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I need a new killer photo and all-around printer. I would like recommendations to come from other photographers and design professionals who must rely on their printers for their work. I'm thinking of Etsy vendors and others who need a printer that always delivers. I have a new iMac (running 10.12.5 Sierra) and use Photoshop and Lightroom.
Hello, and thank you for your request for recommendations for a new photo and all-in-one printer. In short, we have found 9 printers that could fit your needs. The top manufacturers we found were Canon, HP and Epson. We have presented a combination of both all-in-one printers and photo only printers, based on the recommendations found during our research. Please read on for a deep five of our research, which is presented in no particular order.
OVERVIEW
While we have found a number of printers that meet your qualifications, all-in-one printers often do not provide the high quality photo output that photographers desire. To determine which printers best fit your requirements, we looked at trustworthy tech review sites and examined professional photography blogs. The results, which include several all-in-ones with photo capabilities, also include a number of photo only printers. We have provided options at a variety of price ranges.
BROTHER MFC-J470DW
Cnet rates this Brother model as one of the top printers for 2017 naming it the "Best $100 multifunction inkjet." Cnet's ranking are based on a 10-point scale, looking at value, features, performance and design. The Brother MFC-J470DW received an overall rating of 8.2, with a performance rating of 9. Cnet reports that the printer is fast, offers cloud connectivity, works with both AirPrint and Chrome Print, and has a "supremely low cost of consumables." The device has 4 ink tanks and it prints, copies, faxes and scans. The printer has a 4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon, where it sells for $195.00.
CANON PIXMA MG5620
Canon's Pixma was also rated as one of the top printers of 2017 by Cnet, who named it "Best photo output quality multifunction." The publication gave the printer an overall 7 out of 10 rating, with an 8 for performance. Cnet says that while the printer provides high quality full-color photos, ink costs are quite high, especially when printing photos. Additionally, the printer does not have a media card slot. In addition to photo and text printing, the Canon Pixma provides a scanner and a copier, but no fax capability. The printer has a 4 out of 5 star customer rating on Amazon, where it sells for $120.
CANON PIXMA PRO-100
Rated best overall photo printer by Lifewire, the Pixma Pro-100 has 8 dye-based ink cartridges (3 dedicated to grayscale) and can print up to 13"x9". Also top rated on Best Buy's website, the printer's color resolution is 4800x2400 dpi. Lifewire notes that this printer is not for professional photographers, but is excellent for intermediates. The printer is wireless and connects via Ethernet and USB. It does not have a memory card slot or an LCD screen. The Pixma Pro-100 is rated 4 out of 5 stars by Amazon customers, and sells for $379.99.
CANON SELPHY CP1200
The Selphy CP1200 is a compact photo printer that is wireless and highly rated by PhotographyBlog. The printer is capable of handling prints up to 6"x4" and you can print wirelessly from your cell phone, computer, or other connected devices (including connected cameras). The device supports AirPrint, Google Cloud Printing, and the Canon Print app. The printer offers several printing finishes, optional border printing, red-eye correction, and other features. It also allows you to print up to 8 photos on a page. The Selphy also has an optional rechargeable battery pack, which can print 54 photos per charge. Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars by Amazon customers, the printer sells for less than $100. Amazon also bundles the printer with other products for between $150 and $170.
EPSON EXPRESSION HOME XP-330
The Epson Expression is an Amazon #1 Best Seller and offers photo printing, scanning and copying. The wireless printer has a memory card slot and an LCD screen to preview and edit photos. Its individual, instant dry ink cartridges are affordable, according to MyHomePrinters. The device prints high quality photos when in "best" mode. Amazon sells this printer for just $44.99.
EPSON SURECOLOR P400
PCMag gives high marks to this wireless photo printer, naming it an Editors' Choice and a top photo printer for 2017. It has 8 pigment ink cartridges and can print on 3.5"x5" paper up to 13"x19". PCMag says it is "fast for a near-dedicated photo printer," and can print on paper or paper rolls. It has a print resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. Amazon sells the SureColor P400 for $579.99 and is has a 4 out of 5 star customer rating.
HP ENVY 4520
The HP Envy 4520 all-in one photo printer is also highly rated by Amazon users (4 out 5 stars). Cnet gives the printer an overall 8 out of 10 rating. The printer offers copy, scan, and wireless printing capabilities as well as AirPrint, a touchscreen and mobile printing. It does not, however have a memory card reader, nor can it be connected via Ethernet (it can be connected via USB 2.0). It also allows the user to do borderless printing on 4"x6" and 8.5"x11" photos. The printer handles up to 8.5"x14" paper and uses two ink cartridges (black and tricolor). It is capable of printing 2.6 full-color graphics sheets per minute. Amazon sells the Envy 4520 for $65.98.
HP OFFICEJET PRO 8720
Lifewire has rated this all-in-one printer as the best photo printer of 2017. It offers borderless printing options (4"x6") as well as the ability to copy, fax, and print both text and photography. The device has a 4.3 inch touch screen, 4 ink cartridges, connects both wirelessly and via Ethernet, and supports AirPrint. Amazon customer have rated this device 4 out of 5 stars and it sells for just over $140.
CANON IMAGEPROGRAF PRO-1000
The imagePROGAF PRO-1000 is a high end prosumer A2 photo printer which, according to PhotographyBlog, "uses pigment inks for greater light fastness and longevity," to print impressive high quality photos. The printer use 12 ink tanks and will print anything from a 4"x6" to a 17"x22" photo. It does not offer many on-printer features, so photo modifications would need to be done in your photography program. As mentioned, this single purpose printer is on the high end in terms of quality, and therefore price. Amazon users have rated it 4 out of 5 stars and it sells for $1,299. The printer is also rated an "Editors' Choice" and one of the top photo printers of 2017 by PCMag.
CONCLUSION
We have presented nine printers that could fit your needs. As experts agree that all-in-one printers do not provide the same quality output as dedicated photo printers, we have provided a selection of both types at various price points.
I hope this information is useful as you consider your next printer purchase! Thanks for using Wonder, and we look forward to helping you with your next question.