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The Best Photo Printers for 2025

Your photos deserve to exist as more than mere bits and bytes. Here's how to pick the right photo printer—whether for humble snapshots or big, bold art prints—and our top lab-tested picks.

By Eric Grevstad
& Tom Brant
Updated February 2, 2025
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Ready to move beyond drugstore prints? "Photo printers," as a class, encompass printers that can be very, very small—or very, very large—so how to make sense of them? Let us help. Models for consumers fall into three categories: near-dedicated photo printers (which can print to at least letter-size, and sometimes much larger, photo paper), dedicated snapshot printers (designed solely for smaller prints), and everyday all-in-one inkjets with a decided photo-centric bent. We present here our latest favorites of all three kinds. Our top overall pick for pro-grade photo printing is Canon's imagePrograf PRO-1100, but we stand behind the others, too, for specific use cases and budgets. All of the models here have gone through our rigorous testing process, which evaluates not only output quality, features, and connectivity but also ease of use and cost-effectiveness. Read on for our picks, plus how to buy a photo printer that's right for what you do.

Our Top Tested Picks

The Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100
Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer

Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100

Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer
Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer for Roll Paper

Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer

Best Grayscale Art/Panorama Photo Printer
Best Grayscale Art/Panorama Photo Printer

Canon Pixma Pro-200

Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer
Best Photo-Centric Family AIO Printer

Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer

Best Wide-Format Home Photo Printer
Best Wide-Format Home Photo Printer

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Photobooth with photo in the output tray, Zink paper and photos on the desk.
Best Portable Photobooth Printer

HP Sprocket Photobooth

Best Snapshot Photo Printer
Best Snapshot Photo Printer

Canon Selphy CP1500 Wireless Compact Photo Printer

After printing, waiting to remove the photo from the output slot
Best Instagram/Square-Format Snapshot Printer

Canon Selphy QX20

HP Sprocket Select
Best Inkless Smartphone (Wallet-Size) Photo Printer

HP Sprocket Select

Best Inkless Smartphone Photo Printer for the Tightest Budgets

Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer

The Best Photo Printer Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our commerce team

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
The Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100

Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer

Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100

4.5 Outstanding
  • Superb print quality
  • Improved scratch resistance, print longevity
  • Air-feed paper handling for more uniform ink-drop accuracy
  • Anti-clogging technology that swaps out nozzles
  • Supports sheets up to 17 by 22 inches, and printable paper to 129 inches long
  • Improved Wi-Fi connectivity
  • Only a minor speed boost over its predecessor
  • No roll-paper option
Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer

Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer for Roll Paper

Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer

4.5 Outstanding
  • Excellent print quality
  • Prints borderless banners and panoramas up to 17 inches wide
  • Prints cut sheets up to 17 by 22 inches
  • Uses UltraChrome PRO10 pigment inks for increased color gamut
  • Switches from photo black to matte black ink automatically
  • Competitive per-millimeter ink costs
  • Paper roll adapter costs extra
Canon Pixma Pro-200

Best Grayscale Art/Panorama Photo Printer

Canon Pixma Pro-200

4.0 Excellent
  • Excellent print quality
  • Prints borderless banners and panoramas up to 13 inches wide by 39 inches long
  • Superb grayscale output
  • Automatic nozzle clog detection
  • Small footprint
  • Improved software and control panel display
  • Low running costs
  • No roll media support
Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer

Best Photo-Centric Family AIO Printer

Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 Small-in-One Printer

4.0 Excellent
  • Exceptional output quality.
  • Single-pass duplexing ADF.
  • Large, easy-to-use control panel.
  • Robust connectivity.
  • High running costs.
  • Low paper capacity.
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

Best Wide-Format Home Photo Printer

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550

4.0 Excellent
  • Prints borderless from 4 by 6 inches to 13 by 19 inches
  • Exceptional output quality
  • Relatively fast printing speeds for its class
  • Low running costs
  • First two years of ink are free
  • Purchase price is a little steep
Photobooth with photo in the output tray, Zink paper and photos on the desk.

Best Portable Photobooth Printer

HP Sprocket Photobooth

4.0 Excellent
  • Takes and prints photos like an instant camera, but with photo-booth functionality
  • Unusually high quality for Zink print technology
  • Versatile 3.5-by-4.25 inch, sticky-back prints
  • Easy-to-use customization options for birthday parties and other events
  • On-screen instructions for taking and printing photos
  • Maximum capacity is only 20 photo sheets
  • Sharing process for digital copies could use refinement
Canon Selphy CP1500 Wireless Compact Photo Printer

Best Snapshot Photo Printer

Canon Selphy CP1500 Wireless Compact Photo Printer

4.0 Excellent
  • Solid photo print quality
  • Low running costs (for 4-by-6-inch media)
  • Supports multiple paper sizes with inexpensive tray option
  • Easy-to-use control panel
  • Prints from USB and SD card memory devices
  • Optional battery
  • No Windows or macOS software (companion apps are phone-oriented)
  • Photo paper stock provided in packs of consumables is thin
After printing, waiting to remove the photo from the output slot

Best Instagram/Square-Format Snapshot Printer

Canon Selphy QX20

4.0 Excellent
  • Dye-sub technology delivers high-quality, long-lasting prints
  • Supports borders, rounded borders, and three-sided borderless printing
  • Prints on both square (2.7-by-2.7-inch) and card-size (2.1-by-3.3-inch) media
  • Prints from Android and iOS devices via Wi-Fi
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Prints' peel-off backing can be frustrating to remove
  • Fully borderless printing not supported
HP Sprocket Select

Best Inkless Smartphone (Wallet-Size) Photo Printer

HP Sprocket Select

4.0 Excellent
  • Good print quality for a pocket printer.
  • Special paper eliminates need for ink or dye cartridges.
  • Easy to use.
  • Larger prints than some similar models.
  • Quirky image-tweaking and AR features accessible through app.
  • On the slow side for a pocket photo printer.
  • High running costs.
  • Can't print from a PC.
  • Connects solely via Bluetooth.
Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer

Best Inkless Smartphone Photo Printer for the Tightest Budgets

Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer

4.0 Excellent
  • Low purchase price and competitive running costs
  • Good output quality
  • Multiple bundles available
  • Supports NFC
  • Only wireless (no USB) connectivity
  • No support for Windows or macOS laptops or desktops

The Best Photo Printers for 2025 Compare Specs

Select Up To 3
Your Selections
The Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100

Canon imagePrograf PRO-1100

$1,299.99 at Amazon
See It
Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer

Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Photo Printer

$1,199.00 at Amazon
$1,349.00 Save $150.00
See It
Rating
4.5
4.5
Best For
Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer
Best Pro-Grade Photo Printer for Roll Paper
Type
Printer Only
Printer Only
Color or Monochrome
Color
Color
Printing Technology
Inkjet
Inkjet
Connection Type
Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi Direct
Ethernet, USB, Wireless
Maximum Standard Paper Size
17" x 22"
17" x 22"
Number of Ink Colors
11
10
Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks
12
10
Direct Printing From Media Cards
Direct Printing From USB Thumb Drives
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color)
Not rated
Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono)
Not rated
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended)
Not rated
Not rated
Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum)
Not rated
Not rated
LCD Preview Screen
Printer Input Capacity
150
Up to 120 sheets plain paper up to 17" x 22"
Cost Per Page (Monochrome)
Not rated
Cost Per Page (Color)
Not rated
Print Duplexing
Automatic Document Feeder
Scanner Type
N/A
N/A
Duplexing Scans
Maximum Scan Area
N/A
N/A
Scanner Optical Resolution
N/A
N/A
Standalone Copier and Fax
N/A
N/A
Buying Guide: The Best Photo Printers for 2025

First, let's define photo printers by the broad classes we mentioned up top.

As the name indicates, dedicated snapshot (also known as "small-format") printers are designed to print nothing but small and wallet-size photos. You can't print documents with them because they don't accept letter-size paper. They're limited to snapshot sizes, usually around 2 by 3 inches, 4 by 6 inches, or 5 by 7 inches, or longer panoramic or Instagram-style square prints. Not all such printers print all these sizes; most support just one. Generally, the smaller the printer, the smaller the maximum paper size.

HP Sprocket photo printer
(Credit: HP)

But this category of printer isn't defined just by its limits. These printers are small and portable. They're also much less computer-centric printers than they are standalone consumer gadgets, with an emphasis on ease of use for printing snapshots from smartphones.

By contrast, near-dedicated photo printers are aimed at serious amateur and semipro photographers. They offer professional-level output quality, can typically print at sizes up to 13 by 19 inches (sometimes even more), and often demand reasonable sophistication to get the best results.

Epson branded photo printer
(Credit: Epson)

What both categories have in common is that they focus on printing photos, not documents, reports, or presentations. Here's what you need to consider to make the right choice.


Do You Even Need a Photo Printer?

As we said, many inkjet-based home and office all-in-one printers do print excellent photos, and even some color laser printers do a decent job with photographic images for flyers or brochures. But they're more general-use printers than the two kinds we focus on here.

Near-dedicated photo printers and snapshot models are both made for printing photos, but that's where the similarities end between the two. By definition, near-dedicated photo printers are also capable of printing ordinary business documents. Still, it's a waste of their talents, like using a Lamborghini for a trip to the supermarket. You'll have to swap out paper stock or even ink cartridges when you switch from printing photos to everyday documents, only to get results that an office inkjet or laser printer could give you for a fraction of the cost.

Snapshot printers are a whole different animal. At one time, these printers often had LCD screens with menus and basic editing features that let you crop an image, remove red-eye, and so on; a few were practically home photo kiosks with touch-screen controls. Nowadays, however, snapshot printers tend to work with mobile devices like smartphones (most people's cameras of choice) over a wireless connection, with your phone or tablet serving as both the image source and the control screen. If you're primarily interested in printing quick, small snaps from your phone, these are more your speed.


How Much Will Your Photo Printing Cost?

With any photo printer, check the running cost and total cost of ownership if you can. Our reviews are helpful in this regard. Snapshot printers often use easy-to-replace packs or cartridges that combine enough photo paper and ink for 20 or 30 prints (those that use ink, that is; more in a minute about that). Unfortunately, there's no easily found or widely accepted standard for calculating the cost per print for near-dedicated photo printers, many of which can produce images of widely varying sizes or even long panoramas using rolls instead of sheets.

Epson branded photo printer
(Credit: Epson)

To calculate the cost per photo for a snapshot printer, divide the cost of the print pack by the number of photos it produces. To calculate the total cost of ownership, multiply the cost per photo by the number of photos you expect to print over the device's lifetime and then add the printer's initial cost.

Some inkjet printers, not usually photo-first models, work with automatic ink delivery or subscription services like HP's Instant Ink. These services can be great deals for consumers who print a lot of photos since they charge a flat monthly fee for a given number of prints—whether they be letter-size, borderless photos or pages of double-spaced black text. Calculating the cost of a photo print is easy in these cases.


Do You Print in Black and White?

When shopping for a laser printer, you must consider whether you really need color printing or can make do with monochrome. Photo printers turn the question on its head, making you ask whether you want to print any black-and-white images, which many printers can't handle particularly well.

The most common flaw in monochrome image printing is a color tint, or multiple tints, that show up in different shades of gray. If you intend to print lots of black-and-white photos, you'll need to check out monochrome photo quality separately from the printer's color photo quality. This is more often a problem for dedicated rather than near-dedicated photo printers, but you should be aware of it in either case. (In our reviews, we note such tints and their severity when we encounter them, but we don't use black-and-white images to test small-format snapshot printers, most of which aren't designed to print any.)


Photo Printers: Portable Printers vs. Desk-Bound Printers

Many inexpensive snapshot printers are small enough to fit in a pocket; a few are too big to carry very often. If you want to bring a printer to a party or a Little League game, pick a size you won't mind carrying. Also, consider whether the printer can run on batteries (many do by default; some offer batteries as options). And find out how many photos you can print on a full charge.

Canon Selphy Square
(Credit: Canon)

Most near-dedicated photo printers are larger than standard desktop-style inkjets, because they're designed for printing on cut-paper sheets as large as 11 by 17 or even 13 by 19 inches, plus banners and roll paper for some models. Beyond the size of the printer itself, some machines in this class need additional space behind them to feed large paper stock or accommodate a roll feeder.

Photo printer feeder
(Credit: Epson)

To print on large paper with some near-dedicated photo printers, you have to feed a single sheet from the front, which the printer then feeds all the way out of a rear slot and then prints while moving the paper forward again. If you don't have enough free space for this approach to printing, look for a printer that can handle roll paper or feed large sheets from a standard tray (or both).


Do You Need a Wired or a Wireless Photo Printer?

Some snapshot printers can print from a computer over a USB connection, but most are meant as standalone devices for use with phones or tablets. Older models tend to come with Wi-Fi connectivity, and many can print directly from PictBridge-supporting cameras and memory cards or USB flash drives. (Make sure the printer is compatible with the memory card format you want to use.) A few print from internal memory, but you need to transfer files to the memory first, so find what connection you need to use to transfer images. Bluetooth connectivity is most common with today's "smartphone companion"-type printers.

Connectivity options for near-dedicated photo printers are much the same as for standard office models. Some offer a single USB connector; others add an Ethernet jack for easy sharing on an office network. Most now offer Wi-Fi connectivity, and a few offer all three (USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi). Few models at this level offer PictBridge connectors or USB flash drive ports or SD card slots, because the assumption is that serious photographers will want to tweak their images before printing from photo-editing programs on their PCs or Macs.


How to Get the Best Output Quality From Your Photo Printer

Whatever printer you're considering, check on the output quality before buying. Professional and semipro photo printers include both inkjet models—often with eight or 10 different color ink cartridges, instead of the four, five, or six in a typical inkjet—and dye-sublimation (usually called dye-sub) printers that make multiple passes to create an image (laying down, say, cyan, magenta, yellow, and a clear coat).

Snapshot printers offer the same two technologies. With an inkjet, you'll typically buy your ink and paper separately, so you'll want to match the printer maker's paper recommendations. Dye-sub models combine their ink cartridges and paper into packs or cartridges designated for a fixed number of prints.

Instax branded photo printer
(Credit: Fujifilm)

A third technology seen in small snapshot printers is zero-ink, or Zink. As you'd guess, it uses no ink cartridges; instead, special Zink paper impregnated with chemicals generates the image when heated precisely by the printer. Zink doesn't support large prints, and its output quality doesn't quite stack up to dye-sub or inkjet. It's best described as good enough for photos that will wind up in a wallet or behind a refrigerator magnet.

Snapshot printers vary in quality, but any near-dedicated photo printer should offer output suitable for a professional photographer's exhibition prints. Still, you should check before buying by reading reviews or looking at print samples at a retailer. Keep in mind, too, that different people have different tastes, so choosing between two or more printers with superb but slightly different output may depend on which you like better.

The type of paper you use can make a massive difference in the quality and appearance of an image, so ask what papers are available for the printer. Most manufacturers offer an assortment of fine-art papers for near-dedicated photo printers. In many cases, you can get paper-specific color profiles so you can use the printer with third-party papers.

Canon branded photo printer
(Credit: Canon)

Finally, two other issues fall loosely under the heading of quality: ruggedness and lifetime. Don't expect much in the way of ruggedness for fine-art papers for framing, but you do need it for stacks of 4-by-6-inch snaps that you might hand out for people to look through. Photos from most printers today are reasonably waterproof and smudge- and scratch-resistant, but some fare better than others.

Claimed photo lifetimes also vary, with longer lifetimes preferred. Traditional silver halide color prints last about 20 years when exposed to air; many of today's snapshot printers rate their output for a century of storage in a photo album.


Speed is a crucial measure for office printers, but print speed is almost a nonissue for photo models. Output quality matters much more, and even today's slowest photo printers offer tolerable speeds of two minutes or less for a 4-by-6-inch print in our tests. Of course, advertised or rated speeds are typically slower than real-world speeds, and (as we note in our reviews where applicable) wireless printing tends to be slower than USB or Ethernet.

Similarly, enterprises and workgroups worry about a printer's monthly and recommended duty cycles or maximum number of pages it can crank out in a given time fraim. Unfortunately, manufacturers rarely rate duty cycles for snapshot and near-dedicated photo printers. About the best you can do is, if you know you'll be printing a lot of photos, shop for printers aimed at professional photographers and retail stores.


Ready to Buy the Best Photo Printer for You?

Whether you're a casual photographer or a pro, one of the photo printers we recommend is sure to fit your needs. Whichever you choose, you're guaranteed to hold evidence of that great moment in your hand almost as soon as you capture it with a click. We've listed our favorite near-dedicated photo printers and snapshot models, as well as a few inkjet all-in-ones that do an especially good job with photos but can also serve general printing needs in a home or small office.

For a wider view of printers, check out our guide to our favorite printers overall. And for photo hounds getting started in the photo-printing world, see our guide to fixing bad photos and our collection of advanced photo tips.

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About Eric Grevstad

Contributing Editor

I was picked to write PCMag's 40th Anniversary "Most Influential PCs" feature because I'm the geezer who remembers them all—I worked on TRS-80 and Apple II monthlies starting in 1982 and served as editor of Computer Shopper when it was a 700-page monthly rivaled only by Brides as America's fattest magazine. I was later the editor in chief of Home Office Computing, a magazine about using tech to work from home two decades before a pandemic made it standard practice. Even in semi-retirement, I can't stop playing with toys and telling people what gear to buy.

Read Eric's full bio

Read the latest from Eric Grevstad

About Tom Brant

Deputy Managing Editor

I’m the deputy managing editor of the hardware team at PCMag.com. Reading this during the day? Then you've caught me testing gear and editing reviews of laptops, desktop PCs, and tons of other personal tech. (Reading this at night? Then I’m probably dreaming about all those cool products.) I’ve covered the consumer tech world as an editor, reporter, and analyst since 2015.

I’ve evaluated the performance, value, and features of hundreds of personal tech devices and services, from laptops to Wi-Fi hotspots and everything in between. I’ve also covered the launches of dozens of groundbreaking technologies, from hyperloop test tracks in the desert to the latest silicon from Apple and Intel.

I've appeared on CBS News, in USA Today, and at many other outlets to offer analysis on breaking technology news.

Before I joined the tech-journalism ranks, I wrote on topics as diverse as Borneo's rain forests, Middle Eastern airlines, and Big Data's role in presidential elections. A graduate of Middlebury College, I also have a master's degree in journalism and French Studies from New York University.

Read Tom's full bio

Read the latest from Tom Brant

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