Best Printers for Graphic Designers in 2020 – to Showcase Their Work

A huge part of being a graphic designer means making sure that the art you create on a screen looks just as good printed on paper. After all, this is how you’ll often be presenting your creations to others. This means that you need a high-quality printer that will keep up with your needs.

Not every printer is designed to keep up with your needs, though. Luckily, these 10 best printers for graphic designers can keep stride and make sure your creations look just as good on paper as you designed them to.

Comparison of 10 Best Printers for Graphic Designers in 2020

Top 10 Best Printers for Graphic Designers Review in 2020

These are our reviews for the best printers for graphic designers that you can get your hands on.

1. HP Envy 5055 Wireless All-in-One Photo Printer

One of the reasons that the HP Envy 5055 Photo Printer is considered a candidate for the best color laser printer for graphic designers is the convenience it offers. This is thanks to the HP Smart app. This app helps you set up the printer quickly but it also expands the functionality of the printer.

In addition to making setup easy, this app will also let you print photos off of social media platforms and out of Cloud storage such as iCloud, Dropbox, and Google Drive. The page size of the printer is slightly limited because the largest page it prints is a standard page size of 8.5 in. x 11.7 in. with a minimum of 3 in. x 5 in.

However, it does make up for this by accepting a wide variety of paper types including plain paper, high-resolution paper, envelopes, and high-gloss photo paper. This is also an exclusively wireless printer that needs Wi-Fi to operate properly. It doesn’t support USB or ethernet cable use. It does support Apple Air Print, HP ePrint, and Mopria Print Service, though, which adds to its versatility. For most users with reliable Wi-Fi, this reliance on Wi-Fi won’t cause a problem.

2. Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer

The Canon Pixma Pro-100 Printer is a detail-oriented printer that can print images up to 13 in. x 19 in. However, it can also print smaller images as well, putting it well in the running as one of the best business card printers for graphic designers as well.

It uses 8 dye-based inks to ensure vibrant colors including yellow, magenta, photo magenta, cyan, photo cyan, gray, light gray, and black. The printer also features something called the Optimum Image Generating System.

This analyzes the colors in the image you’re trying to print and creates ink combinations that will produce exactly what you need. It also prints images with fine technology supporting 4800 x 2400 dots per inch which means your designs won’t lose any of their luster when they’re printed because the printer captures incredible detail.

It can take a couple of minutes to print a photo, but this is fairly standard images with high color and high resolution to take longer to print. The printer features an Output Tray Automatic Sheet Feeder. This holds up to 150 sheets of plain printer paper, 20 sheets of 4 in. x 6 in. photo paper, or 10 sheets of 8 in. x 10 in. letter paper.

3. Canon Pixma iX6820 Wireless Business Printer

If you want one of the best laser printers for graphic designers that offer a variety of sizes, you might want to check out the Canon Pixma iX6820. It’ll help you print off documents and photos ranging in size from 4 in. x 6 in. to 13 in. x 19 in.

The printer also features a maximum color DPI of 9600 x 2400. In other words, it’s meant to recreate a detailed image of the graphic design piece you’re printing off. This is helped along by the five ink tanks it depends on to create the necessary color blends.

These individual ink cartridges are convenient because once they’ve been filled once, you can selectively refill them as they run out. Since the printer comes with setup ink tanks, you don’t need to buy them all at once. These tanks include black, pigment black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Canon also uses its My Image Garden program with this printer. This gives you the chance to use features such as filters and facial recognition.

4. Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer

Like the Canon Pixma iX6820 printer, the Canon IP8720 printer earns its place as one of the best Inkjet printers for graphic designers thanks to its versatile ink tanks. It includes five separate tanks for black, photo black, yellow, cyan, and magenta. Like the last model, this printer comes with setup ink tanks to get you ready for your first printing job.

You can print off photos up to 13 in. x 19 in. on this printer with a maximum color DPI of 9600 x 2400. This will allow you to print off even your more detailed graphic designs while still preserving their integrity. You can even print from Google’s Cloud Print, AirPrint, and Pixma Printing Solutions, or PPS.

The printer does need Wi-Fi to connect to devices as it doesn’t offer a physical connection to the devices it prints off of. The printer has a compact design that fits neatly onto any desk or table without being intrusive. One of the ways it saves space is to use a single sheet tray to preserve space. While it does this nicely, it also makes it more difficult to switch between paper types.

5. Brother MFCJ6945DW INKvestment Inkjet All-in-One Printer

The Brother INKvestment Printer is a large printer, granted, but with that size comes plenty of functionality that makes it one of the best online printers for graphic designers. It’s designed with small or home office use in mind, so it doesn’t hold back on features. It can be used to scan, copy, and fax items as well as print them.

The printer features three paper trays including a pair of 250-sheet drawers on the front of the device and a 100-sheet drawer on the back for a total 500-sheet capacity. These paper trays hold up to tabloid-size paper which is 17 in. x 11 in. but will hold smaller papers such as standard printing paper as well.

It’s also well-praised for not eating ink up in high volumes every time you use it. You can check the Brother Page Gauge to get an estimate of when you’ll need to replace the ink cartridge. Alternatively, you can enable Dash Replenishment to allow for automatic orders of cartridges when the ink starts to get low so that you have more on hand right away. The only downside is that the printer has to be refilled with Brother Genuine Inks.

6. Epson Expression XP-15000 Wireless Printer

The Epson Expression XP-15000 Printer is a full-color, wide-format printer. It prints photos up to 13 in. x 19 in. without any border. It also supports picture sizes as small as 4 in. x 6 in. and double-sided printing. The color palette includes red and gray inks which help create vibrant reproductions of your graphic design pieces with ease.

The printer features a rear tray that holds up to 50 sheets of specialty media materials including cardstock. The front tray holds up to 200 sheets of material as well. It’s also 30% smaller than the previous model that Epson released which makes sure it fits easily on your desk without taking up too much space.

One handy feature that puts this printer in the running for the best laser printers for graphic design is its Dash Replenishment. This feature keeps track of how much ink you use and how much you have left. When you start to run out, it automatically orders more to keep you stocked and ready to go. Unfortunately, the printer is only compatible with Epson-brand ink cartridges – third-party cartridges won’t work.

7. Brother MCF-J470DW Wireless Inkjet All-in-One Printer

The Brother MCF-J470DW Printer is a solid choice among professional printers for graphic designers thanks to its all-in-one design. It works not only as a photo printer but as a fax machine, scanner, and copying machine as well. It even features an auto-feeder for documents as well as an auto-duplexer that allows for double-sided printing.

The only downside to this wide functionality is that the design isn’t necessarily geared towards sleekness. It also features an analog panel with an LCD screen rather than a touchscreen which gives the printer a somewhat outdated appearance. However, it’s nowhere near as bulky as the fax machines of yesteryear.

Users can connect to this printer via Wi-Fi or through a USB connection. The printer doesn’t offer an ethernet connection option but with both a physical and online connection present, it’s easy enough to get by without one. A Wi-Fi connection will allow Cloud printing which you can’t do solely through the USB connection. You can also take advantage of the app Brother has on your Windows, iOS, or Android phone.

8. Brother Business HL-L8360CDW Color Laser Printer

The Brother Business Color Laser Printer is made to handle anything an office throws at it. It prints quickly at a rate of up to 33 pages per minute which, along with a number of other beneficial features, makes it one of the top printers for graphic designers.

It also has a low cost to print per page and has a high yield thanks to a pair of 6,500-page replacement toner cartridges. This printer model is also flexible in how you connect to your devices.

You can connect wirelessly over your Wi-Fi or through an ethernet cable if you prefer a physical connection. You can also print off of this printer from a mobile device as long as its NFC capable. Users can also set the printer up to use the integrated card reader for the NFC card. This allows offices to verify usage with badge identification.

Overall, this model can hold up to 1,300 sheets of paper when all the optional trays are used. This includes two main trays, one with a 250-sheet capacity that’s adjustable to hold letter paper or legal paper. The second main compartment has a 50-sheet capacity and serves as a multi-purpose tray.

9. Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 Wireless Color Photo Printer

The Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 is a quick, reliable, and dedicated photo printer. It can print images ranging from a standard 4 in. x 6 in. to a larger 8 in. x 10 in. For a 4 in. x 6 in. photo, you only have to wait about 15 seconds before the image is ready which is pretty fast even among high quality printers for graphic designers.

This is also another model that uses individual ink cartridges. This is done, in part, to help you save money by only replacing the colors you need, as you need them. However, it is worth noting that you still need to make sure to buy only Epson cartridges because the printer isn’t compatible with third-party ones.

The printer has a wireless connection that expands beyond just your PC or laptop too. You can also connect a wireless device such as a tablet or smartphone to print from there. It even features auto-duplex printing, room for a pair of memory card slots, and a pair of built-in USB ports.

Finally, the printer has a small, sleek design that allows you to fit it anywhere you want. Since it isn’t meant to print full-page document, it doesn’t need the same space to operate.

10. Epson Expression XP-8500 Wireless Color Photo Printer

The Epson Expression XP-8500 Photo Printer is one of the many options when it comes to printers for graphic designers. However, it easily stands out from the crowd thanks to its extensive compatibility, speed, and high-quality.

As for speed, you can expect a photo that’s 4 in. x 6 in. to print out as little as 10 seconds. This includes a full-color photo which makes this exceptionally fast since most printers are slower when colorful images are used.

The printer also uses 6 Clarian Photo HD ink tones which helps to replicate colors accurately, even more challenging colors such as skin tones. While a 4 in. x 6 in. prints quickly, it isn’t the only size that you can print in. You can create high-quality photos without borders up to 8 in. x 10 in. This is also another model that’s compatible with Dash Replenishment.

That way, you don’t have to worry about running out of ink right when you need it most. The printer is wireless, so you can connect your PC over Wi-Fi. You can also depend on USB slots to create a physical connection as well.

Wrap Up

Every graphic designer needs and deserves a printer that can keep up with their workload. Each of these printers offers their own unique pros and cons, allowing you to choose which one has the right features that you need. As a whole, each of these printers is exceptional in its own way.