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 1. Tech
 2. Printers




THE BEST PHOTO PRINTER IN 2024: TOP REGULAR AND WIDE FORMAT PHOTO PRINTERS

Buying Guides
By Matthew Richards
Contributions from
James Artaius
last updated November 25, 2024

The best photo printers enable you to create great color and mono photo prints
at home – but which one should you go for?





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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate
commission. Here’s how it works.


(Image credit: James Artaius)
Jump to:
 * ↪ The Quick List
 * Best for Letter (A4) photos
 * Best multi-purpose Letter (A4)
 * Best for 13-inch (A3+) photos
 * Best 13-inch (A3+) dye-based
 * Best 13-inch (A3+) for panoramas
 * Best refillable 13-inch (A3+)
 * Best 17-inch (A2) Canon
 * Best 17-inch (A2) Epson
 * How to choose
 * How we test

After reviewing them for decades, I've concluded that the best photo printer is
essentially a dogfight between two names: Canon and Epson. While there are other
printer manufacturers, these two are the only real contenders when it comes to
desktop printers for high-quality photos. When I want to frame, mount, or
display my photos, this is where I need to be.

Key factors to consider are the size of the photos you want to print, and the
type of ink you want to use. For this guide, I’m starting off with the best
regular Letter-size (A4) photo printers, then moving on to larger-format 13-inch
(A3+) printers, and finishing off with 17-inch (A2) printers. Naturally, if you
want to create photo prints to hang on the wall, bigger tends to be better.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for my top tips on how to choose and use a
photo printer.

When it comes to cost, it's not just the price of a printer itself; ink refills
can be eye-wateringly expensive. Even so, it’s worth it in the long run if you
plan on creating a lot of photo prints, compared with the cost of using the best
photo printing services. Better still, I find that making my own prints takes
just a few minutes and puts me in full control of the whole process.

I hate wasting ink, so all the printers on my list use individually replaceable
inks. That way, I only need to replace cartridges that have run dry.
Alternatively, the more recent breed of Canon MegaTank and Epson EcoTank
printers run on bottles rather than cartridges, which can be more efficient,
less wasteful and much less expensive over the lifetime of the printer. However,
models with refillable tanks rather than cartridges are still much less common
when it comes to large-format photo printers.



Matthew Richards
Social Links Navigation


Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and
reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal
printer reviewer – and has tested all the printers on this list. His expertise
with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia when it
comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and
heads, printers, papers, and inks, and just about anything imaging-related.


THE QUICK LIST

Here's a quick rundown of all the photo printers in this guide. Scroll down for
a more in-depth look at the individual products.

Best for Letter (A4) photos

1. Canon Pixma G620

View at Amazon
View at Adorama WW
View at Amazon



This is my favorite standard-sized photo printer. It runs on six dye-based inks,
all of which are used for photo printing, to give an excellent color space for
high-fidelity photographic reproduction. It’s great value to buy for a
multi-function MegaTank printer and bottled ink makes it cheap to run.

Read more below



Best multi-purpose Letter (A4)

2. Epson EcoTank ET-8500
View at Amazon
View at Amazon
View at Conrad Electronic



The consummate all-rounder, this Epson regular-sized printer takes document
printing as well as photo output in its stride, thanks to five dye-based inks
plus a pigment black. The initial purchase price is comparatively high for a
Letter (A4) printer but bottled ink makes it cost-effective in the long run.

Read more below



Best for 13-inch (A3+) photos

3. Canon ImagePrograf Pro-300

View at Amazon



For a 13-inch (A3+) photo printer, I think this Canon is unbeatable. Photo
quality for both color and black-and-white images is spectacular on matte and
fine-art media. For a pigment-based printer, it also works well with glossy
paper thanks to its Chroma Optimizer.

Read more below



Best 13-inch (A3+) dye-based

4. Canon Pixma Pro-200

View at Amazon
View at Amazon



For my money, this is the best 13-inch (A3+) photo printer for glossy and luster
paper. Its dye-based inks are fully absorbed beneath the outer protective layer
of the paper for a super-smooth finish, and fidelity is outstanding for both
color and black-and-white photo images.

Read more below



Best 13-inch (A3+) for panoramas

5. Epson SureColor SC-P700

View at Amazon
View at Amazon



I feel that this printer is a significant improvement over the preceding model
and, as a pigment-based printer, it’s ideally suited to matte and fine-art
media. A major plus point is that it comes complete with a 2-inch core roll
feeder for creating panoramic prints.

Read more below



Best refillable 13-inch (A3+)

6. Epson EcoTank ET-8550

View at Amazon
View at Amazon



This upsized version of the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 enables 13-inch (A3+) prints
rather than just 8.5-inch (A4) prints. It includes a standard-sized scanner,
making it particularly versatile as a large-format printer, and is equally adept
at document and glossy photo output.

Read more below



View the full list ⤵

Best 17-inch (A2) Canon

7. Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1100

Check Amazon



This new flagship replaces the Pro-1000, and remains the king of super
super-sized photos and pristine print quality. It uses 11 Lucia Pro II inks,
with wax for scratch resistance and up to 200 years lightfastness, along with
the matte black found in the Pro-300 for unrivaled mono prints.

Read more below



Best 17-inch (A2) Epson

8. Epson SureColor SC-P900

View at Amazon
View at Amazon
View at Adorama WW



The upsized version of the Epson SureColor SC-P700, this 17-inch (A2) model runs
on the same line-up of 10 top-quality UltraChrome PRO pigment-based inks but I
like that the cartridges have double the ink capacity. A rear-mounting
roll-feeder is available as an optional extra.

Read more below




THE BEST PHOTO PRINTERS WE RECOMMEND IN 2024

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing
and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out
how we test.


BEST PHOTO PRINTER FOR LETTER (A4) PHOTOS



(Image credit: Matthew Richards/Digital Camera World)


1. CANON PIXMA G620

It comes up trumps for photo quality

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Dye
Cartridges/tanks: 6 tanks
Ink capacity: 60ml bottles
Max print / scan resolution: 4800 / 1200dpi
Maximum photo print speed: 47 seconds (4x6-inch)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi
Dimensions (WxDxH): 445x340x167mm
Weight: 6.6kg

Today's Best Deals
View at Amazon
View at Adorama WW
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REASONS TO BUY

+
Cheap to run
+
Fabulous photo print quality
+
Inexpensive for a bottled ink printer

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Less ideal for document printing
-
No touchscreen interface
-
A bit slow for postcard sized photo prints
Buy it if:

✅ You want premium photo quality in a Letter (A4) sized printer.

✅ You don’t mind that mono text isn’t smudge-resistant on plain paper.

Don't buy it if:

❌ Youd prefer a printer that’s equally adept at document printing.

❌ You’d rather have a printer with a touchscreen interface.



I like that, as with other Canon MegaTank inkjet printers, the G620 (G650 in
Europe and G660 in Australia) is a cartridge-free machine that has relatively
high-volume ink tanks, topped up by 60ml bottles of ink. With my money-saving
head on, that works out to about an eighth of the cost of most cartridge-based
printers. I also like that the printer itself is very affordable to buy,
compared with many bottle-fed printers.

The photo-friendly line-up of six dye-based inks includes CMYK plus red and grey
inks, aiming for a wide color space and enhanced mono photo quality. The
individually keyed, squeeze-free bottles ensure simple, mess-free top-ups and
make it impossible to pour any color of ink into the wrong tank.

There are no internal paper feed cassettes, just an upright input tray at the
rear, which makes it easy to swap between different sizes of plain or photo
paper. There’s also no color touchscreen but the small mono LCD enables an
intuitive pushbutton interface. It makes short work of creating mono or color
photocopies, courtesy of the built-in scanner. Connectivity is good too, with
USB and Wi-Fi, the latter enabling Pixma Cloud Link for smartphones and tablets,
Apple AirPrint, Mopria for Android and Wireless Direct.



A set of ink bottles is sufficient for 3,800 6x4-inch photos, or around 3,700
mono documents, or 8,000 color documents. Despite lacking a pigment-based black
ink, mono text is pretty crisp. I find that print speeds are a little
pedestrian, taking around 47 seconds to create a 4x6-inch glossy photo, but a
borderless A4 photo print only takes a couple of minutes in standard photo
quality mode. Color rendition is impressively accurate, tonal range is very good
and the printer makes a good stab at black & white photo printing. In the long
run, it’s great value for a highly capable photo printer.

Read my full Canon Pixma G620 / G650 / G660 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityTonal range is impressive and very accurate to real life. perfect
for A4 prints ★★★★½Cost to runWorking out as an eighth of the cost of most
cartridge-based printers★★★★★Overall valueFor the initial price, cost to run and
its print quality up to A4, this is a great investment ★★★★★

Price comparison
US$329.99
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BEST MULTI-PURPOSE LETTER (A4) PHOTO PRINTER



(Image credit: Epson)


2. EPSON ECOTANK ET-8500

A good all-rounder for photo and document printing


SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Dye + Pigment black
Cartridges/tanks: 6 tanks
Ink capacity: 70ml bottles
Max print / scan resolution: 5760 / 4800dpi
Maximum photo print speed: 25 seconds (4x6-inch)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, SD slot
Dimensions (WxDxH): 403‎x369x162mm
Weight: 8.4kg

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View at Amazon
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REASONS TO BUY

+
Good for documents as well as photos
+
Fast for postcard sized photo prints
+
Color touchscreen interface

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Expensive, even for an EcoTank printer
-
Quite weighty for a Letter (A4) printer
Buy it if:

✅ You want a single printer that works great for photos and documents.

✅ You want a multi-function printer with an intuitive interface.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You’re put off by the particularly steep initial purchase cost.

❌ You only need to print photos occasionally.

I like that this Epson is rather like a photo printer with a business hat on.
Like pretty much everyone, I don’t want to buy and run two printers, one for
photos and the other for documents, so I’m happy that the Epson takes both in
its stride. I also like the fact that running costs are inexpensive, as I’d
expect from an EcoTank printer with supplies of bottled ink to top up the tanks.
I’m not so keen that it’s comparatively expensive to buy, so it can take quite a
while to claw the money back along the road to total cost of ownership.

As with the upscaled Epson EcoTank ET-8550, this Letter (A4) printer runs on the
same mix of pigment-based black ink and dye-based cyan, magenta, yellow, black,
grey inks. This enables solid, smudge-resistant black text on plain paper, along
with a good tonal range and color space for photo printing, for both color and
black & white images.

I’m pressed that the printer can output 4x6-inch borderless color photo prints
in just 25 seconds, which is a bonus when I want to make a large set of prints.
The printing process is streamlined for document printing as well, with
automatic double-sided printing and easy copying or scanning via the built-in
scanner, SD card slot and USB memory stick port. The printer is also
well-connected, with USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi built-in. You can also print direct
onto white-faced CD and DVD discs (remember those?). Everything’s brought
together by an intuitive 4.3-inch touchscreen interface.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityQuality is good for photos and documents, but does take a little
time to print its larger sizes★★★★Cost to runRunning costs are inexpensive for
those that print both documents and prints★★★★Overall valueTo run this is a
great printer for those that want one printer to do it all, but it is a rather
costing investment upfront compared to others★★★★

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BEST PHOTO PRINTER FOR 13-INCH (A3+) PHOTOS



(Image credit: Future)


3. CANON IMAGEPROGRAF PRO-300

It’s simply the best large-format photo printer

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Pigment
Cartridges/tanks: 10 cartridges
Ink capacity: 14ml cartridges
Max print / scan resolution: 4800dpi / no scanner
Maximum photo print speed: 4m 15s (A3)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Dimensions (WxDxH): 639x379x200mm
Weight: 14.4kg

Today's Best Deals
View at Amazon

REASONS TO BUY

+
Unbeatable photo quality
+
Excellent build quality
+
Wide-ranging media support

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Not completely ideal for glossy prints
-
Slower than a dye-based printer
Buy it if:

✅ You want flexibility for glossy, matte and fine-art media.

✅ You want unbeatable black & white performance as well as color.

Don't buy it if:

❌ Speed is of the essence and you’d prefer a faster dye-based printer.

❌ You only print on glossy, semi-gloss and luster photo papers.

I love that, as a pigment-based printer, the Pro-300 is particularly versatile.
It delivers superb-looking output on glossy as well as matte and fine-art media.
Like the older Pixma Pro-10 and larger, A2 format ImagePrograf Pro-1100, it
features a Chroma Optimizer cartridge. This smooths out the finish when printing
on glossy photo paper, so that there’s relatively little difference in the
reflectivity of different colors and tones.

I’m impressed that the ink range itself is very comprehensive, with ten separate
cartridges in total. They’re all from Canon’s latest Lucia Pro line-up, giving
the potential for a wide gamut (color space) with rich, vivid color rendition,
as well as high-fidelity black & white photo printing. The 14ml cartridge
capacity should prove sufficient for around 30 to 60 A3+ prints (depending on
color) although quantities naturally vary depending on the prominent colors and
density within images.

Media handling is very good. I like the inclusion of a rear-mounted upright
paper feeder plus a horizontal manual feeder, the latter being more ideal for
fine art and thicker media. The manual feeder also enables oversized printing
for panoramic and banner output, up to almost a meter in length. A 3-inch color
LCD screen is another handling bonus, although it’s not a touchscreen. Unlike
Canon’s previous pigment-based printers and as with the Pro-200, the Pro-300
enables borderless output on matte and fine-art media, instead of just on
glossy, semi-gloss and luster photo papers. I find that gives me far more
options for full-bleed printing.

Image quality is spectacular, for both color and mono photographic prints. A
particular highlight (or perhaps the opposite) is that the printer delivers
incredibly sumptuous and richly detailed blacks, which add a real depth to print
quality. It’s pretty speedy for a pigment-based printer as well, even in its
highest quality mode, although it can’t match dye-based printers for speed and,
as usual for pigment-based inks, prints aren’t touch-dry as they leave the
printer.

Read my full Canon ImagePrograf Pro-300 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualitywith unbeatable blacks and outstanding print quality this is
perfect if you want a A3+ table top printer★★★★½Cost to runWhile using 10
separate inks will be more expaensive the results speak for themselves and offer
a pro-grade performance ★★★★Overall valueWhile its investment might be high for
a "do-it all" print. However, as a dedicated photo printer its worth it for
those amazing colors★★★★½

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BEST 13-INCH (A3+) DYE-BASED PHOTO PRINTER



(Image credit: Future)


4. CANON PIXMA PRO-200

A pro-grade photo printer for glossy and luster papers

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Dye
Cartridges/tanks: 8 cartridges
Ink capacity: 12.6ml cartridges
Max print / scan resolution: 4800dpi / no scanner
Maximum photo print speed: 1m 30s (A3)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Dimensions (WxDxH): 639x379x200mm
Weight: 14.1kg

Today's Best Deals
View at Amazon
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REASONS TO BUY

+
The ultimate photo quality for glossy prints
+
Competitive purchase price
+
8 individual ink cartridges

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Dye inks are less ideal for matte and fine-art papers
-
Not the highest-capacity ink cartridges
Buy it if:

✅ You want the best quality for glossy color photos.

✅ You don’t tend to use matte or fine-art media.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You want a printer with a built-in scanner.

❌ You only need Letter (A4) sized photo prints.

Canon’s Pixma Pro-100 had long been my favorite A3+ / 13-inch pro-grade printer
for creating photo prints on glossy and luster papers. Running on eight
dye-based inks, including black, grey and light grey, it delivered sumptuously
smooth glossy prints with immaculate color rendition and very good tonal
expression for black & white photographic images. The replacement PRO-200 brings
a number of improvements and enhancements, similar to those of the ImagePrograf
Pro-300 compared with the older Pixma Pro-10 pigment-based model.

For me, a headline upgrade is that the Pro-200 has a new and improved range of
inks that deliver a greater color space, superior vibrancy and deeper reds,
blues and blacks. I find that paper handling is intuitive, as with the
pigment-based Pro-300, with an upright rear feeder and a secondary manual feeder
that enables custom print lengths of up to 39 inches (99.1cm). Other
similarities with the Pro-300 are the addition of a 3-inch color LCD screen and
compatibility with Canon’s excellent Professional Print & Layout software, which
is available as a free download. The printers are also fully compatible with a
large range of top-quality fine-art media from the likes of Canson and
Hahnemühle.

As I’d expect, print speeds from this dye-based printer are faster than from the
pigment-based Pro-300 model. As is often the case these days, the difference in
print quality between standard and highest quality modes can look fairly
negligible, unless you’re viewing photo prints with a high-magnification loupe.
Even in standard mode, the Pro-200 delivers fabulous photo print quality and is
simply the best in the group for glossy photo paper, although the Pro-300 is
better for black & white images, especially on matte and fine-art media.

Read my full Canon Pixma Pro-200 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityGreat for printing color on gloss paper★★★★Cost to runWith eight
inks it can be a little pricey depenging how much you print, but they will be
the best prints you have seen on glossy paper★★★★½Overall valueWith a lower
upfront cost than many this is a great option if you just want to print on
glossy paper★★★★½

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BEST 13-INCH (A3+) PHOTO PRINTER FOR PANORAMAS



(Image credit: Australia Camera)


5. EPSON SURECOLOR SC-P700

I really like this Epson for making panoramic prints

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Pigment
Cartridges/tanks: 10 cartridges
Ink capacity: 25ml cartridges
Max print / scan resolution: 5760dpi / no scanner
Maximum photo print speed: Unspecified
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Dimensions (WxDxH): 515‎x368x185mm
Weight: 12.6kg

Today's Best Deals
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REASONS TO BUY

+
Comes complete with a roll feeder
+
Runs on 10 pigment-based inks
+
Great quality color and black & white

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Lackluster quality on glossy photo paper
-
Very short lifespan of ‘setup’ cartridges
Buy it if:

✅ You want an included roll feeder for panoramic prints.

✅ You have an older Epson SureColor printer but want a worthy upgrade.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You'd rather have the best quality for glossy photo prints.

❌ You’d prefer the higher-capacity ink cartridges of the SC-P900.

I’m often frustrated by the short lifespan of ‘setup’ cartridges that are
supplied with inkjet printers. This Epson is a key offender. I found that after
setting up the printer, there was only enough ink left in the cartridges to
create half a dozen or so 13-inch (A3+) photo prints, and a full set of 10
replacement cartridges certainly don’t come cheap. Even so, once that hurdle is
out of the way, the SC-700 delivers fabulous photo quality for both color and
black & white images on matte photo paper and fine-art media. It’s not ideal for
making glossy prints though, as there’s noticeable ‘bronzing’, so different
colors and densities of ink have varying reflectivity, giving an uneven
appearance to prints.

I find the SC-P700 easy and intuitive to use, helped by the inclusion of a
4.3-inch color touchscreen. I also like that built-in connectivity options
include USB 3.0, Ethernet and Wi-Fi. I hated the fact that previous versions of
Epson’s 10-ink printers only had nine channels in the print heads. That required
swapping between photo black and matte black cartridges every time I went from
glossy to matte paper. It’s a time-consuming business and wastes a lot of ink,
as existing ink has to be purged from the head. I’m thankful that the SC-P700
has dedicated channels for all of its ink cartridges, saving the pain.

Although it’s a really good 13-inch (A3+) printer, I feel that the upscaled
17-inch (A2) SC-P900 is a much better buy. Sure, it costs more up-front, but I
get the option of even bigger prints and the ink cartridges have twice the
capacity, reducing running costs.

Read more: Epson SureColor SC-P700 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityFor color and B&W this printer excells best of all paper stock
expect gloss★★★★Cost to runInitial 'setup' inks are small and go quickly, but
once stocked up on all 10 inks its cost comes with amazing performance
★★★★½Overall valueThis is a serious invesment for someone who want to print
exceptional prints for sale of their home★★★★½

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BEST REFILLABLE 13-INCH (A3+) PHOTO PRINTER



(Image credit: Matthew Richards)


6. EPSON ECOTANK ET-8550

A versatile large-format printer that’s cheap to run

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Dye + Pigment black
Cartridges/tanks: 6 tanks
Ink capacity: 70ml bottles
Max print / scan resolution: 5760 / 4800dpi
Maximum photo print speed: 25 seconds (4x6-inch)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, SD slot
Dimensions (WxDxH): 523‎x379x169mm
Weight: 11.1kg

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REASONS TO BUY

+
Good for documents as well as photos
+
Bottle-fed for cheap running costs
+
Built-in scanner and touchscreen

REASONS TO AVOID

-
High initial purchase price
-
Can’t compete with ‘specialist’ photo printers for quality
Buy it if:

✅ You want a single large-format printer for photos and documents.

✅ You like multi-function versatility with a built-in scanner and touchscreen
interface.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You’d rather have a specialist photo printer for the very best quality on
glossy paper.

❌ You print on matte or fine-art media, for which pigment inks are better.

If I only wanted to make 8.5-inch (A4) photo prints, Epson’s ET-8500 is cheaper
to buy than this upscaled version. The initial outlay for the 13-inch (A3+)
ET-8550 isn’t a great deal more (although it’s still expensive) and both
printers are fed by the same set of 70ml ink bottles.

These comprise a pigment-based black ink for delivering crisp mono text, and
five dye-based inks for photo output, which include CMYK plus a grey ink to
enhance the color space and provide better fidelity for black & white photo
printing. A full set of bottles should be sufficient for printing 2,300 6x4-inch
photos. Naturally, I find the relatively long-lasting EcoTank design really
comes into its own for large-format printing. I think it’s great that I can make
lots of big prints without constantly worrying about buying expensive new
cartridges.

I find that the Epson is well suited to both document and photo printing. I like
that it features multiple input cassettes for loading different types and sizes
of paper, and supports auto duplex double-sided document printing. I’m also a
fan of the built-in 8.5x14-inch scanner, and the intuitive 4.3-inch color
touchscreen. For me, the printer works really well for standalone operation of
remotely via a smartphone or tablet, using the ‘Epson Smart Panel’ app.
Connectivity options include USB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, and there’s also an SD
card slot and USB port, so it really keeps all my options open.

I like that, for printing on larger-format paper up to A3+/13x17-inch, there’s
an upright feeder which pulls up from the back of the printer, plus a horizontal
feeder for printing banners and panoramic photos up to 2m in length, as well as
allowing for specialist media up to 1.3mm thick.

Print speeds are fairly rapid in all but the highest-quality photo mode. Photo
quality is pretty convincing but nowhere near a match for the more specialized
Canon Pixma Pro-200, which has a much greater range of inks (all of them
dedicated to photo output). Even so, considering the lack of light cyan and
light magenta inks, the Epson produces rich, bright and vibrant color rendition.

Read more: Epson EcoTank ET-8550 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityPrint quality to great for both prints and doucments and makes a
great all-round printer★★★★Cost to runIt is cheap to rum, but more expensive
that its A4 version and uses the same 70ml ink tanks★★★½Overall valueFor the
initial investment its a good median across the range★★★★

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 * Back to the top ⤴


BEST 17-INCH (A2) CANON PHOTO PRINTER



(Image credit: James Artaius)


7. CANON IMAGEPROGRAF PRO-1100

An absolutely fabulous 17-inch photo printer


SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Pigment
Cartridges/tanks: 12 cartridges
Ink capacity: 80ml cartridges
Max print / scan resolution: 2400dpi / no scanner
Maximum photo print speed: 3m 35s (A2)
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Dimensions (WxDxH): 723x435x285mm
Weight: 32.3kg

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REASONS TO BUY

+
Unsurpassed photo quality on matte and fine-art media
+
Very good on glossy photo paper
+
High-capacity ink cartridges

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Big and heavy
-
Expensive to buy
-
No built-in scanner or touchscreen
Buy it if:

✅ You want to max out on quality as well as size.

✅ You want to create borderless prints on matte and fine-art media.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You prefer printing on glossy photo paper.

❌ You’d rather have a more compact, lightweight printer.

I haven't had a chance to perform my full suite of tests on the ImagePrograf
Pro-1100 just yet, but after examining the printer and its prints up close – and
comparing them side by side with the Pro-1000 and Epson SC-P900 – there's no
doubt that this deserves its place on this list.

The new flagship, the Pro-1100 replaces the Pro-1000 and is every bit the
performer that its predecessor was. Yes, this is a big bulky printer and an
expensive investment, but the results speak for themselves. Print quality is
simply unbeatable on matte and fine art stock, as it inherits all the muscle of
the Pro-1000, and especially when printing monochrome images, thanks to picking
up some tricks from the Pro-300 as well.

The Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1100 has upgraded to the latest Lucia Pro II inks.
These 11 pigment-based inks now contain wax, giving them added scratch and
abrasion resistance, and also boast lightfastness of up to 200 years. There's
also the Chroma Optimizer tank, delivering better and more even results on
glossy stock, and the new matte black ink has been adopted from the Pro-300,
laying down unbelievably deep dark blacks that will make your old monos look
grey!

There are seven new paper sizes and four more borderless printing sizes than the
Pro-1000 offered, and the long-form print for roll paper has now been increased
from 1.2m / 3.94ft to a maximum of 3.2767m / 10.75ft – music to the ears or
banner and pano printers.

Pigment-based printers tend to be slower than their dye-based counterparts, but
the Pro-1100 matches the speed of its predecessor, outputting full A2 prints in
as little as around 3½ minutes. As always with pigment-based inks though, I find
it’s best not to touch the prints for a while after they’ve exited the printer,
to give the ink time to fully dry. A full set of cartridges is expensive to buy
but they have an unusually high capacity of 80ml each, which is more ink than is
often sold in bottles for EcoTank or MegaTank refillable printers.

Read our Canon ImagePrograf Pro-1100 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityOutstanding print quality on matte and fine-art paper ★★★★½Cost to
runThis is a pro-grade printer and comes at a high cost per print. However, its
worth the cost when you see the results★★★★Overall valueA high cost to buy
upfront and inks are not cheap, but this pro-grade printer is at the top of its
class★★★★½

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 * Back to the top ⤴


BEST 17-INCH (A2) EPSON PHOTO PRINTER



(Image credit: Matthew Richards/Digital Camera World)


8. EPSON SURECOLOR SC-P900

A surprisingly compact 17-inch (A2) photo printer

Our expert review:



SPECIFICATIONS

Ink type: Pigment
Cartridges/tanks: 10 cartridges
Ink capacity: 50ml cartridges
Max print / scan resolution: 5760dpi / no scanner
Maximum photo print speed: Unspecified
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
Dimensions (WxDxH): 615‎x368x199mm
Weight: 14.8kg

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REASONS TO BUY

+
Relatively compact and lightweight
+
Great for color and black & white
+
Ideal for matte and fine-art media

REASONS TO AVOID

-
Not the best for glossy photo paper
-
Expensive to buy
Buy it if:

✅ You want to go large on your photo prints but keep compact dimensions for the
actual printer.

✅ You specialize in matte and fine-art media printing, rather than using glossy
photo paper.

Don't buy it if:

❌ You need great quality on glossy paper as well as matte and fine-art media.

❌ You’d rather have the higher-capacity ink cartridges featured in the Canon
PRO-1000.

I’ve already given the lowdown on the Epson SureColor SC-P700 13-inch (A3)
printer, which is a direct competitor to the Canon ImagePrograf Pro-300. The
SC-P900 17-inch (A2) is naturally more expensive to buy but I like that it gives
relatively supersized output from a printer that’s only about the same size and
weight as the Canon 13-inch (A3+) model. I also like that its 50ml cartridges
have twice the capacity of the SC-P700’s cartridges, resulting in significant
savings for ink costs. Even so, that’s less ink than the Canon Pro-1000’s 80ml
cartridges.

In previous large-format Epson printers, the photo black and matte black inks
shared a common channel in the print head. I’d therefore need to purge and
refill the ink in the channel every time I swapped between glossy and matte
media, wasting time and money. The SC-P700 and SC-P900 put that to rights, with
dedicated channels for all ten inks.

I like the handling characteristics of this printer. It has an additional
pull-out feeder at the front, ideal for fine-art media and relatively thick
poster board. It also allows for extra-long cut-sheet media, while a roll paper
feeder is available as an optional extra (whereas it’s included with the smaller
SC-P700). I find the 4.3-inch color touchscreen useful and intuitive, and I like
that the printer features a translucent top panel and interior LED lighting, so
I can keep a check on your prints as they’re being made.

There are up to five quality settings available, depending on media type, but
the highest settings are typically very slow and give a virtually imperceptible
increase in print quality for most images and papers. Print quality itself is
excellent, for both color and mono output, although the Canon Pro-300 just has
the edge for really deep blacks and, without a ‘chroma optimizer’ cartridge, the
Epson’s output on glossy paper looks less smooth.

Read more: Epson SureColor SC-P900 review

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Print qualityGreat on most most media except gloss★★★★½Cost to runWith 10 inks,
this will be slight ore to run than those with 4 - but you get what you pay for
★★★★Overall valueIt's a good investment for those seeking a pro-grade solution,
but want it keep it to a compact size on their desk★★★★½

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 * Back to the top ⤴


HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PHOTO PRINTER

Dye or pigment? Pigment-based inks have larger molecules and are more robust.
For document printing on plain paper, they’re more smudge-resistant so are less
likely to be ruined by a ring of moisture from a water bottle, or from the use
of highlighter pens. Pigment-base inks are also better for premium photo
printing on matte photo paper and fine-art media. The flipside is that dye-based
inks are better for photo printing on glossy paper, as the smaller molecules
enable the ink to be fully absorbed beneath the protective glossy top layer of
the paper.

How many inks? Traditionally, CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) inks are
featured in printers, as this enables effective mono and color document
printing. Dual photo/document printers sometimes feature both dye-based and
pigment-based black inks. The dye-based black ink enables greater depth and
contrast than relying on ‘composite black’, created from mixing cyan, magenta
and yellow together. Up-market photo printers tend to feature additional colors
of ink, often light cyan and light magenta, for an extended gamut (or color
space), and top-notch ones usually feature additional gray cartridges to extend
the tonal range and drama for black & white photo prints.

Do I need a scanner facility? Just as you need to print documents and images
from your computer, you might also need to digitize or copy existing pages. The
vast majority of inkjet printers these days come complete with a built-in
scanner, which can add greatly to their all-round versatility. Many also feature
an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) for automatic the scanning or copying of
multi-page documents, saving you the chore of feeding pages in one by one. The
best of breed sometimes include a scanner with ADF that can scan both sides of
double-sided documents simultaneously, in one pass, effectively doubling the
speed.

Cartridges or ink tanks? Ink tanks beat cartridges for running costs and
convenience. Conventional cartridge-based inkjet printers are generally sold
with ‘setup cartridges’ that last next to no time, and a full set of regular
replacement cartridges often costs as much or even more than the printer itself,
so it’s easy to see where manufacturers make their money. And as for the lack of
convenience, you can almost count on cartridges running out just when you need
them most, which can be a big problem if you don’t have spares to hand. All in
all, cartridges can be a pain and a financial drain for anything other than
occasional printing.

Are ink tank printers messy to refill? You might worry that refilling ink tanks
with bottles might be a messy business. That often used to be the case but times
have changed. Nowadays, ink bottles generally have individually keyed tops, so
each one only fits in the correct tank. What’s more, they’re gravity fed so
there’s no squeezing involved, and ink is only released via an internal valve
once the bottle is safely positioned in the receptacle at the top of the tank.
The valve will also shut off automatically once the tank is full. You can pretty
much guarantee there’s no mess involved.

Do I need to use genuine cartridges? Independently manufactured ink cartridges
often cost a small fraction of the price of the genuine articles. The same goes
for photo paper. However, with very cheap cartridges, there’s a risk that the
ink might have impurities that can block the ultra-small nozzles of the print
head, which can be a major problem. For photo printing, you also risk poor color
fidelity and a massive reduction in the longevity of the print. For the sake of
print quality, reliability and long-lasting results, you’re best off sticking
with genuine supplies or at least opting for independent alternatives that
aren’t overly cheap and have a good reputation.

 * Back to the top ⤴


HOW WE TEST PHOTO PRINTERS

Our test procedure begins with installing the latest software drivers and
running nozzle check and print head alignment routines. We then create test
prints from mono documents, mixed text and graphics color documents, and a wide
range of digital photos that include landscapes, portraits, and black & white
images.

We use the various available quality modes, including optional image enhancement
features. We also create prints from our own specially created test chart, to
test the printer's accuracy in terms of color reproduction, tonal range,
retention of detail in bright highlights and dark shadows, and the ability to
deliver smooth gradations in subtle color variations. The printer manufacturer’s
own-brand inks and papers are used throughout the entire testing procedure.

For output speed, we record the time taken to produce various sizes of prints at
different quality settings. Ink costs are calculated on typical page yield
against average prices for the manufacturer’s own-brand cartridges or bottles.

Find out more about how we test and review on Digital Camera World

 * Back to the top ⤴

Round up of today's best deals
Canon PIXMA G620

US$329.99
US$249
View
See all prices
Epson Ecotank ET-8500

US$699.99
US$580
View
See all prices
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300

US$874.95
View
See all prices
Canon Pixma PRO-200 printer

US$793.99
View
See all prices
Epson SureColor SC-P700

US$799.95
View
See all prices
Epson Ecotank ET-8550

US$799.99
US$640.90
View
See all prices
Canon PRO1000

US$3,790
View
See all prices
Epson SureColor SC-P900

US$1,169.95
View
See all prices
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Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and
reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens
reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot
dinners! 



His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an
encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags,
flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything
imaging-related. 



In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former
editor of PC Guide.

With contributions from
 * James ArtaiusEditor



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