If you have lots of digital photographs sitting on your hard drive, then you’ll want the best photo printer you can find to print those photographs out and do your photography justice.
Digital cameras and mobile devices have made photography far more convenient and accessible – as you can instantly review your photos. And, if you buy one of the best photo printers, you can quickly and easily produce physical photographs to display in frames, photo books or to give as gifts.
This is something my wife has been looking to get pictures from her phone or on laptop to print out and made a start printing with our home printer. The best photo printers come in every shape and size, from quick and easy budget photo printers, portable devices and even professional-level photo printers. Fortunately, this means that no matter what you’re looking for, you should be able to find the best photo printer for your needs.
However, we know that all this choice can make finding the best photo printer for your needs a daunting task. We’ve put together this list of the best photo printers you can buy in 2018 – so you can find the best photo printer at the best price in no order:
Epson PictureMate PM-400
Print speed: 36 seconds for 4 x 6-inch borderless photo | Print resolution: 5,760 x 1,440 | Paper capacity: 50 sheets | Dimensions: 249 x 384 x 200mm (Width x Depth x Height) | Weight: 1.81kg
Once you’ve got the PM-400 up and running, you’ll have a ton of fun running off image after image. Although the print quality won’t win any awards for print quality, you’ll be proud to hang any of its prints on your wall or sit them on your desk.
The PM-400 is a delight to look at – not that this should heavily factor into which printer you should buy. It’s got a pretty bone white frame that tucks away neatly, and the 4-pound printer can be easily transported wherever you go.
Pros
Build quality
Lightweight
Cons
Slow print speed
Pricey
HP Sprocket Photo Printer
Print speed: 40 seconds | Print resolution: 313 x 400 | Paper capacity: 10 sheets | Dimensions: 75 x 116 x 23 mm (Width x Depth x Height) | Weight: 0.17kg
This small, hand-sized, photo printer isn’t for printing out professional-quality photos, but is a quick, easy and fun way to instantly print out your digital snaps – essentially turning any digital camera into a Polaroid-esque instant printer. It doesn’t use ink, so you don’t have to worry about buying replacement cartridges – instead it uses heat to transform a pre-dyed sheet of paper into your photos. It runs on batteries and has a stylish design as well.
Pros
Compact
Great print quality
Cons
Cost
Expensive to run
Canon PIXMA TS9150
Print speed: ISO 15ppm black, 10ppm colour | Print resolution: 4,800 x 1,200 | Paper capacity: 120 sheets | Dimensions: 372 x 324 x 140 mm (Width x Depth x Height) | Weight: 6.7g
If you’re looking for a great all-round printer which doesn’t skimp on print quality for your photographs, then we don’t think you will be disappointed by what the PIXMA TS9150, Canon’s flagship printer, has to offer.
While it’s certainly more expensive than some of the cheap two in one printers you can pick up, it’s not a bad price for something which produces high quality prints, especially if you only need to print at A4 or below.
Best of all, the print quality here is stunning, and it also has an attractive design. While the looks of your printer may not seem that important, it does mean you don’t feel the need to try and hide it away out of sight if you’re using it at home.
Pros
Great print quality
Lovely design
Cons
Expensive
Slow to print
Canon SELPHY CP1200
The Selphy CP1200 is compact, measuring 7.1 x 5.4 x 2.5 inches when packed for travel, and weighs a little less than 2 pounds, not including paper, ink cartridge and power adapter. The small size makes the printer easy to slip into, say, a tote bag or large purse. After folding down a hinged door on the front, you insert the 18-sheet paper tray, which extends roughly 7 inches in front of the printer. The hinged lid of the paper tray serves as the output tray. The ink cassette slips into the side of the printer. If you plan to print at sizes other than 4 by 6 inches, you will need to buy a specialized tray, such as one for 2.1 x 3.4-inch cards.
As a dedicated small-format photo printer, the Canon Selphy CP1200 can print photos almost anywhere, at sizes up to 4 by 6 inches. If you need a faster printer with slightly better print quality and the ability to make slightly larger (5-by-7) prints. The CP1200’s low sticker price, easy portability, low per-print cost, good print quality.
Pros
Produces good-looking photos
Multiple ways to connect to the printer
Many photo-printing option
Cons
Wireless printing is particularly slow
A little bulky for a portable printer
Battery pack costs extra
