Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). The 12.6 mL cartridges hold less ink than the P700’s 25 mL cartridges, so you have to replace them more frequently, but at a cost of $1.11 per milliliter versus $1.52 per milliliter for our top pick.
The key factors to consider are the size of the photos you want to print, and the type of ink you want to use. If this all seems a little overwhelming, you can scroll to the bottom of this page for our top tips on how to choose a photo printer. My big bugbear with the 5101 is the rear-loading paper tray. It makes epson photo printer the printer deeper than a standard shelf, limiting where you can put it. It also limits the amount of paper it can store to just a few sheets, making it less than ideal for a larger workload. The lack of a scanner feeder on the top also slows you down, forcing you to scan each document a single page at a time.
An upside of this is that borderless printing is now available for matte and fine art media, instead of just for glossy paper (as with the imagePROGRAF PRO-300 and PRO-1000 models). The built-in color screen makes for more intuitive operation and again, as with the pigment-based PRO-300, you can create panoramic prints of up to 990cm in length. It’s a cartridge-free printer, which uses refillable bottles for its ink, and unlike other models, actually comes with a full set of 60ml ink supplies. Specifically for photo printers, we looked at their versatility (both in terms of management and media handling), paying closer attention to the print output and the cost of the consumables (ink cartridges, etc.).
Excellent output quality combines superb accuracy for color prints and fabulous definition for black & white photo prints, without any unwanted color casts. The black and white evaluation protocols reflected those used for the color prints, the exception being that the images chosen for inspection are in grayscale. Again, the Epson SureColor P700 and the Canon PIXMA Pro-200 shot the moon in this evaluation. These printers have an advantage in this metric because they boast multiple ink cartridges in shades of black and gray. The Epson SureColor P700 has a fantastic tonal range, tonal contrasts, and brilliant definition.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is another solid 13-inch printer, but where it really shines is in printing black-and-white photos. The PRO-300’s 10-color Lucia Pro pigment ink set includes both photo and matte black inks, producing deeper and more intense blacks that look fantastic on fine art photo paper. And because the Canon PRO-300 has separate nozzles for the two types of black ink, epson inkjet printers it doesn’t need to switch tanks while printing (a common annoyance), reducing ink waste and saving time. The PRO-300 also has a dedicated Chroma Optimizer channel that layers on a clear coating for a smoother finish, enhancing glossiness and reducing bronzing. Some vendors even apply the term “photo printer” to inkjets with the antique two-cartridge (black and tricolor) system.
A professional photography monitor is optimal, but having an iMac, Macbook Pro or Dell XPS screen for example, is not bad at all. Sure, it’s less AdobeRGB coverage, but the most important thing is to Calibrate your screen. With a ‘lesser’ screen it’s still perfectly fine to get a ‘near’ perfect result. The printer includes a built-in roll feeder, auto cutter, and a high-capacity cassette that accommodates up to 100 cut sheets from 8.5 by 11 inches to 17 by 22 inches. Thus, all other aspects of the print being equal, faster is better.
The Epson XP is a full-sized photo printer priced significantly below the cost of other machines that render larger format prints. Powered by Epson Micro Piezo™ Variable Sized Droplet Technology — EcoTank Photo uses our 6‑Color Claria® ET with photographic dye inks to produce exceptional color and black & white photographic print quality. Epson SureLab D-Series small format printers offer outstanding image quality and speed for businesses seeking profit growth.
This is of course an extreme example, but getting colours ‘just right’ is an art by itself, and you don’t want a bad monitor to mess that up. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Some snapshot printers can print from a computer over a USB connection, but most are really meant as standalone devices for use with phones or tablets. Older models tend to come with Wi-Fi connectivity, and many can print directly from PictBridge-supporting cameras and memory cards or USB flash drives.
There was a significant step-down in quality from the full to the mid-sized machines as with the color metric. However, the Epson XP and the Epson PictureMate PM-400 were standouts in their size class. The large format, 13″ x 19″ prints produced by the Epson XP were nearly on par with the full-sized machines. Interestingly, the quality decreased as the print dimensions decreased, with banding and streaking becoming more apparent. The Epson PM-400 was much more consistent across the various print dimensions. Despite displaying tone qualities similar to the full-sized machines, this model suffered from a reduction in resolution.