If you’ve ever wanted to print high-quality photos at home or wondered what professional photographers use to print photos, this is the guide for you.
Fortunately here in 2022, there are many great photo printers available affordably – so many, in fact, that it can be a bit overwhelming to find the right one for your needs.
That’s where this guide will come in handy – you’ll discover the photo printers that offer the best bang for your buck – not just expensive large format printers for gallery exhibitions.
Brother
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Why it made the cut: The Brother MFC-J995DW has print speeds up to 20ppm, a low cost per print, and auto-duplex printing, all at a very reasonable price.
Key features
- Maximum paper size: 8.5 x 11.7 inches
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
- Maximum print speed: 20ppm black, 19ppm color
- Printer size: 17.1 x 14.2 x 7.1 inches
Pros
- Low cost per page
- Fax abilities
- Fast print speeds
- Auto duplex printing
Cons
- No duplex with the ADF
- Small display
If you need something that can tackle a wide range of tasks and put out plenty of quality while not breaking the bank, this Brother printer should be at the top of your list. It can do all the necessary AIO tasks, with printing, scanning, copying, and faxing abilities. It connects via Bluetooth, WiFi, or USB and allows you to print or scan right from your mobile device. That connectivity is nice to have, especially since the display on the printer is so small.
The resolution of this printer is plenty at 4800 x 1200 dpi. It has four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), so you won’t get the color accuracy and depth of a dedicated photo printer, but it does very well for an all-arounder. It can also scan up to 2400 x 1200 dpi so that you can get quality scans as well.
There is an ADF to make copying and scanning multiple pages easier, though there is no duplex scanning support. It does, however, have automatic duplex printing, so you don’t have to figure out how to feed the paper back through in the right direction to print on both sides.
One of this printer’s other big selling points is the low running costs. It costs just 4.7 cents per color page and 0.9 cents per black page. That’s lower than pretty much everything else out there. When you combine the lower cost of the printer itself and the low cost per print, this printer is an excellent choice.
Best for small business: Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850
Epson
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Why it made the cut: Epson built their EcoTank Pro ET-5850 to churn out large quantities of prints, up to 4,000 a month, with multiple paper trays that hold up to 550 sheets total. The low running costs and large ink tanks mean you worry less about ink changes as well.
Key features
- Maximum paper size: 8.5 x 14 inches
- Connectivity: USB, Wireless, Bluetooth, Ethernet
- Maximum print speed: 25ppm for black and color
- Printer size: 19.7 x 16.73 x 13.8
Pros
- Low running costs
- Small footprint
- Large paper capacity
- Excellent print quality
- Automatic duplex ADF
Cons
- Expensive upfront cost
The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 is ideal for small businesses that need to do a lot of printing or copying. It has a substantial paper capacity with two trays capable of holding 250 pages each and a rear feed that holds 50 sheets, for a total of 550 sheets. If you print many multi-page documents, the large capacity means you don’t have to worry as much about the printer running out of paper mid-job.
Print quality from the ET-5850 is excellent, even when printing fine print, which can trip up some printers. The Precision Core 4S printheads produce excellent detail, and the color accuracy is also solid, so you can use this printer for photo prints or graphics for your business as well. It can even print borderless up to 8.5 x 14 inches.
This printer has an ADF and can support auto duplex printing and scanning. So if you need to make copies of that 50-page, double-sided contract, it won’t take you all day. It also prints fast at 25ppm for color and black, meaning you can quickly get through your print jobs.
The main downside to this printer is the upfront cost; it isn’t cheap. But, Epson has a long-running deal offering two years of free ink, and even after that, the running costs come out to about 2 cents per page for color and black, which is very reasonable.
Best for photos: Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500
Epson
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Why it made the cut: The Epson ET-8500 is a photo-focused AIO with six ink colors for greater color accuracy and an SD card and USB port for easy direct printing.
Key features
- Maximum paper size: 8.5 x 14 inches
- Connectivity: Ethernet, USB, WiFi, WiFi Direct
- Maximum print speed: 16ppm black, 12ppm color
- Printer size: 20.75 x 17.25 x 9.75 inches
Pros
- High-quality prints, especially photos
- Low running costs
- Two-year warranty
- Has an SD card and USB slot
Cons
- Expensive
- No ADF
Epson is one of the top players in the photo printer industry, and they didn’t leave out an all-in-one option in their lineup. The ET-8500 is a photo-centric AIO with printing, scanning, and copying. Part of what makes this printer better for photo printing is the two extra colors it has, for a total of six. The extra colors mean that you will get much better color accuracy than models with only four.
The EcoTank setup will keep you from having to order ink cartridges constantly if you print a lot. Each replacement ink bottle is equal to about 100 ink cartridges, so you’ll also be using far less plastic on top of saving money. Each bottle has its own key-like design at the top, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally filling the wrong ink tank.
There is no ADF on this printer, so this won’t be the best fit if you need to scan or copy stacks of documents. And there is no fax option, so keep that in mind. But if you need something for scanning, copying, and printing and want better quality photos than other AIO options, you can’t beat the ET-8500.
Best monochrome laser printer: Brother MFC-L2750DW XL
Brother
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Why it made the cut: If black and white printing is all you need, the Brother MFC-L2750DW XL is a laser printer with 36ppm, full AIO capabilities, and plenty of connectivity options.
Key features
- Maximum paper size:
- Connectivity: WiFi, Ethernet, Hi-speed USB 2.0, NFC
- Maximum print speed: 36ppm
- Printer size: 15.7 x 16.1 x 12.5 inches
Pros
- Excellent text quality
- Lots of connectivity options, including mobile app
- Fast print and scanning speed
- Small footprint
Cons
- Low maximum duty cycle
Laser printers are ideal for two categories of users: Those who print a very high volume, like in office settings, and those who don’t print frequently enough to keep inkjet nozzles unclogged. This brother laser option is monochrome only, perfect for people who only print black and white documents.
According to Brother, it comes with enough toner to print 7,500 pages, which should last you two years. It can print 36ppm, which is faster than anything else on our list. It can also scan and copy extremely fast, so no matter what task you are tackling, you can get through it quickly. Even auto-duplex printing is faster than most options.
This printer has an ADF for copying and scanning, with duplex for both. The text quality is excellent, with crisp, clear letters, even with text sizes as small as 4. It handles simple graphics well, but anything requiring much detail, including black and white photos, is just so-so.
The footprint of this Brother printer is smaller than most options, so if you need a black and white printer with full all-in-one capabilities for a small office, it is a great choice.
Best budget: Canon PIXMA TR4520
Canon
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Why it made the cut: The Canon PIXMA TR4520 has plenty of excellent features like auto duplex, an ADF, and excellent print quality while coming in at a budget-friendly price.
Key features
- Maximum paper size: 8.5 x 14 inches
- Connectivity: USB, WiFi
- Maximum print speed: 8.8ppm black, 5ppm color
- Printer size: 17.2 x 11.7 x 7.5 inches
Pros
- Works with Alexa
- Affordable
- Automatic duplex printing
- 20-sheet ADF
- Great print quality, even photos
Cons
- High cost-per-print
- Slow print speeds
Canon is another one of the top options for printing photos, and while the PIXMA TR4520 is our budget pick, it puts out some quality images, especially for the price. You can print borderless from 4×7 inches to 8.5×11 inches, which is great for photos and marketing materials. It also prints text really well, with clean lines even on small fonts.
The ADF can hold up to 20 sheets so that you can scan in a single large document in one go. USB 2.0, WiFi connectivity, and the Canon printing app make setup and printing easy and fast. The app even has built-in templates so you can quickly design flyers or other marketing materials. It also has faxing abilities, making it a great office companion. And the small footprint means that it won’t take up precious desk or cabinet real estate.
The low price does come with some downsides, however. It has quite slow print speeds at just 8.8ppm for black and white and 5ppm for color. And although the upfront cost of purchasing the printer is low, the running costs are high. It will cost you 8.7 cents for monochrome pages and 18.7 cents for color pages. So if you print a lot, this won’t be a good choice. But, for those who only have occasional print needs and want good quality when they do print, the TR4520 is excellent.
FAQs
Q: Which is better: a laser or an inkjet?
Determining whether a laser or inkjet printer is better depends on your printing needs. Laser printers are ideal for high-volume print needs as they typically have faster print speeds. They also can sit without being used longer than inkjet printers, so they are great for those who only need occasional printer use.
On the other hand, inkjet printers are better for high-quality graphics and photographs. They will have more ink colors for better color accuracy and detail. They are also cheaper to buy upfront, so they are generally the preferred option for home use.
Q: Is it better to have a separate scanner and printer?
Unless you need extremely high-quality scans, it isn’t better to have a separate scanner and printer. If you do need exceptional scan quality for artwork reproduction or a device to scan large items, then you will want a separate scanner. But, most all-in-one devices will provide plenty of scanning resolution and print quality for most users.
Q: What is the difference between all-in-one and multifunction printers?
There really isn’t a difference between all-in-one and multifunction printers at the core. In terms of functionality, both machines offer printing, copying, and scanning, and many allow you to fax as well. The difference typically comes down to the environment where the device is designed to be used, as well as cost and size.
All-in-one devices are geared towards the general consumer and are suited for home use. As a result, they are usually smaller and capable of sitting on a desk. On the other hand, multifunction printers are typically larger machines meant for business and office settings. They are usually large, floor-standing devices and can get very pricey compared to consumer models.
Methodology for choosing the best all-in-one printers
When selecting the best all-in-one printers, we looked at offerings from all major manufacturers at a range of price points. The speed of printing, scanning, and copying and the quality of those three things were weighted heavily in our decision. Connectivity options were also important, especially wireless and mobile app support. Lastly, the running costs and printer lifespan were significant factors. We relied on a mix of personal experience with these printers and editorial and consumer reviews.
Final thoughts on the best all-in-one printers
Whether you are a casual user or need something for your busy home office, all-in-one printers are an excellent solution for those who need to do more than simply print. They can simplify your workspace and workflow by combining everything into one device.
Abby Ferguson
Abby Ferguson is the Associate Editor for Gear and Reviews at PopPhoto, joining the team in 2022. She has been involved with the photography industry in various capacities since her undergraduate training at the University of Kentucky, with work ranging from client photography to program development and management of the photo department at Evolve, a vacation rental company.
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