Photo printer buying guides
The short answerGuides for the decisions that sit under every printer choice: ink type, cost per print, print size, paper and getting prints to match your screen.
By Marius. Listing data pulled Oct 30, 2026. Page built Nov 1, 2026. How I rank printers.
Guides
- Dye vs pigment ink for photo printingDye ink gives the most vivid color on glossy and luster paper.
- Photo printer cost per print calculatorA photo print costs ink plus paper.
- 4x6, 8x10 or 13x19: picking the right print sizePrint 4 x 6 for albums, 8 x 10 for frames, 13 x 19 for wall art and 17 x 22 for exhibitions.
- Best photo paper for inkjet printersFor most prints, use a luster or glossy paper from your printer’s maker: Epson for Epson printers, Canon for Canon.
- How to make prints match your screenPrints look dark or off-color mostly because the screen is too bright and uncalibrated.
- Best photo printers in the UK, NZ and AustraliaThe same printer families, Canon PIXMA PRO and imagePROGRAF, Epson EcoTank and SureColor, Fujifilm Instax, HP Sprocket and Canon SELPHY, are sold in the UK, New Zealand and Australia.
- How we rank photo printersRankings here come from spec sheets, listing data pulled on a stated date, makers’ own consumable prices and a cost-per-print calculation.
Best photo printers for...
- Best photo printers for home useFor most homes the best photo printer is a six-color ink tank: the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 for letter size, or the ET-8550 if you want 13 x 19.
- Best photo printers for photographersFor photographers, the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S is the best 13 x 19 printer for glossy and luster color work, and the imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is its pigment twin for matte and fine-art paper.
- Best professional photo printersFor selling prints and fine art, the best professional photo printers on this site are pigment machines: the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 at 13 inches, and the PRO-1100 or Epson P900 at 17 inches.
- Best photo printer for iPhoneThe best photo printer for iPhone for most people is the Canon SELPHY CP1500: Wi-Fi printing, a screen, a battery option and prints that come out dry.
- Best photo printers for scrapbooking & journalsFor scrapbooking, the HP Sprocket 2x3 is the best photo printer for peel-and-stick journal pages, the Instax Mini Link 3 is best for small instant prints, and the Canon SELPHY CP1500 is best when you want 4 x 6 prints you can trim to any shape..
- Best 4x6 photo printersThe best 4x6 photo printer is the Canon SELPHY CP1500 for most buyers.
- Best 13x19 photo printersThe best 13x19 photo printer is the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S for glossy color, the imagePROGRAF PRO-310 for pigment and matte paper, and the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 for the cheapest ink.
- Best ink tank photo printersThe best ink tank photo printer is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 if you need 13 x 19, the ET-8500 if letter size is enough, and the Canon PIXMA G620 if you want the lowest price.
- Best portable photo printersThe best portable photo printer for quality is the Canon SELPHY CP1500 with its optional battery pack.
- Best cheap photo printersThe best cheap photo printer depends on what ‘cheap’ means.