.5 minutes

Editor's Note:

After researching and writing this article comparing so many amazing new printers, I have decided to trade in my old faithful Canon i960 inkjet photo printer for a newer model - perhaps an Epson Stylus R260 Photo Printer…or maybe a Canon PIXMA® iP6700D Inkjet Printer?

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