Do You Know What You Need from a Photo Printer?  Here’s a Quick Buyer’s Guide to Finding the Best Photo Printer.

Do you often have to run so you can get photo prints of your kid’s science work? Do you need to print photographs at your workplace? If so, then buying a photo printer would be a good investment. Though they are a bit costly, in the long run, they will save you time and money, and in the case of an emergency, you do not have to search for a photo printer to get your work done.

man looking at photo print

You can print day and night, and there will never be a time when you will regret your decision of buying the photo printer. After you decide to spend some money on a photo-printer, the next dilemma would be to choose amongst a variety of options in the market. Day by day, innovations are being done, and competitive companies are stepping their foot into the business by bringing in new features in their products. Still, one thing that remains the same is the utility. Do not forget why you need the photo printer and this would help you choose the best photo printer for your needs.

Printer Types

Ink Jet Photo Printer. This is a reliable and affordable digital photo printer that you can use not only for your photo printing needs but also for printing documents, assignments, and all types of office works. Usually, when people buy printers for their home or business, their requirement is not only to print photographs, so [amazon link=”B00PMNBRPC” title=”ink jet photo printers” /] are a good investment.

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printer ink cartridges

Dye Sublimation Printer. This can be your choice if you are in the photography business and need to print high-resolution photographs daily. It uses a [amazon link=”B00005A9VS” title=”glossy” /] photo printing paper to produce professional photographs but cannot serve the purpose of printing other paper documents.

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Only highly sophisticated uses necessitate the choice of buying the [amazon link=”B006V758G2″ title=”dye sublimation printer” /]. On the other hand, most of the time, people prefer buying the cheaper ink jet printers.

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Having discussed the types of photo printers, there is also need to consider some factors before you choose the best photo printer for your home or office needs.

What to Keep in Mind When Buying a Photo Printer

Resolution. When you have already decided to buy a photo printer, do not just settle in for a low-resolution cheap one. A low-resolution photo printer will print inferior quality photographic prints so buying such a printer would be a waste of money. Instead, make an informed choice and buy a printer which provides a better resolution of at least 4,800 x 1,200 dpi. If your pockets allow, go for even more than that but don’t settle for less.

Ink Quality. When you buy a photo printer, think about the big picture. Obviously, the ink is going to finish one day and would need a refill. So, a discussion about the refill requirement and the type is indispensable.

There are two types of sources for making inks for a color printer:

  • Coloring agent based inks
  • Pigment based inks

[amazon link=”B009KBGTN2″ title=”Coloring agent based inks” /] are a cheaper option if you can afford to compromise with the quality. By compromising on the quality, we mean that the coloring agent based ink is less resistant to light exposure whereas the pigment based inks are resistant to light exposure and produce the best results.

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A coloring agent based ink has a few advantages but if you are looking for professional quality photos, you cannot rely on it as it doesn’t support intensive colors and the colors vanish when exposed to light. The advantage is that if you use it for paper printing, it works like a laser printing, giving thin prints.

Pigment-based inks are much better if you are looking for better quality photographs that will last longer. The gamut which is the range of colors is wide with [amazon link=”B078HQ5FL7″ title=”these types of inks” /] so that the prints will be more vivid.

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The Size of The Printer. If your profession requires a lot of traveling and you need your printer while traveling, then you should choose a compact printer. If you are ready to spend more money, you can find super compact printers in the market. But if you are looking for a photo printer to be kept at your home or office, then why not go for a larger sturdy one without the added cost of paying for portability.

These bulkier ones might also give you a better resolution quality so buy a compact one only if you want it for purposes of traveling.

Compatibility. Imagine you bought a photo printer and it’s not compatible with your digital storage device. It would be a complete disaster. And it can happen. So, before you decide to go and buy any photo printer, just check its specifications and see if it’s compatible with your device’s operating system.

camera and picture

Speed. You don’t need to worry much about the speed of the photo printer as the quality is more important. But then, you would not want to spend 5 minutes on 1 print. This is not going to be efficient in the long run. So, before you decide which one is the best photo printer for you, go through the manual and check the speed with which the printer can print the photos.

The Number of Prints. This is a very important factor that you must check before you buy a photo printer. Even the best photo printer might have a less recommended monthly duty cycle than your required duty cycle, and in that case, it will not be a good investment.

So, to sum it up I would say that there are a lot of products available in the market, but your needs will decide which one is the best photo printer for your use. It also depends whether you are looking out for quality, amount or connectivity as the top selection criteria. Do thorough research before you finally choose the best photo printer for your needs.

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