Photo printers can be an essential addition to any workflow, with a lot more versatility than the average printer. However, there’s a lot to know about these photo-first devices, but when you shop with our tried and tested buying advice, you can’t go wrong. Here are the best photo printers to buy right now.
Although we’re big fans of all that photo printers can do, it should be said from the outset that if you’re only interested in printing out occasional documents to be signed or posted, then you’re better off with one of the best printers available. Standard printers tend to be cheaper at the point of purchase, and even cost less in the long run as you won’t need to use quite as much ink.
Where photo printers really come into their own is for anyone who works in a creative industry and would prefer the convenience of being able to print things out at any time of day, rather than having to be reliant on a nearby printing service. Because of their ability to recreate colours more accurately than standard printers, photo printers are perfect for professional photographers and graphic designers.
Photo printers also have the capacity to print things out in sizes beyond the standard A4 template. This is ideal if you have an A3 poster that you need to print out in time for a show, or you want to have a compact A5 photo that can then be framed afterwards. There’s no shortage of reasons as to why photo printers are a worthy investment, but we take the time to test each one that appears at our offices so that you get paired up with the right one.
In order to make the buying process as simple as possible, all the photo printers on this list have been highlighted for their best feature, whether it be pure value for money or smartphone connectivity, so you can start whittling down your options quickly. For those who might be tempted by a camera upgrade alongside their new photo printer, our guides to the best cameras and the best camera phones have you covered.
Best Photo Printer at a glance
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Learn more about how we test printers
Every printer we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including print quality, speed and cost. These include first-time setup, changing respective cartridges, and measuring key things such as print speed and quality with a range of different paper types, including plain and photo.
We’ll also compare the features with other printers at the same price point to see if you’re getting good value for your money. We’ve also calculated how much it would cost to replace the cartridge or refill the ink in order to see how much the printer will cost you in the long term.
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Very good photo print quality
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Less cost and hassle thanks to bottled ink
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Surprisingly compact
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Underwhelming plain paper printing
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Expensive to buy
The Epson EcoTank ET-18100 is the ultimate option for those looking for great photo prints, particularly those amateur photographers who want to print photos to their heart’s content.
With the EcoTank ET-18100, you’ll be getting an A3+ capable, six-ink photo printer that opens up the world of photo printing to you through low running costs and super convenient refillable tanks. It’s the big bottles the ink comes in and the refillable tanks that make this such an easy and cost-effective purchase. As such, you can make up for the slightly expensive starting price if you’re going to use this printer a ton.
The results speak for themselves too, producing top-notch photo print quality. Admittedly, the prints aren’t professional tier – look to our next recommendation for that – but for those after great home photo printing, it’s more than good enough. Overally, we found the printer quality to be delightful and it dishes out the prints in speedy fashion too. What’s more, despite its strong capabilities, it is still a surprisingly compact printer too.
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Compact and businesslike
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Fast mono printing
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Good value to own
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Slow colour printing
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Sub-par plain paper print quality
Although it might be noticeably late to the party, Brother’s first ink tank printer doesn’t suffer from any major first-generation woes, instead being a great photo printer in its own right and one that’s well worth considering if you’re someone who works from home. While there are more powerful options on this list, it’s the Brother DCP-T580DW we recommend for professionals who work exclusively from home.
One of the reasons why the Brother DCP-T580DW is so well-suited to home office working is because of how compact it is. Unlike a lot of photo printers which, by their very nature, can end up taking over an entire desk or table, the DCP-T580DW can easily sit alongside your monitor so you won’t feel as if you’re sacrificing essential space just to have it.
Of course, because this is an ink tank printer, the real allure is in having much cheaper running costs which, on top of the reasonable asking price of £250/$299, can save you a ton of money in the long run. Unlike the ink cartridge system of old which relies on proprietary containers that are expensive to buy and to build, ink tanks can be easily topped up via much cheaper ink bottles.
When it comes to the actual printing process, the DCP-T580DW can get the job done incredibly well. Photos have a warm and inviting quality to them, which is perfect for any memories you might want to frame and hang about your home, and there’s impressive speed at play when printing plain documents. We were able to print 10 double-sided pages in just three minutes.
Because this is a smaller printer, we don’t recommend buying the Brother DCP-T580DW for large-scale projects, and there’s definitely a case to be made that other printers can put out better quality documents, but for a compact printer that more or less does it all, the DCP-T580DW is a great pick for home workers.
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Exceptional photo prints up to A3+
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Eight-ink print engine for less grain in colour photos
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Grey inks for neutral black and white prints
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Expensive to run
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Not great for plain paper
Are you looking for professional grade photo printing at home? The Canon PIXMA Pro-200 is the choice for you.
Very few printers live up to the quality on offer from the PIXMA Pro-200, the secret? The Canon PIXMA Pro-200 is powered by an eight-ink print engine rather than your more traditional four or six options. The results are stunning, banishing grain from your photo printers up to A3+. The grey ink options make for impressive black and white photo prints too, if monochrome is your vibe.
This photo printer is laser-focused on being for professionals, and that’s why professionals will love it. As such, you’ll need plenty of desk space but, nevertheless, it’s a subtle and straightforwardly designed printer. Printing can be quite expensive if you aren’t printing those larger A3 prints so, again, this is professionals who need its remarkable photo print quality. You’ll have no shame selling your best snaps when using Canon’s high quality photo paper and this printer together.
Again, it’s the quality that sings here, it’s better than what you’d get from your typical lab and it comes back to you in a far speedier manner too – allowing you to hone what you like from your own printer in an efficient way.
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Low running costs
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Strong photo quality
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Decent plain paper prints
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Expensive to buy
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Slow, especially on plain paper
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No auto double-sided printing
The Canon PIXMA G550 isn’t the best value photo printer available, but we decided to include it on this list since it still offers affordable long-term running costs if you plan on printing out photos on a frequent basis.
This model utilises refillable bottles as opposed to cartridges, which immediately makes refills more cost effective. To boot, the G550’s bottles will last for either 3700 black pages or 8000 colour pages. It’s capable of 3800 10x15cm colour photos, giving you a cost per page of just 1.7p, which is some of the lowest we’ve ever seen. This is especially thanks to replacement bottles costing just £11.
As well as offering great value for money, the G550 delivers great quality printouts. This printer offers a six-ink setup, with an extra red and grey ink option, which helped to provide smooth shade transition in coloured printouts, as well as a neutral and exceptionally detailed greyscale print. While some of our colour samples may not be up to standard against other six-inkers, there’s a noticeable difference compared to more standard four-ink printers. Admittedly, it may not be the fastest printer in the world, with a print time of nearly seven minutes to print a single borderless A4 photo, but at least the results are good.
This is a remarkably simple printer, especially given it’s a single function device so you can’t copy or scan images. That being said, it does have a display alongside offering convenient control over key features with some actual buttons. The fact it’s a six-ink printer is also handy given the extra oomph it gives to photos, as well as the fact the ink is refillable, saving waste and also saving you money with much lower printing costs than more standard cartridge-based inkjets.
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Squat and smart design
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Excellent photo and scan quality
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Huge touchscreen controls
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Quite expensive to buy and run
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Some minor usability issues
As you can see in this list, the best photo printer options aren’t exactly cheap. If your budget can’t stretch that far, then it’s worth considering the Canon PIXMA TS8750 instead.
Available for as little as £150, this cartridge-based, multi-function printer really impressed us when it came to the quality of its photo prints. This is largely thanks to the six-ink setup, which ensures accurate and bold colours, as well as realistic skin tones. Its use of both black and grey ink also allows this printer to excel with dark imagery, adding plenty of detail to the deepest of shadows.
What’s more the Canon PIXMA TS8750 features an SD card slot which allows you to print your photos directly rather than using a PC as a go-between. You can even use the printer’s screen to display thumbnails, making it easier to locate the photos you want to print.
There is a big caveat with the cheap upfront cost of this printer though, as its running costs are expensive due to its use of cartridges instead of ink bottles. If you plan on printing a lot of photos, it may end up being a costly printer over its lifespan, but the Canon PIXMA TS8750 remains a great option for those who want a low upfront cost and don’t plan on printing photos too often.
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In-app editing tools give saturation and contrast a boost
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Only Instax Link printer to use square film
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AR Print and Instax Connect aren’t available on other printers
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Limited editing tools
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QR codes are too big
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Film development takes slightly longer than advertised
The vast majority of the photo printers in this list are designed to live in your home/office and print a variety of image sizes. However, if you’re looking for a more portable printer that uses an instant printing technique, the Instax Square Link is a brilliant option.
The Instax Square Link is a lightweight, pocket-sized printer that prints instant photos like those you’d get from a Polaroid or Instax instant camera. However, unlike these cameras, there’s no lens or sensor involved. Instead, the Square Link allows you to choose specific photos from your phone’s camera roll to send to the printer via Bluetooth.
Not only does this allow you to pick and choose which images are sent to print to avoid wasting ink on duds, but it also makes it possible to print multiple copies of each shot to hand out to others as gifts. It also means you can print your photos the moment you shoot them or wait until later if you leave the printer at home that day.
Images measure 6.2 x 6.2cm and require you to stay stocked up on Instax Square film, which can get quite pricey. However, the printing process itself is relatively quick, with a claimed 90-second developing time (though we found that it took a little longer for the image to develop fully).
There are options to edit your photos in the mobile app and even add AR elements that can be viewed by scanning a QR code in the bottom corner of your print.
Photos printed with the Square Link match our expectations for a decent instant camera. Shots are bright and detailed, though skin tones tend to appear somewhat washed out. You can, however, tweak the saturation or apply a filter in the app to counteract this.
Instax sells two similar printers designed to be compatible with its Mini and Wide film sizes, but if you prefer the in-between Square format, the Instax Square Link is the instant printer for you.
FAQs
For our money, the Canon Pixma G650 is the best overall photo printer you can buy, with high quality printouts, especially on glossy paper, as well as a convenient featureset and low running costs.
For what it’s worth, we’d say yes, especially given we’ve listed an Epson EcoTank (the ET-2750) above as a potential option for those wanting a versatile photo printer. Although it really does depend on the specific model.
Inkjet printers are arguably better for printing photos, given that laser printers are traditionally more associated with large-scale text work, and for commercial image printing operations such as brochures and flyers.
Test Data
| Epson EcoTank ET-18100 | Brother DCP-T580DW | Canon PIXMA Pro-200 | Canon PIXMA G550 | Canon PIXMA TS8750 | Instax Square Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Energy consumption | – | 13 Watts | – | – | 25 Watts | – |
| Printing A4 mono speed (single page) | 24 sec | 10 sec | 37 sec | 31 sec | 16 sec | – |
| Printing A4 mono speed (5 pages) | 53 sec | 26 sec | 127 sec | 101 sec | 59 sec | – |
| Printing A4 mono speed (20 pages) | 121 sec | 109 sec | 321 sec | 401 sec | 194 sec | – |
| Printing A4 colour speed (single page) | 21 sec | 17 sec | 56 sec | 35 sec | 26 sec | – |
| Printing A4 colour speed (5 pages) | 55 sec | 65 sec | 177 sec | 101 sec | 73 sec | – |
| Printing A4 colour speed (20 pages) | 109 sec | 252 sec | 372 sec | 485 sec | 282 sec | – |
| Scanning speed test (single page) | – | 10 sec | – | – | 20 sec | – |
Full Specs
| Epson EcoTank ET-18100 Review | Brother DCP-T580DW Review | Canon PIXMA Pro-200 Review | Canon PIXMA G550 Review | Canon PIXMA TS8750 Review | Instax Square Link Review | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Epson | Brother | Canon | Canon | Canon | Fujifilm |
| Quiet Mark Accredited | No | No | No | No | No | – |
| Size (Dimensions) | 523 x 369 x 150 MM | 390 x 343 x 149 MM | 639 x 379 x 200 MM | 445 x 340 x 136 MM | 372 x 345 x 142 MM | 105 x 37.5 x 127.5 MM |
| Weight | 8 KG | 6.5 KG | 14.1 G | 5.1 KG | 6.6 KG | 236 G |
| ASIN | B0BZ93GFQB | – | B08LW5R6K6 | B093QFHMHH | B0CHFT8W97 | B0BGY6S7WS |
| Release Date | 2023 | 2025 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 | 2022 |
| First Reviewed Date | 30/05/2023 | 27/05/2025 | 06/06/2023 | 12/07/2022 | 29/11/2023 | – |
| Model Number | C11CK38401BY | DCP-T580DW | 4280C008AA | 4621C008 | 6152C008 | – |
| Model Variants | – | – | – | – | TS8751 (white) | – |
| Ports | USB | USB | USB, 10/100 Ethernet | USB | USB | USB-C |
| Connectivity | 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n wireless | 802.11b/g/n/a wireless networking, PictBridge Wi-Fi | SD Card, 802.11b/g/n/a/ac wireless | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Printer Speed | – | – | – | – | – | 12 sec |
| Ink Cartridge support | Epson EcoTank 107 ink | BTD180BK black ink (7,500 pages), BTD180C cyan ink, BTD180M magenta ink, BTD180Y yellow ink (5,000 pages each) | CLI-65 black, cyan, magenta, yellow, grey, light grey, light cyan, light magenta | GI-53 BK, C, M, Y, R, GY | PGI-530PGBK black ink, CLI531 BK (black), GY (grey), C (cyan), M (magenta) and Y (yellow) inks. | FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE Instant Film |
| Printer Type | Colour | Colour | Colour | Colour | Colour | Colour |
| Scanner? | – | Yes | – | – | Yes | – |
| Ink Type | Bottle | Bottle | Cartridge | Bottle | Cartridge | Cartridge |
| UK RRP | £650 | £250 | £430 | £175 | £144 | £129.99 |
| USA RRP | Unavailable | – | $549 | Unavailable | $369 | – |
| EU RRP | €777 | – | €514 | €213 | €262 | – |
| CA RRP | Unavailable | – | CA$752 | Unavailable | CA$336 | – |
| AUD RRP | Unavailable | – | Unavailable | Unavailable | Unavailable | – |
