Professional picture printers
The Best Photo Printers for 2022
Printer manufacturers aren't shy about calling their products "photo printers." Many consumer all-in-one printers (inkjet printer/copier/scanners) wear the label, even if they have no more than the four usual ink cartridge colors—cyan, magenta, yellow, and black or CMYK—instead of the five or six shades that produce better-quality prints. Some vendors even apply the term "photo printer" to inkjets with the antique two-cartridge (black and tricolor) system. And some of their output, to be fair, isn't bad, as long as you're printing on special photo paper instead of plain or copier paper.
But this article assumes you're looking for a true photo printer. For consumers, these fall into two broad categories: near-dedicated photo printers, and dedicated snapshot printers. Beyond those, some all-in-one inkjet printers take a decided photo-centric bent. We'll run through our latest tested favorites of all three kinds below, then get into how to buy a photo printer that's right for what you do.
Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer
Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer
4.5 Outstanding
Why We Picked It
Only professional photographers are likely to spend roughly $1,200 for a 10-ink freestanding printer capable of producing gallery-class 17-by-22-inch prints and 17-inch-wide banners almost 11 feet long. Those who do will find Epson's SureColor P900 worth every penny—including the extra $250 for the roll adapter. This magnificent machine generates brilliant colors and deep blacks (automatically switching between photo and matte black ink), with its UltraChrome PRO10 pigment inks more than fulfilling the promise of its ICC (International Color Consortium) profile and a control panel that lets you configure print jobs in ways that previously had to be done within Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. (There's also an Epson Print Layout plug-in that replaces Photoshop's Print dialog box.)
Who It's For
If you have to ask, you can't afford it, but if you need spectacular wide-format prints, panoramas, and banners, the P900 is actually something of a bargain.
For anything short of high-volume commercial printing, the SureColor is a sure thing.
PROS
- Excellent print quality
- Prints borderless banners and panoramas up to 17 inches wide
- Prints cut sheets up to 17 by 22 inches
- Uses UltraChrome PRO10 pigment inks for increased color gamut
- Switches from photo black to matte black ink automatically
- Competitive per-millimeter ink costs
CONS
- Paper roll adapter costs extra
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $1,349.00 | $1,199.95 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
| Dell | $1,349.00 | $1,349.00 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer Review
Canon Pixma Pro-200
Best Grayscale Art/Panorama Photo Printer
4.
0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
The Pixma Pro-200 isn't the flagship of Canon's photo printers—it's limited to 13-inch-wide (supertabloid) media instead of 17-by-22-inch stock or roll paper for banners or panoramas. But its eight ChromaLife100+ CLI-65 inks offer deep blacks, brilliant color reproduction in blues and reds, and an enhanced color gamut that makes your prints look gorgeous, with particularly great grayscale images. If you don't need roll support (the Pro-200 can manage limited banner printing up to 13 by 39 inches), it's a clear winner.
Who It's For
The Pixma Pro-200 fills a nifty niche between high-end desktop inkjets and super-deluxe, large-format photo printers. It offers a friendly control panel, versatile paper handling, automatic nozzle clog detection, and print quality you wouldn't expect from a $600 printer, as well as lower operating costs than most machines in its class.
PROS
- Excellent print quality
- Prints borderless banners and panoramas up to 13 inches wide by 39 inches long
- Superb grayscale output
- Automatic nozzle clog detection
- Small footprint
- Improved software and control panel display
- Low running costs
CONS
- No roll media support
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $649. 00 | $649.00 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
| Adorama | $599.99 | $599.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Canon Pixma Pro-200 Review
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer
Best Photo-Centric Family AIO
4.0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
Epson's Small-in-One inkjets are famously affordable and capable photo-centric printers for families and home offices, taking little desk space to deliver five-ink prints (the CMYK quartet, plus a "photo black" ink) that outshine your local drugstore's offerings. The Expression Premium XP-7100 also excels as a general-purpose all-in-one for copying and scanning, with robust connectivity and a 30-sheet, single-pass, auto-duplexing automatic document feeder (ADF) that frees you from having to shuffle pages of double-sided documents on and off the scanning glass by hand.
Who It's For
Whether you're making a USB, a Wi-Fi, or an Ethernet connection to a PC; printing from an Android or iOS smartphone; or scanning to or printing from a USB flash drive or SD card, the XP-7100 pairs great print quality with relatively low running costs. (At least as far as cartridge models go, rather than bulk-ink models like Epson's EcoTank series.) That's a winning combination.
PROS
- Exceptional output quality.
- Single-pass duplexing ADF.
- Large, easy-to-use control panel.
- Robust connectivity.
CONS
- High running costs.
- Low paper capacity.
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $239.99 | $179.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
| Office Depot® & OfficeMax® | $219.99 | $219.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer Review
Canon Pixma TR8620 Wireless Home Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer
Best Home-Office Photo Printer
4.
0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
As its under-$200 price suggests, Canon's Pixma TR8620 is a low-volume inkjet printer/copier/scanner aimed at families and home offices instead of busy business workgroups. Its 20-sheet automatic document feeder lacks auto-duplexing, so you'll have to flip and reinsert double-sided documents. Its ink-cartridge costs make printing more than a few hundred pages per month (especially black text pages) prohibitive. But its output is worth waiting for, with five inks (including pigment black) that produce brighter, more vibrant, and more accurate photos than four-ink office models, with less graininess and greater detail. The Canon also offers versatile PC and mobile connectivity and a friendly touch-screen control panel.
Who It's For
Canon's Pixma TR series all-in-ones target office productivity more than its photo-centric TS models, but the TR8620 straddles both worlds pretty nimbly. For dens, dorm rooms, and micro offices that print a lot of photos, it's a worthy choice.
PROS
- Excellent print quality, especially photos
- Two black inks for darker text and blacker blacks in photos
- Two paper input trays
- 20-sheet document feeder
- SD card support
- Ethernet and Bluetooth support
- Light and compact
CONS
- High running costs
- Sluggish print speeds
- No auto-duplexing
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $229.99 | $159.00 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
| Best Buy | $229.99 | $159.99 | Check Stock (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Canon Pixma TR8620 Wireless Home Office All-In-One Inkjet Printer Review
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
Best Wide-Format Home Photo Printer
4.
0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
Think home-office and small-office multifunction inkjets are a dime a dozen? (They're actually $150 to $750, but you know what we mean.) The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 stands out from the crowd in several ways. First, it's a wide-format machine, supporting borderless tabloid (11-by-17-inch) and supertabloid (13-by-19-inch) prints. Second, it uses six inks (adding photo black and gray to the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), yielding more vivid and detailed photos and grayscale images. Third, it's an EcoTank printer, using ink reservoirs refilled from bottles instead of costly cartridges to cut operating costs to just pennies per page.
Who It's For
Though its connectivity and text output quality are faultless, the ET-8550 isn't your best pick for office productivity, since it has a flatbed scanner with no ADF for copying multipage documents. But semi-pro photographers, enthusiastic hobbyists, and small businesses making their own marketing materials will find it a perfect partner.
PROS
- Prints borderless from 4 by 6 inches to 13 by 19 inches
- Exceptional output quality
- Relatively fast printing speeds for its class
- Low running costs
- First two years of ink are free
CONS
- Purchase price is a little steep
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $699.99 | $650.00 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
| Dell Technologies | $599.99 | $599.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Review
Fujifilm Instax Link Wide
Best Snapshot Photo Printer
4.0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
Several models of compact printer use instant film, rather than paper and ink, to print photos from your smartphone.
Fujifilm's Instax Link Wide uses the largest of the company's three media sizes, producing 3.4-by-4.3-inch prints in about 30 seconds (though they take a few more minutes to fully develop). Pics cost about $1 apiece, twice as much as smaller images from printers that use Zink zero-ink technology, but Instax print quality is far superior, with rich colors, less dithering, and superior resolution and color depth. The format makes the printer a bit too big for your pocket, but the results are well worth it.
Who It's For
Its simple Bluetooth connection and handy phone app, offering everything from auto-tuning and sepia prints to collages and stickers, make the Instax Link Wide a great pick if you'd like copies of your phone-camera images that are both bigger and better than the run of the mill.
PROS
- Prints wide-format instant photos
- Works with Android and iOS
- No-hassle Bluetooth connection
- Produces glossy prints with excellent color
- App supports collages and basic filters
CONS
- Takes about 30 seconds to print a photo
- Material costs add up over time
- Uses micro USB, not USB-C, to charge
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $149. 95 | $121.20 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Fujifilm Instax Link Wide Review
HP Sprocket Select
Best Inkless Smartphone (Wallet-Size) Photo Printer
4.0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
HP's Sprocket Select finds a happy medium among the company's Zink (zero-ink) smartphone photo printers, making larger prints than the base Sprocket's tiny snapshots but coming in under the Sprocket Studio's 4-by-6-inch scrapbook photos. The Select's 2.3-by-3.4-inch pics have a peel-off sticky backing and cost 65 cents apiece if you buy HP's two-pack of 10 sheets. Print quality is the best we've seen from a Zink printer, if still short of inkjet and dye-sublimation devices, but then the Sprocket Select is only 0.7 by 3.5 by 5.7 inches and weighs just six ounces.
Who It's For
Limited to Bluetooth (not Wi-Fi) printing from the iOS or Android Sprocket app, the Select is a convenient gadget that offers easy integration with Facebook, Google Photos, and Instagram.
We wish HP offered non-sticky stock, but this printer is tops for handing out pics at parties and family gatherings.
PROS
- Good print quality for a pocket printer.
- Special paper eliminates need for ink or dye cartridges.
- Easy to use.
- Larger prints than some similar models.
- Quirky image-tweaking and AR features accessible through app.
CONS
- On the slow side for a pocket photo printer.
- High running costs.
- Can't print from a PC.
- Connects solely via Bluetooth.
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $99.99 | $59.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our HP Sprocket Select Review
Kodak Mini 3 Retro (3x3) Portable Printer
Best Square-Format Dye-Sub Printer
4.
0 Excellent
Why We Picked It
The Kodak Mini 3 Retro combines high-quality dye-sub printing with an Instagram-style square (3-by-3-inch) picture format. The Retro part of its name refers to its choice of borderless photos or pics with a white border around all four edges (equal at top and sides, and wider at bottom), which may appeal to nostalgia buffs or bulletin-board thumbtackers. Available in white, yellow, or black and measuring a pocket-friendly 1 by 5 by 4 inches, the one-pound printer makes four passes to lay down cyan, magenta, and yellow ink plus a protective clear coat. Kodak says its largest (90-print) paper and ink pack translates to 40 cents per photo, but we've found sale prices that cut that to 30 cents.
Who It's For
Phone-photo fiends who need quick, spiffy prints in a jiffy. Besides looking sharper and more colorful than most rivals', the Kodak's prints arrive quicker (in 40 to 45 seconds). It's a standout among Bluetooth printers for iOS and Android phones.
PROS
- Fine photo quality in 3-inch square print format
- Prints both borderless and bordered photos
- Comes with enough consumables for 68 photos
CONS
- Bluetooth only; no Wi-Fi connectivity
- Android or iOS only; no Windows or macOS support
| Sold By | List Price | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $139.99 | $129.99 | See It (Opens in a new window) |
Read Our Kodak Mini 3 Retro (3x3) Portable Printer Review
Buying Guide: The Best Photo Printers for 2022
How to Buy a Photo Printer
First, let's define photo printers by the two broad extremes we mentioned up top.
As the name indicates, dedicated snapshot (also known as "small-format") printers are designed to print nothing but small and wallet-size photos. You can't print documents with them, because they don't accept letter-size paper.
They're limited to snapshot sizes, usually around 2 by 3 inches, 4 by 6 inches, or 5 by 7 inches, or longer panoramic or Instagram-style square prints. Not all such printers print all these sizes; most support just one. Generally, the smaller the printer, the smaller the maximum paper size.
(Credit: HP)
But this category of printer isn't defined just by its limits. These printers are small and portable. They're also much less computer-centric printers than they are standalone consumer gadgets, with an emphasis on ease of use for printing snapshots from smartphones.
By contrast, near-dedicated photo printers are aimed at serious amateur and semipro photographers. They offer professional-level output quality, can typically print at sizes up to 13 by 19 inches (sometimes, even more), and often demand a reasonable level of sophistication to get the best results.
(Credit: Epson)
What both categories have in common is that they focus on printing photos, not documents, reports, or presentations.
Here's what you need to consider to make the right choice.
Do You Even Need a Photo Printer?
As we said, many inkjet-based home and office all-in-one printers do print excellent photos, and even some color laser printers do a decent job with photographic images for flyers or brochures. But they're more general-use printers than the two kinds we're focused on here.
Near-dedicated photo printers and snapshot models both are made for printing photos, but that's where the similarities end between the two. By definition, near-dedicated photo printers are also capable of printing ordinary business documents, but it's a waste of their talents, like using a Lamborghini for a trip to the supermarket. You'll have to swap out paper stock or even ink cartridges when you switch from printing photos to everyday documents, only to get results that an office inkjet or laser printer could give you for a fraction of the cost.
Snapshot printers are a whole different animal.
At one time, these printers often had LCD screens with menus and basic editing features that let you crop an image, remove red-eye, and so on; a few were practically home photo kiosks with touch-screen controls. Nowadays, however, snapshot printers tend to work with mobile devices like smartphones, over a wireless connection, with your phone or tablet serving as both the image source and the control screen. If you're mostly interested in printing quick, small snaps from your phone, these are more your speed.
How Much Will Your Photo Printing Cost?
With any photo printer, check the running cost and total cost of ownership if you can. Our reviews are helpful in this regard. Snapshot printers often use easy-to-replace packs or cartridges that combine enough photo paper and ink for 20 or 30 prints (those that use ink, that is; more in a minute). Unfortunately, there's no easily found or widely accepted standard for calculating the cost per print for near-dedicated photo printers, many of which can produce images of widely varying sizes or even long panoramas using rolls instead of sheets.
(Credit: Epson)
To get the cost per photo for a snapshot printer, simply divide the cost of the print pack by the number of photos it produces. To get the total cost of ownership, multiply the cost per photo by the number of photos you expect to print over the device's lifetime, and then add the printer's initial cost.
Some inkjet printers, not usually photo-first models, work with automatic ink delivery or subscription services like HP's Instant Ink. These can be great deals for consumers who print a lot of photos, since they charge a flat monthly fee for a given number of prints—whether they be letter-size, borderless photos or pages of double-spaced black text. It's easy in these cases to calculate what a photo print will cost.
Do You Print in Black and White?
When shopping for a laser printer, you must consider whether you really need color printing or can make do with monochrome. Photo printers turn the question on its head, making you ask whether you want to print any black-and-white images, which many printers can't handle particularly well.
The most common flaw in monochrome image printing is a color tint, or multiple tints, that show up in different shades of gray. If you intend to print lots of black-and-white photos, you'll need to check out monochrome photo quality separately from the printer's color photo quality. This is more often a problem for dedicated rather than near-dedicated photo printers, but you should be aware of it in either case. (In our reviews, we note such tints and their severity when we encounter them, but we don't use black-and-white images to test small-format snapshot printers, most of which aren't designed to print any.)
Photo Printers: Portable Printers vs. Desk-Bound Printers
Many inexpensive snapshot printers are small enough to fit in a pocket; a few are too big to carry very often. If you want to bring a printer to a party or a Little League game, pick a size you won't mind carrying. Also, consider whether the printer can run on batteries (many do by default; some offer batteries as options).
And find out how many photos you can print on a full charge.
(Credit: Canon)
Most near-dedicated photo printers are larger than standard desktop-style inkjets, because they're designed for printing on cut-paper sheets as large as 11 by 17 or even 13 by 19 inches, plus banners and roll paper for some models. Beyond the size of the printer itself, some machines in this class need additional space behind them to feed large paper stock or accommodate a roll feeder.
(Credit: Epson)
To print on large paper with some near-dedicated photo printers, you have to feed a single sheet from the front, which the printer then feeds all the way out of a rear slot and then prints while moving the paper forward again. If you don't have enough free space for this approach to printing, look for a printer that can handle roll paper or feed large sheets from a standard tray (or both).
Do You Need a Wired or a Wireless Photo Printer?
Some snapshot printers can print from a computer over a USB connection, but most are really meant as standalone devices for use with phones or tablets.
Older models tend to come with Wi-Fi connectivity, and many can print directly from PictBridge-supporting cameras and memory cards or USB flash drives. (Make sure the printer is compatible with the memory card format you want to use.) A few print from internal memory, but you need to transfer files to the memory first, so find what connection you need to use to transfer images. Bluetooth connectivity is most common with today's "smartphone companion"-type printers.
Connectivity options for near-dedicated photo printers are much the same as for standard office models. Some offer just a single USB connector; others add an Ethernet jack for easy sharing on an office network. Most now offer Wi-Fi connectivity, as well, and a few offer all three (USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi). Few models at this level offer PictBridge connectors or USB flash drive ports or SD card slots, because the assumption is that serious photographers will want to tweak their images before printing from photo-editing programs on their PCs or Macs.
How to Get the Best Output Quality From Your Photo Printer
Whatever printer you're considering, be sure to check on the output quality before buying. Professional and semipro photo printers include both inkjet models—often with eight or 10 different color ink cartridges, instead of the four, five, or six in a typical inkjet—and dye-sublimation (often called dye-sub) printers that make multiple passes to create an image (laying down, say, cyan, magenta, yellow, and a clear coat).
Snapshot printers offer the same two technologies. With an inkjet, you'll typically buy your ink and paper separately, so you'll want to match the printer maker's paper recommendations. Dye-sub models combine their ink cartridges and paper into packs or cartridges designated for a fixed number of prints.
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(Credit: Fujifilm)
A third technology seen in small snapshot printers is zero-ink, or Zink.
As you'd guess, it uses no ink cartridges; instead, special Zink paper impregnated with chemicals generates the image when heated precisely by the printer. Zink doesn't support large prints, and its output quality doesn't quite stack up to dye-sub or inkjet. It's best described as good enough for photos that will wind up in a wallet or behind a refrigerator magnet.
Snapshot printers vary in quality, but any near-dedicated photo printer should offer output suitable for a professional photographer's exhibition prints. Still, you should obviously check before buying by reading reviews or looking at print samples at a retailer. Keep in mind, too, that different people have different tastes, so choosing between two or more printers with superb but slightly different output may depend on which you like better.
The type of paper you use can make a huge difference in the quality and appearance of an image, so ask what papers are available for the printer. Most manufacturers offer an assortment of fine-art papers for near-dedicated photo printers.
In many cases, you can get paper-specific color profiles so you can use the printer with third-party papers, as well.
(Credit: Canon)
Finally, two other issues fall loosely under the heading of quality: ruggedness and lifetime. Don't expect much in the way of ruggedness for fine-art papers for framing, but you do need it for stacks of 4-by-6-inch snaps that you might hand out for people to look through. Photos from most printers today are reasonably waterproof and smudge- and scratch-resistant, but some fare better than others.
Claimed photo lifetimes also vary, with longer lifetimes obviously preferred. Traditional silver halide color prints last about 20 years when exposed to air; many of today's snapshot printers rate their output for a century of storage in a photo album.
Print Speeds and Quantities: Do They Matter?
Speed is a crucial measure for office printers, but print speed is almost a nonissue for these devices. Output quality matters much more, and even today's slowest photo printers offer tolerable speeds of two minutes or less for a 4-by-6-inch print in our tests.
Of course, advertised or rated speeds are typically slower than real-world speeds, and (as we note in our reviews where applicable) wireless printing tends to be slower than USB or Ethernet.
Similarly, enterprises and workgroups worry about a printer's monthly and recommended duty cycles or maximum number of pages it can crank out in a given time frame. Unfortunately, manufacturers almost never rate duty cycles for snapshot and near-dedicated photo printers. About the best you can do is, if you know you'll be printing a lot of photos, shop for printers aimed at professional photographers and retail stores.
So, What Is the Best Photo Printer to Buy?
Whether you're a casual photographer or a pro, one of the photo printers below is sure to fit your needs. Whichever you choose, you're guaranteed to hold evidence of that great moment in your hand almost as soon as you capture it with a click. We've listed our favorite near-dedicated photo printers and snapshot models, as well as a few inkjet all-in-ones that do an especially good job with photos but can also serve general printing needs in a home or small office.
For a wider view of printers, check out our guide to our favorite printers overall. And for photo hounds getting started in the photo-printing world, see our guide to fixing bad photos and our collection of advanced photo tips.
Best Professional Photo Printers (Our Top 9 for 2022)
If you’re a pro-shooter, you’re going to want pro-grade prints to showcase your work. Whether it’s for an upcoming exhibit or sales to clients, having one of the best professional photo printers is sure to set your work apart.
There are lots of great professional printing options on the market.Epson SureColor P20000 OUR PICK
Incredible 64-inch professional quality printer!
CHECK PRICE
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 ALSO GREAT
A fantastic 44-inch printer option with great ink mazimization features
CHECK PRICE
In this article, we look at ten of the best professional photo printers, from large format multi-ink solutions right down to something that can sit on your desk!
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We evaluate products independently. Commissions do not affect our evaluations.
1. Epson SureColor P20000
Our Pick
Epson SureColor P20000
A 64-inch printing masterpiece
The Epson SureColor P20000 is a large format, professional grade printer that survived the test of time by still ranking on top (despite having been released five yearsa go!).
$11,495.00 from B&H
Last checked on 23 July 2022
Pros
Prints up to 64-inch
Great color and grayscale tonality
Efficient use of ink
Prints archival quality
Cons
Very large up-front investment
On the older side, having been released in 2016
Originally released in 2016, the Epson SureColor P20000 has stood the test of time by remaining a top contender in the world of professional imaging. Created by one of the best-known printer companies in the world, this is a massive 64” large format printer.
There’s no doubt, this will produce prints that take your breath away. It has maximum print size of 64”, meaning you can create stunning wall art for your clients (or yourself!) at virtually any size.
This particular printer uses high-performance 9-color archival standard pigments, which means that its color rendering is beautifully precise. The printhead on the SureColor P20000 has a total of 8000 nozzles over the ten color channels. It is capable of producing four levels of gray for the purpose of smooth tonal gradations and suppressed grain for brilliant archival quality prints. If your print looks like it belongs in a museum, you’ve definitely found high quality!
Epson SureColor P20000To help alleviate the need to change inks frequently, Epson created large 700 ml capacity ink tanks for extended print work. The printer uses a smart ink management system which extends individual ink tanks, reducing printing costs. Additionally, the internal memory of the printer is 320GB which ensures a smoother print run over a network connection – which is a nice added touch.
All of these nifty features do come at a price though – and you can expect to pay four digits for this printer. However, if you’re a photographer who has a large print turnover, the Epson SureColor P20000 quickly pays for itself.
2. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000
Also Great
Image from AmazonCanon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000
Another exceptional option for professional photographers
This 44-inch professional photo printer offers a great set of features for efficient ink management!
$4,195.00 from Amazon
Pros
Prints up to 44-inch
Redesigned to be smaller in size
A large set of features to maximize the ink
Ability to self-calibrate
Cons
Expensive
Ranking at the top of any professional photo printers list is at least one Canon product! Just as much industry-standard as Epson, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 is a 44″ professional photographic large-format inkjet printer.
This little monster is one of the best large format photo printers around. It can offer prints with a maximum width of 44″. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 comes with the L-COA PRO high-speed processing engine. In terms of ink, it uses 12 LUCIA Pro pigment-based inks along with a Chroma optimizer. What this means is that your colors will be bright, poppy, and accurate to your computer screen.
Canon really focused on ink performance with a variety of great advancements. This printer uses a sub-ink tank system which ensures maximization of the printer ink utilization. For print photographers, this is a biggie because you don’t want to blow all of your cash buying ink.
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000What is also very cool about this model is that the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 comes with the option to slot in large capacity cartridges for extended print runs. If you’re working an event or printing a large number of products, this perk is substantial. Additionally, you can change cartridges in the middle of a printing job without any issues at all.
The printer uses a high-precision mechanical platform. You don’t even need to switch when changing from matte black to photo black inks.
Compared to other wide-format photo printers, the print head in the imageProGraf 4000 is larger. Because of this, there is only one print head, which incidentally, also means that the printer is quite narrow, fitting more easily in your space.
For the detail-oriented photographers, this printer comes with an integrated color densitometer with a three-color LED and a condenser lens. This allows the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 to be recalibrated whenever required.
Image from AmazonHP DesignJet Z9+
A printer known for speed
A speedy alternative to many professional printers, the HP DesignJet Z9+ is heavily oriented towards visual artists.
$3,195.00 from Amazon
Pros
Uses excellent fade resistant inks
Prints high quality images faster than comparable models
Able to do unattended, overnight prints without supervision
Cons
Has issues with the HP software included
Needs to be used frequently to preserve print head quality
Completing the trio of known brands is HP and its HP DesignJet Z9+ is an easy addition to this list.
A printer that is oriented exclusively for visual artists such as photographers and graphic designers, the HP DesignJet Z9+ is a workhorse that is able to produce large images without intense supervision. You do not need to baby this printer to ensure the quality comes out well. In fact, you can leave the Z9+ overnight and wake up to great work!
Fully customizable as well, this printer model can have its head replaced to help you print anything you desire. Additional production options include parts replacement with various metals or the adding of specific features. That being said, the printer is designed and intended to be used frequently. If you leave it sat idle for too long, parts begin to break. However, if you’re a large production photographer, this shouldn’t be much of an issue for you!
HP DesignJet Z9+Something notable to mention is this printer’s focus on speed – you can print significantly faster than comparable models. This helps you crank those products out as quickly as possible.
Even with its speed, the printer doesn’t sacrifice on quality, as the color gamut and ink capability are beyond the valley of superb. The printer’s maximum print size is 24” x 66”.
Unfortunately, reviews have noted that the software tends to be riddled with problems. However, there are plenty of workarounds and alternative software to pair this printer with. Once you can get past the technical bumps, the quality is superb.
Image from AmazonHP Designjet Z3200ps
Great for color grading photographers
With 95% PANTONE color coverage, this printer is great for photographers who need accurate color rendering in their images.
Buy from Amazon
Pros
Very fast printer
95% PANTONE color coverage
Very high resolution
Cons
Quite large and bulky
As we continue forth on our chat about HP printers, if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly than the Z9+, the HP DesignJet Z3200ps Inkjet Photo Printer could be for you.
With a gorgeous resolution of 2400 x 1200 DPI, this printer is a sound option for exceptional large renderings. If our sudden inclusion of DPI is confusing, DPI stands for dots-per-inch; the more dots, the higher the quality. You can be assured that this option has outstanding quality with so many dots!
Related Post: Print Resolution: The Essential Guide
HP Designjet Z3200psEven more impressive is HP’s continued commitment to speed. You can make a 22” x 34″ print in 120 seconds flat! Powered by HP Thermal inkjet technology, this is HP’s way of saying that the end result equates to gallery quality. The printer uses 12 pigment-based photo inks for a great color array. The inks are even paired with gloss enhancers to get that lovely sheen for your clients.
This printer also has 95% PANTONE coverage, which means that the printer mixes ink together to create the exact color in the image profile. Color grading photographers, come hither!
Image from AmazonHP DesignJet T730
A great diversified printer
Diversified in its use, this is a somewhat all-in-one printer that finds itself right at home in your office or job site.
$2,695.00 from Amazon
Pros
Able to print charts, graphs, and more alongside photography
Mobile connectivity
More compact in size than comparable printers
Large LCD screen with intuitive interface
Cons
Still on the pricey side
Ending the HP suggestions is the HP DesignJet T730. This is a great business solution printer, for more than just photographers. With features that allow its use in printing charts, graphs, and so much more, this printer is a bit of an all-in-one in the best way.
HP DesignJet T730It includes many of the features of the above printers, with some tweaks here and there. What’s really nice about the HP DesignJet T730 is its screen – the front panel genuinely looks like someone slapped a phone on there, and the interface is just as similar. Very intuitive and detailed, it’s quite easy to navigate this printer. The size of the printer itself is also great.
As far as large format printers go, this is a fairly compact model. You can easily set it up in a home office.
Even more fun is its inclusion of mobile connectivity – allowing you to operate and print using your smartphone! How convenient is that?
6. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000
Image from AmazonCanon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000
Great for the more every-day photographer
This printer holds many similar features to other Canon models, but with a few extra features.
$2,995.00 from Amazon
Pros
Great image processing engine
Uses a great quality ink
no switching requirement with matte black and photo black
Cons
Smaller print sizes
Back to Canon, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 is similar to the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000, but with some notable differences that place it on our list.
Starting right off, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 is a 24″ professional photographic large-format inkjet printer with the ability to print at a maximum resolution of 2400 x 1200 DPI.
It is smaller in size than the 44” PRO-4000. That size difference also means it can only print a maximum width of 24″. That being said, this is a great solution for the more everyday photographers out there.
Arriving with a FINE Print Head Technology and the L-COA Pro high-speed processing engine, no image is too heavy in resolution to work with this printer. Allowing the color enthusiast photographers to work their magic, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000 comes with a Color Densitometer for calibration.
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2000This printer is efficient with its ink – especially since the ink is quite a specialty type. The printer uses a 1.28″ wide 12-channel print head which uses a 12-color LUCIA PRO pigment ink along with a Chroma optimizer.
What is also great is that there is no switching required when working with various black ink requirements. Additionally, the printer uses a three-color LED and condenser lens to ensure that the printer produces fine results no matter what the printing requirements are.
7. Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1000
Image from AmazonCanon ImagePrograf Pro-1000
A fantastic choice for event photographers
This particular printer is also desktop size, but has a lot of wireless connectivity functions that make it great for event photographers
$1,199.00 from Amazon
Pros
Small, compact size
Compatibility with wireless and mobile apps
Cons
Pricey for its size
The compact Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1000 also likes to play the small game, squeezing into the lineup of Canon’s various Pro printers. This is a small yet powerful photographic printer designed for the discerning photographer looking for something extra. Like the OKI C844dnw, this desktop-standing printer is nothing to laugh about.
Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1000The maximum print size may only be 17 x 22″, but it is capable of printing borderless prints of that size – a very beloved feature.
This baby can pop prints out in approximately four minutes, which may not be a record-breaking time but it is certainly fast enough not to test anyone’s patience.
This professional photo printer is compatible with the Canon PRINT app and PIXMA Cloud Link, making for great wireless and mobile usage. There’s no need to plug this printer into the computer! This makes the Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1000 an excellent choice for event photographers, offering them the ability of printing right on site for customers.
8. Epson SureColor P800
Unavailable
Image from AmazonEpson SureColor P800
An alternative to the Canon Pro-1000
If you’re a photographer that favors Epson products, this one has a lot of the same features as the Canon equivalent.
Pros
Great wireless functionality
Borderless printing
Compact size
Cons
Pricey
Likely the highest DPI resolution printer on our list, the Epson SureColor P800 is an inkjet printer that can print at a maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440 DPI.
Talk about tremendous detail!
This really is the Epson version of the Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1000, featuring several similar capabilities. Sitting at the same size as the Canon above, the Epson SureColor P800 prints at 17 x 22″ using sheet media and offers borderless printing.
Epson SureColor P800Where it differs is in Epson’s reputation of 9 UltraChrome HD pigment-based ink tanks. These tanks create colors that appear pretty Epson exclusive (to the professional eye). The printer has, what is termed as, Automatic Black Ink Switching. This technology allows for the black ink type to be switched from matte to photo black ink when different print media are loaded.
Wireless functionality was not lost on this model either, as the Epson SureColor P800 supports Wi-Fi Direct, Apple AirPrint, and Google Cloud Print.
9. DNP DS820A
Image from AmazonDNP DS820A
Great compact dye sublimation printer
Using a different method than inkjet printers, this dye sublimation printer creates lovely uniform tones.
$1,326.79 from Amazon
Pros
Extremely small
Very uniform tones due to dye sublimation technique
Ability to add watermark to the back of the prints
Cons
Maximum print size of 8-inch x 12-inch
A bit dated
Lastly, we have the DNP DS820A – a dye-sublimation thermal printer. Besides the technique difference, on a visual level, the dye process produces more uniform color tones than is possible with an inkjet printer, making it a great choice for photographers who need something more tonally uniform.
DNP DS820ALooking quite dated in appearance, the DNP DS820A is an oddball, but it works great, earning it a strong presence on our list. Officially the smallest printer on the list, it teeters on not being a large format due to its maximum size of 8” x 12” photos. However, the prints it can create are really wonderful. The speed is notable too, being capable of completing a 4 x 6″ print in 8.
3 seconds.
Two different finishes are possible – matte and glossy. You can use the same roll feed to produce the two effects without changing much! Additionally, there is also an option to add a watermark to the back of the photos.
Which Professional Photo Printer Is Right for You?
Looks for printers the specialize in photography!Right off the bat, what makes the printers on our list stand out from the rest is that they are designed for photo printing as the primary purpose. As such, the creators were able to perfectly tailor their functionality to producing the best quality products they could. While all-in-one printers do produce respectable quality prints, they are not the best when it comes to producing magazine quality or professional quality. Plus, the media size is limited to A4 sheets.
For those looking at the best of the best, the Epson SureColor P20000 is a grand choice. Pricey but worth it, the feature-full printer still ranks very high regardless of its five-year age.
Another great option if Epson isn’t your style is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000, offering a multitude of performance upgrades to preserve your ink.
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Canon Professional Photo Printers - Canon Kazakhstan Take control of your creativity with Canon's range of professional photo printers.
- Professional Photo Printer Range
- Popular Products
- Need help finding a printer?
- Printer Support
Find the right printer for you
Achieve the great results your photos deserve with our A2 and A3 professional printer models.
Recommended paper types
Learn how to use and download ICC paper profiles from other leading manufacturers.
Read more
Canon paper
Find the right Canon inkjet paper to suit your needs, whether you're creating professional, studio-quality images for your showroom or creative projects for your kids.
Read more
Software
Print Studio Pro
Canon's Print Studio Pro plug-ins provide everything you need to turn your image into a finished print product.
Read more
Professional Print & Layout
Canon's Professional Print & Layout software can read the depth map data in DPRAW files and sharpen the image, giving printed images a three-dimensional effect and greater clarity.
More details
Professional photo printer filter
Looking for something specific? Refine your search criteria
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Vibrant color photo printing, versatility and functionality - the PIXMA PRO-200 printer is the ideal solution for amateur and professional photographers.
Find out more
New dynamics, color and exceptional print quality
Find out more
The imagePROGRAF professional desktop printer delivers A3+ exhibition-quality prints with a simple workflow for confident printing.
Find out more
Need help choosing a printer?
Use the selection tool to find the perfect printer for you.
