If you have been searching for the best professional photo printer to take your photography to the next level, you have come to the right place. When choosing a photo printer, there are a few things that you need to check. For starters, the printer must be functional in that it must meet your needs. In addition, it should be created to produce good quality prints, colored and in different paper sizes.
The print speed is important too, especially if you are required to produce multiple copies of photographs on a regular basis. If the speed is slow, it will cause delays and interfere with your work. Clients may not take delays very kindly. This is why a portable printer as you may occasionally be required to produce prints on location.
However, as you consider portability, consider print quality as well. You do not want to put more stress on mobility at the expense of quality. Print resolution is of utmost importance. Examine your printer’s color and black print resolution. This is determined by dots per inch (DPI). You want a DPI that is as high as possible for the best quality.
Comparison of 10 Best Professional Photo Printers in 2020
| Image | Product Name | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer |
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 | Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer |
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 | Canon Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printer |
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 | Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Professional Photo Printer |
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 | Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer |
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 | Epson SureColor P800 Printer |
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 | Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photo Printer |
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 | Fujifilm INSTAX Share SP-2 Mobile Printer |
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 | Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable Photo Printer |
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 | Polaroid ZIP Photo Printer |
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Top 10 Best Professional Photo Printers Review in 2020
We have rounded up a few of the best photo printers for this new decade with considerations such as pricing and quality to give you the best choices possible. With any of these printers, you can be sure to enjoy world class photo editing and printing services.
1. Canon IP8720 Professional Photo Printer Best for Print
The Canon IP8720 Wireless Printer, Airprint and Cloud Compatible is just the equipment you need. This printer gets you beyond the 8 inches × 10 inches world. Moreover, it allows you to print your favorite photos up 13 inches × 19 inches. It is can be used by both professionals and enthusiasts to print good quality images.
As one of the best professional photo printer. The Canon IP8720 comes with a 6 color ink system that includes gray ink as well as 9600 × 2400 maximum color dots per inch. This gives you results beyond belief. The quality is incredible and you will love the detail in the black and white as well as color images. What’s more, you can print wirelessly from any computer as long as it has a Wi-Fi connection. It is easy to set up for use at home, in the office or even on location.
This one may be the best professional photo printer for professional photographers. Size wise, the IP8720 is bigger than other standard inkjet printers, but it is smaller for a dedicated printer. The setup process is easy. You can contact the Canon tech support if you run into any issues while installing. I particularly had an issue while installing it using Windows Vista. The company was able to give me an alternative to install the drive.
- Cost Effective
- Large 13×19 print size
- Optical Disc printing
- Wifi Support
- Wireless
- Single paper Tray
- No Pictbridge support
Also Read:Best Printer for Art Prints – Top Picks From Artists Review of 2020
2. Canon SELPHY CP1300 Compact Photo Printer:
This is a portable photo printer that can connect to a computer via Wi-Fi or USB. Even so, it does not come with the USB cable. You can use this printer to print directly from a camera that is PictBrige compatible. It makes use of the thermal dye sublimation technology to print.
This technology ensures that the images printed are of high quality. The paper feeds through the printer and goes through four passes for each printer cartridge color. The printing speed is consistent with this printer. It takes approximately a minute to print regardless of the method used, making it one of the best professional photo printer.
This printer dries your photos instantly. In addition, your prints are water resistant and look great for a long time to come. You are able to connect your Smartphone and tablet with ease via the Canon PRINT app3. You are also allowed to print directly from your USB or the camera’s memory card.
The portable photo printer comes with an optional battery to back you up when you are out on location. This comes in handy when you are in far off locations that have no access to power making it impossible to charge your equipment. The printer also comes with a tilting 3.2 inches LCD screen for ease of choosing, editing and printing your best work.
- Easy Connectivity
- Quick Dry Photos
- Water Resistant prints
- Interactive LCD
- Ease of use
- Expensive supplies
- Small photo size
3. Canon Pixma Pro-100 Professional Inkjet Printer
This is an entry level printer model in the line of high end photo printers by Canon.This printer gives you eight dye-based inks for excellent gradients and color. Three of the inks are dedicated grayscale inks for beautiful black and white prints.
It comes with an Optimum Image Generating System which logically selects the optimum ink combination, thus reproduces your colors as you want them to be. The PIXMA PRO-100 uses more than the normal four ink cartridges used by inkjet printers. It comes with an eight dye cartridge case that includes a black, gray, cyan, magenta, photo cyan, yellow, light grey and photo magenta color cartridges.
This printer supports fine art paper and photo paper printing. It offers a variety of finishing that include semi-gloss, glossy, luster, matte and semi-matte. Just like all other photo printers, it also supports borderless printing for sizes up to 13×19 inches. It also comes with a dedicated disc tray that allows you to print on DVDs and CDs. It also comes with an output tray auto sheet feeder capacity of 150 sheets of plain paper, 20 sheets of 4×6 photo paper, and 1 sheet of A3+.
This is the best professional photo printer for the serious photographer. The printer supports several connectivity options including Wi-Fi network connectivity, Ethernet, USB connectivity and wired and wireless PictBridge. It is also possible to print directly from a smart device using the Canon Easy-photoPrint app.
- Great company support
- Ink saving color selection
- Individual color tanks
- Huge 13×19 print size
- 4800 x 2400 resolution
- Heavy weight
- Not portable
4. Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Professional Photo Printer
As with every PRIMA PRO in the line, this PIXMA PRO-10 shares the same. The range applies the Optimum Image Generating System to ascertain that your images are exactly as you envisioned. It does this by logically selecting the optimum ink and selection making it one of our best professional photo printer.
The printer contains a combination of pigment-based inks as well as chroma optimizer which gives your prints a uniform glossiness, a wide range of colors and the dense blacks that professional photographers strive for. It therefore qualifies to be tagged as the best photo printer for professional photographers. The printer works well with individual PGI-72 ink tanks in matte black, gray, cyan, photo black, magenta, photo cyan, photo magenta, red, yellow and chroma optimizer.
- Seperate ink cartridges
- 3 Monochrome tanks
- Ten different inks!
- Extremely high quality
- Simple to use
- High ink costs
- Slow print speed
5. Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer
The Epson SureColor P600 gives you two methods of feeding your media into the printer. You will find a paper tray on the printer’s back and a media one in the front. The paper tray in the back is the main one and supports up to 120 sheets of plain paper or 30 sheets of photo paper of at most 13 by 19 inches.
The Epson SureColor P600 is a wide-format photo printer. It is designed to print on A3+ paper. However, it is also an excellent printer for printing documents on plain paper. It is the best printer for professional photo printing as it gives you great quality prints very fast. If you have a lot of printing work to do on plain paper, this one is the equipment for you.
- Fast print speed
- Supports A3+ paper
- Double option media feed
- High Quality prints
- Accepts roll paper
- Expensive inks
- Lag issues
6. Epson SureColor P800 Inkjet Color Printer
This printer utilizes professional imaging technologies which includes the one of a kind Epson MicroPiezo® AMC™ printhead, as well as the ultra modern UltraChrome® HD 8-color pigment ink set.
The SureColor P800 is designed to produce never before seen prints that any professional would be proud of. It is set to be the best Epson professional photo printer. This Epson printer with its new 8-color UltraChrome HD Ink Set represents advancement in photographic ink technology.
The standard for imaging excellence in photography just went a notch higher. As this is one of our best professional photo printer it comes with newly-developed core pigments which include photo black pigments that are denser than any of the previous ones.
- Extendable trays
- High Quality Prints
- Lightweight for its size
- Supports a range of papers
- Multiple ink tanks
- Ink wasted during mode switch
- Expensive ink costs
7. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 Professional Photo Printer
This Inkjet printer is made for professional photographers who know an image can only be taken seriously once it is properly printed. Then it clearly shows the expertise in editing that the photographer has put in.
There are few printers in the market that can match the quality the Canon imagePROGRAF produces. The best professional quality photo printer is one that gives quality beyond expectation and this one delivers on that front.
It is what one would consider a high-end printer than can be used by the best professional photographers as well as a photography enthusiast who simply loves a good print. This printer can help you get your work into a gallery for clients who yearn for quality prints. It does not come cheap, but neither does anything that is worthwhile and is why it’s one of our best professional photo printer.
- High quality physical build
- Large print sizes
- Quick setup
- Photo-accurate colors
- Wi-Fi enabled
- Large unit size
- Heavy weight
Fujifilm INSTAX Share SP-2 contains the instant film format that many of its cameras utilize. It works with a Wi-Fi connection that is compatible with many Smartphones and various other mobile gadgets such as tablets. This printer provides a fun way to share your best quality photo printer professional images with family and friends making it one of the best professional photo printer.
It is a great piece of equipment to have at social and family events. However, professional photographers may not be enthusiastic about small image format the printer provides especially if they are keen on displaying their work. A wide format printer would be more preferable.
- Chemical Print process
- Quick setup
- App includes editing tools
- Rechargeable battery
- Apple & Android support
- Small photo size
- Expensive unit cost
9. Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable Instant Photo Printer
The Kodak Dock and Wi-Fi photo printer is a photo printer best quality professional printer that comes highly recommended. It comes with one touch printing which allows you to print your images direct from your mobile device.
It includes an Android dock pin as well as a free iOS lighting adapter. Also it is very simple in design which, while it may seem like a good thing, may limit what you can do with the printer.
It may, as a result, not be the best choice for the photographer who wants to display their work commercial reasons. However, you can use it for family and other social occasions to capture special moments with family and friends, making it one of the best professional photo printer.
- Print directly from a phone
- High quality images
- Android & Apple compatible
- Doubles as phone charger
- Great companion app
- Small photo print size
- Not commercially viable
10. Polaroid ZIP Wireless Mobile Photo Mini Printer
If you are looking for the best professional inkjet photo printer that is not only easy to use but highly portable too, this Polaroid ZIP Wireless Mobile photo mini printer would be your safest bet. This is a small photo printer that is the size of a deck of cards.
It can connect to iOS and Android via Bluetooth or connection apps. With this printer, you can turn your mobile images into 2 x 3 borderless pints in no time. As one of our best professional photo printer the ZIP is an attractive, small portable device that looks more like a portable hard drive. It is made with a glossy outer plastic body to give it a shiny appearance.
This mini printer only comes with one button for powering it on or off and a micro-USB port for charging. It has an inbuilt battery that can last for up to 25 prints. This makes this printer only ideal for short term use. If you need to use it for longer, you will need to plug it into a source of power. Just like the name suggests, this printer uses Polaroid Zink zero-ink to print. This makes use of a special Zink paper with color pigment crystals. While printing, the ZIP emits heat that activates the crystals and changes them into the required color for printing.
- Smartphone compatible
- Ink free ZINK printing
- Paired with a mobile app
- Portable printing
- Rechargeable battery
- Fingerprint magnet
- 25 prints per battery charge
Buying Guide for the Best Professional Photo Printer
Although there are lots of photo printers on the market, finding the right one to create a flawless and professional finish to your photographs need a little something extra. To ensure you don’t spend more money on otherwise things that could be avoided, we have summarized a buying guide that will enable you to get the most out of your professional photo printer.
Compatibility
we live in a digital world where gadgets have to connect seamlessly to function right. So before you pay for that photo printer online, ensure it is compatible with your camera, storage device, operating system, and any other parts to make your job runs smooth
Resolution
customers will ooo and aaa only when the pictures are sharp and elegant. This can only happen with a high-resolution photo printer. Deciding on a low-resolution printer because of the price would be like shooting yourself in the feet.
Ink Quality
to make the resolution pop, the ink quality must be top grade. There are two types of photo printer inks – the color agent-based ink is cheaper and offers clarity and definition in the images, but the pigment-based inks offer depth, intensity, and a wider color gamut.
The size of the printer
if your job entails that you travel to a location and print the picture at an event, then something light but professional should do the job. However, if you need one for a stationary office, think location before making a purchase
FAQ
Does my printer speed matter?
For a professional photographer, the types of images you print determine the speed of the printer. If you are into magazines or editorials, you might not bother about the speed, but if you run an outlet where clients walk in and expect to have a copy before they leave, the speed is definitely an option you should consider.
What type of photo printer do I need for an office of 6 employees?
While any size photo printer will work great, choose one that can handle the volume of work without compromising the quality, clarity, or experience any difficulty when printing large volumes of work. You will want a photo printer that will print pages fast but minimize ink loss.
Why is my printout black?
You have mistakenly loaded the paper basket. Open the paper tray, remove the paper, and reload it properly. Don’t forget to remove the last sheet in the tray before running the printer again.
Why won’t my photo printer connect with my camera or phone?
There might be other network interference disrupting the connectivity.
- Go to Settings on your device
- check if it is up-to-date
- Switch off the connection by tapping on the icon
- Restart it again and try to reconnect it with your printer.
What is the best professional photo printer?
Inkjet printers are one of the best professional photo printers on the market but different printers have their advantages. There high resolution of up to 3000 by 720 dots per inch makes them capable of printing impeccably sharp images for any occasion.
Do I need any special app for my photo printer?
It depends on what you do? There are a couple of apps you can download on your phone that will give you the privilege of editing your picture for a finer and rich output when printed out.
Conclusion
The best professional photo printer allows the professional photographer to play with the features provided to produce the best possible results. They produce high detailed photos that can stand the test of time and will be great to look at for years to come. Different printers come with different specs as well as features. This guide makes it easier for you to choose the printer that best suits your needs as well as your budget. The printers presented herein can be used for formal and social occasions and quite a number of them are perfect for professional photography as well.
