Photo Inkjet Printers for Photographers

Photo inkjet or photo-centric inkjet printers are designed specifically for the photographer and photo hobbyist. They pack a lot of extras into their relatively small packaging that other ink jet printers don't have - things like more specialized and a larger variety of inks and ink types, photography oriented software, LCD preview screens, and more.

Keep in mind that a photo ink jet printer is not the same thing as a general use or all-purpose printer. Because these are so specialized, they won't print text documents as well as your standard inkjet or laser printer; don't spend the cash on one if you aren't planning on using it mostly for photo printing and graphic artist needs.

Beyond that bit of caution, if you take digital photos of any kind, you're going to find that a good photo inkjet printer is exactly the thing your dreams were made of.

HP Photosmart Premium

Ask a professional reviewer and you're going to hear this photo printer rated amongst the best every single time. Macworld wrote that it "brings the feature set and print quality of a $2,000 printers to the desktop of any serious digital photographer or graphic artist."

There are a variety of models available for your printing needs, but by far the best value I've found is in the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One. Not only do you get the productivity bonus from having an all-in-one printer with a sleek, streamlined user interface that includes fax, copy, print, and scanning functions but you can perform double-sided printing, connect wirelessly, use separate photo trays for variable sizes of photo paper (or types of paper), and have quick access to all the functions you need via control panel buttons, but this all-in-one also boasts premium lab-quality photos at a low cost to print rate.

Pros: Designed with the amateur photo enthusiast in mind, the quality of print that this workhorse of an inkjet does will more than satisfy the professional photographer while not having a steep learning curve. In addition to the cool functions mentioned before, you'll also find things like an integrated auto-document feeder, Bluetooth connectivity, in-depth guides to setting up and using your new printer, and an interactive control panel that allows you to edit photos directly from the printer and completely independent of your digital camera.

You can adjust the position of the LCD screen so that no matter what you're looking at, you can see it well - and with that cool little panel I mentioned, you can do almost everything you need to operate your printer without your computer even on. Transfer or print photos directly off HP Photosmart Premium's on-board card reader or the 'PictBridge' that is compatible with most digital cameras for one-touch printing.

And the one pro you won't find anywhere else, because it's an HP exclusive: forms. In the center of the nifty little control panel is a 'Quick Forms' button that lets you choose between a variety of documents to print your photos on including calendars, to-do lists, coversheets, and even lined paper.

Cons: This photo inkjet printer is absolutely stunning when it comes to color photography and graphic designs. It prints crisp, neat lines and even text documents will have that clean look to them that you can't beat for professionalism. Black ink cartridges do cost more than your average black cartridge, though, so if you're going to be doing a lot of black & white printing you might want to look into a more cost-effective printer.

Specifics: Weighing in at 23 pounds, and measuring 19 inches tall by 18 inches wide by 23 inches deep including the built-in duplexer, this photo ink jet printer is small enough to fit in your home office but larger than your plain-old-inkjet. 50 sheets of paper can be run though the document feeder at once, meaning you can quickly upload and scan to your computer. The LCD photo preview screen is 2.4 inches and full color, and resolution is 4800 x 4800 dpi - far above industry standard. The HP Photosmart Premium also comes with unparalleled service and support.

How Much and Where to Buy: Pricing on this consumer-friendly photo inkjet printer will vary based on the store you purchase it from. At the time of writing, this printer runs from $150.00 at OfficeMax.com to $324.00 at Compuplus.com (which, if you want some seriously nice customer satisfaction and buying confidence, the extra expense is worth).

Epson Stylus Photo R2400

Epson Stylus Photo printers are definitely pricey - but worth it. Running on exclusive UltraChrome K3 inks, rated to last more than 100 years without fading, this inkjet printer was designed for professional, long-lasting photography. Seriously, it's a more-than-welcome addition to any photo or graphic arts studio with its revolutionary functions that deliver large, archival prints totally worthy of gallery display.

More than any other brand of the Epson Stylus Photo printers, the R2400 has more range because it actually contains three black ink cartridges, making it renowned for printing absolutely stunning black-and-white photos. But don't count out the color; it, too, has a print quality that is praised consistently.

Definitely not a printer for everyone, this photo ink jet printer is a space hog, it's expensive to buy and operate, and it's awkwardly designed - imagine a larger laser printer and you've got the idea. If your printing needs lean more toward scrapbooking, business materials, or draft proofing, look into a less expensive model. This one seriously is for the photo and graphic design enthusiast and professional.

Pros: In a market where monochrome printing is something that most printers are struggling with, the Epson Stylus Photo R2400 is outclassing all of them. While I've not gotten to play with it (an addict's nightmare), the Photoshop plugin that now comes with all of the newer Epson photo printers has often been hailed as the "jewel in the crown" of the software package that comes with the inkjet, which itself is so user-friendly that a child could - literally - install the printer alone. Another feature that makes many photographers giddy is the inclusion of a roll paper feed.

Combining absolutely amazing, vibrant gallery-quality black & white photography with crisp, appealing color photographs will find this printer to be amazing. It supports so many paper-handling accessories it's ridiculous - just out of the box, you have two attachments for feeding roll paper, a special attachment for the paper-input support designed for use with matte photo paper, and another paper input for feeding single sheets of heavy stock. A huge bonus this printer has over others is the way it incorporates the traditional CMYK palette with light cyan, magenta, light black, and light light black inks - 8 inks total that will really mean a difference in the quality of your prints.

Cons: This is one pricey little piece of equipment that only a professional photographer, graphic designer, or paper crafting enthusiast will want to shell out for. Some of the bundled software has not been applauded, and has actually been cited in reviews as being "too basic" for the very advanced capabilities of the machine. The Epson Stylus Photo R2400 is not network-ready and is not wireless, and some users have complained about having to manually swap out matte and glossy black ink cartridges because doing so wastes ink when the print heads must be purged each time the switch is made. While the set-up process only takes about 10 minutes, you do have to set up 9 ink cartridges, 4 paper feeders, and manage to get it running on your computer.

Specifics: Seriously a workhorse, this photo inkjet printer is about as large as your standard laser printer at 2 feet wide by 12 inches deep by 9 inches tall and weighing nearly 26 pounds with trays popping out everywhere for paper feeding - but there's nothing flimsy on this model. Everything is stiff, sturdy, and well-made making it ready for several years' of use. Bundled software includes a very intuitive driver that lets you choose between basic and advanced modes (if you know enough about printers to purchase this one, you'll probably want to go advanced), Epson Raw Print, and four free filters from Nik Multimedia's Color Efex Pro. Features borderless printing and will handle everything from plain copy paper to photo paper of all types, watercolor paper, and heavy-weight stock.

A beautiful and very straight-forward roundup of what features are available on this printer can be found here.

How Much and Where to Buy: Before you cringe, let me remind you that this is definitely a professional's inkjet photo printer. You'll pay a hefty price tag - somewhere between $500 at OfficeDepot.com and $1,000 at Amazon Marketplace.

Canon Pixma iP2600 Photo Printer

This little baby is perhaps my "best for last" piece. This high-quality photo inkjet printer combines the best of a sleek, small design with high-price functions and abilities that - while not as impressive as the Epson - will satisfy both amateur and most professional photographers not looking to display studio-quality prints but more concerned with personal photos and text documents. Colors are evenly balanced, text looks sharp, and you pay considerably less for the machinery.

Pros: The sleek design of this photo ink jet printer folds up so that you can store it easily out of the way when not in use. While a truly great photo printer, the Pixma is Canon's solution to an inkjet photo printer for users on a budget. It boasts of print speeds comparable to top-of-the-line printers and produces bold, crisp prints as long as your cartridges and print heads are maintained well. Using the included photo editing software, you can easily crop, repair, and alter your photos before ever printing.

Unlike competitively priced inkjet photo printers, the Canon Pixma will also provide a consistent print quality over the ink cartridges' life cycle, providing you with well-balanced colors and a natural skin-tone mixture of cyan and magenta that is almost impossible for competitors to produce accurately. With borderless edges on everything from credit-card sized paper up to full 8.5" x 11" papers, you have a ton of flexibility.

Cons: This is definitely not the best option for a professional photographer or graphic artist that intends to sell their printed works. While the quality is fantastic for personal photos, scrapbooking, and proofs it will not hold up to the scrutiny of a well-trained eye looking for perfect color balance and even color distribution. This printer, being a lower-end photo inkjet printer, also lacks a PictBridge and memory card slot - and make sure that you purchase a USB cord because it is not included in the packaging.

Specifics: Extremely small footprint of 17 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 5.6 inches tall, this photo printer weighs only 8 pounds and supports a full 4-color CMYK palette. While borderless printing can't be achieved beyond the 8.5" x 11" papers, this printer does support up to legal size paper and paper formats including all types of photo paper, plain paper, and heavy stock for cards. Uses only two cartridges: black and color. A truly extensive overview of all the specifics and features of this printer is available on Canon's official website.

How Much and Where to Buy: Seriously on the inexpensive side, check out the Canon PIXMA iP2600 color photo inkjet printer at Office Depot.com for about $25 up to about $60 at stores like eCOST.com (where you'll also find a ton of extra warranties and guarantees that make the cost worth it - just do your homework).