Rating of the best photo printers for home

We have compiled a rating, adding to it the best technique for taking photos at home and in specialized salons. Perhaps he will help you make the right decision.

Content

Which brand of photo printer is better to choose

This TOP includes companies that have been operating on the market for a long time and have already won the trust of customers. Basically, it describes the products of companies operating in the middle price range and the premium segment. Each of these brands is quite popular in the market and has earned a big name for itself. The top three brands are:

• Hewlett Packard is one of the most popular and prestigious companies in the production of office equipment. She doesn’t have any cheap products in her assortment, here are devices of the middle price range and premium models. Basically, it produces jet-type units, which are suitable for both home use and office use by a small team. This is one of the few companies that offer compact photo printers. They differ from similar options in bright colors and ease of use.
• Epson is the main competitor of Hewlett-Packard, but, unlike it, it is not concentrated on the production of any one type of printer. He has inkjet, matrix, and laser models of office equipment. They are interesting because of their good resource, versatility in relation to the use of various types of paper and because of their ease of use. There are convenient control panels, capacious ink tanks, large paper trays with automatic feed. Some of them can even be connected to a PC remotely via the Internet. There are also products suitable for synchronization with mobile devices.
• Ricoh — This Japanese company is not as widely known in the European market compared to Epson and Hewlett-Packard. However, in recent years, its photo printers have been recognized as some of the best. She has models for printing in A3 and A4 format, they compare favorably with an intuitive interface, economical ink consumption, automated work, which makes their use comfortable. Basically, we are talking about laser models, and therefore the price for them cannot be called low. However, high quality fully compensates for this drawback, the photos are clean, clear, bright, like professionals.

Rating of the best photo printers

The reason for adding office equipment to the rating was numerous positive customer reviews, successful results of our tests and high marks from experts in this field. When analyzing the characteristics of all models, we relied on the following points:

• Ease of use;
• Efficiency of use;
• Profitability;
• Versatility of operation;
• Life time;
• Value for money;
• Type — for professionals or amateurs;
• Dimensions and design;
• The duration of the warranty.

Among the characteristics, we paid attention to product life, print speed, number of colors, noise level, print resolution, and wireless connectivity. Also, the warm-up time (for laser models) and the first page out, the volume of the tray, the type and thickness of the paper used were taken into account. Not the last place in the analysis of goods, as one of the selection criteria, was given to the reputation of manufacturing companies, which, due to fame, often raise prices for their products.

The best compact photo printers

There are very few such models on the market, they include devices that can be carried with you and connected to phones or tablets. With their help, it is allowed to print photos of limited sizes, on average, 7×15 cm. Despite their small dimensions, their cost is not low. Based on print quality and ease of use, we have selected one of the best photo printers out of 10 models.

HP Sprocket, Black

Looking at the small size of this device, you do not immediately understand why it is so expensive. However, the almost flawless print quality and excellent color reproduction make things clear. Of course, you can’t print large pictures on it, but it produces standard ones (7.6 x 7.6 cm) easily. The feature of this technique is the ability to send photos to it from a smartphone or tablet without connecting to a PC, which expands the user experience and saves time. Despite the small dimensions, 10 sheets of photo paper are inserted here without problems.

HP Sprocket, Black is quiet enough and consumes not too much power, 15.91 watts. It is convenient to carry it in a bag and use it not only at home, since the weight of the product does not exceed 260 g. The device is easy to operate due to a thoughtful design and smart software. On the left is the power button, on the back is a charging indicator, a place for a cable and a reset button.

Advantages:

• No drawer;
• Good print speed
• One year warranty;
• The presence of Bluetooth;
• Accepts photo paper with a sticky layer;
• High resolution images.

Flaws:

• Does not feed paper automatically;
• Limited photo size.

The best professional photo printers

These devices allow you to print not only photographs, but also various advertising booklets, brochures, flyers. Naturally, the cost of such products will be higher than average. Such devices usually work not only with A4 and A3 formats, but also with stickers. Of all the options available on the market, 3 units have been added to the rating. The reason for this was their efficiency in work, economy, ease of use.

Epson L1800

This photo printer is the best for printing photos, in part because of the fact that it has built-in large ink tanks. In total, 6 containers are available here, which are located as conveniently as possible and are not visible to others, being hidden under the lid. At one refill, you can print about 1,500 color photographs in a format of 10×15 cm. They are not smeared, the paints dry quickly and, before use, they do not need to be dried on purpose, as in the case of many other models.

When the ink runs out, compared to cartridge devices, the Epson L1800 inkjet photo printer can be replaced quite easily, and the cost of the service is significantly reduced. The reviews also write about the economical consumption of inks thanks to the 1.5 picoliter “drop” printing technology. Transportation of this printer, which prints photos in almost any conditions, is carried out without any problems, although its dimensions are considerable.

Advantages:

• Wide range of paper density — from 64 to 300 g/m2;
• Can print in black and white;
• Large resource — up to 75,000 pages;
• Good tray capacity — up to 100 sheets;
• Compatible with OS X, Windows;
• A complete set for instant application.

Flaws:

• Supports only A3 paper size;
• The output speed of the finished photo is lower than the text (191 sec.);
• Considerable weight of 12.5 kg.

As the reviews show, Epson L1800 is suitable for both home use and office use for printing not only photos, but also advertising brochures.

Epson SureColor SC-P600

This is the best photo printer in terms of functionality, which boasts a combination of high print quality and ease of use. Yes, the price is not low, but it is fully justified by the good results of use. Here, the unique Vivid Magenta color formula is taken as the basis, which allows you to get bright, saturated, contrasting photos. This is what makes it possible to call this model professional.

This is one of the few devices in which, in addition to the main ink (6 colors — yellow, cyan, cyan, black, magenta light and saturated), gray shades are also used. Due to this, a wide color gamut is provided, which, when printed, conveys exactly the original tones. The device looks even more attractive because of the impeccably high output speed of prints — up to 150 seconds versus 191 seconds, which are observed in the previous version in the rating.

Advantages:

• Function of the press on CD/DVD;
• The presence of a special tray for creating layouts;
• Good print head resource;
• Meniscus control for precise positioning;
• Two USB ports.

Flaws:

• A little noisy when working.

Ricoh SP C260DNw

This is the best solution for both small offices and home use. This technique deserves attention due to high-quality and at the same time economical printing. It easily handles a large stream of jobs, giving out about 20 pages in one minute. Equally convenient here is the fact that the printer supports Mac, Windows and Linux environments. The device warms up almost instantly and is ready for use within 30 seconds after switching on.

The Ricoh SP C260DNw laser photo printer works with A4, A5, A6, B5, B6 paper, and therefore allows you to get more than just pictures. It is very convenient here that 150 sheets can be loaded into the tray at once, and their density can be completely different, in the range of 60-160 g / m². As with all models, the resource of cartridges is strictly individual for different colors, of which there are four — yellow, cyan, magenta, black. However, this is sufficient to produce clear and bright images.

Advantages:

• Power consumption in print mode up to 58.3 W;
• Withstands a load of up to 30,000 prints per month;
• First page out in 14 seconds in any color;
• Can connect with smart devices;
• It is not difficult to refill the cartridge with the masters;
• Doesn’t damage sheets.

Flaws:

• Weight at 23.8 kg;
• A little noisy.

The best photo printers for home use

Such products are usually sold in the middle price range, they may have automatic paper feed and a large tray. Most often, they are characterized by support for 4-6 colors, but the brightness and clarity of the image transmission are acceptable. They are distinguished from professional devices by a lower print output speed and a not so good resource. These devices form the basis of the market. We studied 10 different options and, based on their parameters, selected the 3 best photo printers.

HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C

This is a multifunctional device with an optimal combination of quality and price, which is interesting primarily because it allows you to print photos and documents directly from your smartphone. For this, inkjet cartridges are used here, however, they must have a special microcircuit, other options are not suitable here. But it is precisely because of this that the high quality and accuracy of the print is ensured.

Despite the fact that the device is not very large, it still has a wireless connection, which means that it is not necessary to keep it near the computer. Communication between them can be provided using Wi-Fi, and it is configured quite simply using a special adapter. For one price, the buyer receives, along with a photo printer, a scanner with a copier, which is very profitable. But in this model, the load per month should not exceed 1200 pages in A4 format, otherwise it may fail prematurely.

Advantages:

• Color print resolution — up to 4800 x 1200 dots;
• Black and white images are produced at 1200 x 1200 dpi;
• Not very noisy;
• Convenient control panel;
• Relatively lightweight;
• Doesn’t take up much space in the house.

Flaws:

• Does not independently determine the type of paper;
• Consumables must be provided by yourself.

The HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C is a premium model, but it can’t print and scan at the same time.

HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter

HP is one of the best photo printer brands out there, so you expect a lot from it right from the start. This model also did not disappoint, although outwardly it does not differ from its predecessors in the ranking. Its advantage lies in the use of original in-house pigment ink, which guarantees professional quality prints, accurate color reproduction, durability and brightness.

This option is great for those who want to save on paper usage, as it cuts paper usage in half with borderless printing on both sides. Moreover, you can send photos to it from any device that can be synchronized with it, including remotely. It’s all possible with the 10/100 Ethernet option, and the HP All-in-One Printer Remote app lets you scan photos even from your mobile device.

Advantages:

• Tray for 225 sheets;
• Paper does not jam;
• Withstands production up to 15,000 pages per month;
• Finished prints do not fade in the sun and are stored for a long time;
• Easy to refill cartridges;
• Excellent performance;
• Automatic shutdown when idle.

Flaws:

• Supports not all sizes and types of paper;
• Works with Mac and Windows OS only.

Canon Pixma G1410

Externally, this model is very similar to the HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter, it is also an inkjet version. With its help, you can get fairly bright pictures with a resolution of up to 1200 × 4800 dpi. There is no smearing in the images and there are no complaints about color reproduction. Such an effect is possible, in particular, due to the support of 4 colors.

Paint is not consumed as sparingly here as in previous models, since the minimum drop size is 2pl. However, even with these figures, this is one of the best photo printers for the home on the market, and ink replacement is often not required. For the price offered, this is just a gift!

Advantages:

• Color water-soluble ink;
• Can print borderless;
• Reliable FINE ink system.
• One set of inks is enough for 7000 pages;
• Resource — up to 6000 pages;
• Low noise level;
• Ease of use;
• Tray top position.

Flaws:

• At high temperatures, small streaks of paint may be noticeable.

Which photo printer is better to buy

When choosing the best office or home photo printer, first of all, you need to pay attention to its color formula. It is desirable that there is a cartridge or ink tanks of at least 4 shades. The standard set is black, yellow, magenta and cyan. However, if there are more colors, the print is usually even brighter and more interesting.

For ease of printing, it is better that the device can connect to a PC wirelessly via Wi-Fi. Equally relevant is the ability to transfer images directly from the phone, which is ideal for selfie lovers. Those who want to receive prints of various sizes should consider buying office equipment that supports A3, A3 +, A4 paper formats.

Here are some models to choose from for different purposes:

• For quick printing of selfie images, you can buy HP Sprocket, Black.
• For use in a photo salon, for example, in order to obtain prints for a passport and other documents, the Epson L1800 is well suited.
• If you also need to print advertising brochures, in addition to photos, you should pay attention to the Epson SureColor SC-P600.
• For paper of different types and sizes, the Ricoh SP C260DNw is the best choice.
• Amateur photographers can limit themselves to non-professional options — HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 5075 M2U86C and HP Officejet Pro 6230 ePrinter.

Even if we are talking about the best photo printers, no one can guarantee the complete absence of their shortcomings. Therefore, we advise you to familiarize yourself with them in advance and understand whether they are important to you. In any case, this rating will help you make your choice!