Having your own photo printer gives you full control and freedom over your creative process and producing your own prints.
You may be a professional photographer wanting to print high-quality photos from home or you simply want to remember your favourite memories with friends and family.
Whatever the reason, there are loads of great photo printers to choose from. Each option offers features that are better suited to certain situations.
Below are the best photo printer models available in Australia and a buyers guide to help you choose the right option for your needs.
1. Epson Surecolor SC-P600 Photo Printer (Top Pick)
The Epson Surecolour SC-P600 is a great printer choice for enthusiasts and professionals. This high-end home printer produces quality prints with impressive detail.
The SC-P600 uses Epsom UltraChrome HD Ink, the 9 ink cartridges provide amazing richness and colour density. If you love printing black and white, the four black inks ensure images are properly toned so you always get the best results. There is also advanced black and white control available too.
The touch screen control panel lets you easily select the media type, colour management and paper size. This is a smart, sturdy printer that will look great positioned on a desk. You can connect the printer to WiFi and these printers can handle paper size up to A3+.
What We Like:
- Fantastic for black and white prints
- Touch-screen control panel
- Easy to set up
What We Don’t Like:
- Replacement inks can be expensive
2. Canon Pixma Pro-10S Photo Printer
The Canon Pixma Pro-10S is a high-quality, accurate photo printer that produces prints fit for a gallery. You can print wirelessly from your computer or smartphone or directly from cloud-based storage.
Wherever you print from, the PRO-10S can produce up to A3+ size borderless prints in vibrant colour or black and white.
This printer is a 10 ink pigment-based system that produces vivid, long-lasting prints. The 3 monochrome inks ensure any black and white photos are clear, detailed and accurately reproduced.
Printing can be done from anywhere and this model can easily work with editing software such as Lightroom. You can print on a range of professional and specialist paper types and you can print labels directly onto CDs too.
What We Like:
- Borderless printing up to A3+
- Long-lasting prints
- Gallery-quality prints
What We Don’t Like:
- Large size (20kg)
3. Canon Pixma IP7260 Photo Printer
The Canon Pixma IP7260 is a quality printer that offers excellent value for money. It produces vibrant colour images that are accurate and high-quality every time.
This is one of the best home printers, it is ideal for students and photography enthusiasts and offers a compact, economical option that doesn’t compromise on quality.
With the IP7260, you can produce borderless prints up to A4 size and it takes just 21 seconds to produce a professional-quality print. The auto-duplexing option is a great way to save on paper if you are using your printer for documents too.
You get a lot of functionality with this model, it is WiFi-enabled and you can print straight from your phone or through cloud services such as Google Cloud Print.
What We Like:
- Compact size
- Efficient
- High-quality output
What We Don’t Like:
- Loud when in use
4. Canon Pixma Pro-100S Photo Printer
The Canon Pixma Pro-100S offers excellent value, professional-quality prints and A3+ capabilities. This is a well-suited printer for professional and semi-professionals in need of A3+ prints.
The printer uses an 8 ink dye base system which produces crisp, detailed prints that can be black and white or in vibrant colour. Thanks to the print assist, setting up and using this printer is simple.
You can connect this printer to Wi-Fi or use the ethernet port to allow you to print from anywhere at any time via a smartphone or tablet. You can also access advanced software plug-ins such as lightroom or photoshop.
This dye-based inkjet printer looks smart and is protected by a thick plastic casing to ensure its durability.
What We Like:
- Simple user-friendly setup
- Professional-quality
- Wi-Fi connectivity
What We Don’t Like:
- Heavy unit (19.7kg)
5. HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer
HP Sprockets are light, portable photo printers that allow you to print directly from your smartphone. There is a HP Sprocket App and it uses Bluetooth connectivity to connect your phone to the printer.
These photo printers can be used anywhere. The app allows you to edit photos before printing, you can add fun emojis, text or borders to your favourite snaps in just a few clicks.
The snapshots are 2×3 inch and the set comes with 10 sheets of sticky-backed photo paper. It is simple to load the photo paper and the printer does not use ink so prints are bright, durable and smudge-proof.
What We Like:
- Pocket-sized
- Fun app allows photo customization
- Easy mobile photo printing
What We Don’t Like:
- Small size prints only (2×3 inch)
6. Epson Expression Wireless Inkjet MFC Printer XP-540
This all-in-one Epson Expression printer is great not just for producing high-quality photo prints but for also managing your copying and document management needs too. The XP-540 is sleek, compact and will not take up too much desk space.
The set up is easy and it takes no time at all to connect the printer to your wireless network. If you haven’t had a chance to edit your photos the auto photo correction and red eye removal feature can ensure the colours are perfect for printing.
The XP-540 Epson Expression printers can hold 100 sheets of A4 paper and are perfect for home office needs. This is the best home printer if you want to print high-quality photo prints as well as clear text documents.
What We Like:
- Compact size
- All-in-one
- Wireless connectivity
What We Don’t Like:
- A lot of the included ink is used in the printer set up
7. Canon Selphy CP1300 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
The Canon Selphy CP1300 is a compact photo printer designed to produce glossy, high-quality postcard-sized prints. The tilting LCD screen allows you to see choose and edit the photo before printing.
One of the best things about these photo printers is that you can print photos from a range of media sources, the printers have an SD card slot, a USB port and you can connect them to WiFi too.
The overall print quality is good for family photos and personal use, it is similar to what you’d get when printing photos in stores.
This is a fun option for printing photos instantly at home or on the go. The CP1300 can be powered by AC adapter or you can buy an optional battery pack so you can take the printer with you to friends houses or events.
What We Like:
- Compact and portable
- Low cost per print
- Multiple connectivity options3
What We Don’t Like:
- The battery pack costs extra
8. Canon Pocket Sized Canon PV-123 Mini Photo Printer
The Canon PV-123 is a sleek, pocket-sized printer that is lightweight and portable. It produces 2×3 inch photos anytime, anywhere and does not require ink.
The Zink (zero ink) technology means the photos are smudge-proof and it takes away the need for ink cartridges allowing this printer to be small and slim. It also reduces running costs and maintenance requirements.
To use this for printing your favourite photos you simply connect your smartphone to the PV-123 via Bluetooth, open the Canon Mini Print app and you are ready to print. The app is easy to use and offers a selection of photo editing options too.
This printer has a charm to it, the photos are not 100% accurate in terms of colour but it offers character similar to Polaroids.
What We Like:
- Slim and sleek
- Zero ink technology
- User friendly
What We Don’t Like:
- Colour accuracy is not 100%
Photo Printer Buyer’s Guide
Printing your photos at home gives you complete control over the production process from when you take the photo to when you hold the finished product in your hands.
Photo printers can save you time and money while making your work and creative passions easier to achieve.
Printers offering high print quality, high print resolution, and lots of useful features can be costly so choosing the best photo printer for your needs is important.
Use this guide to ensure this is an investment you’ll be happy with well into the future.
Ink Type
There are two main options that are great for photo printers. These are inkjet and dye sublimation:
- Inkjet printers produce reliable quality and can be used with a vast range of paper types. An inkjet printer can be used for office needs as well as producing high photo quality so is the best printer for home use. The downside to an inkjet printer is that the ink cartridges can be expensive and the system can clog if it has not been used in a while.
- Dye sublimation printers are great for professional photographers looking to print on glossy photo paper on a regular basis. They are easy to transport and the print speeds are good so they can be used at events. If you are looking for great, reliable photo quality inkjet is a better option unless you have a specific use for dye sublimation printing.
Printer Size
If your office has limited space or you would like to take your printer with you and use it on the go then the size will be important.
Super compact printers often cost more for the convenience of its size and portability so if you are not overly concerned with this and will be keeping the photo printer in one place it is better to go for a larger, office sized option.
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Paper Size
The paper size is one of the big limitations you will come across when searching for the best photo printer for your needs. Consider what size prints you print most often as well as sizes you may want to print in the future. Make sure you check the maximum paper size of the printer you are thinking about buying.
Print Speed
While quality is more important than print speed, it is important to know how long it’s going to take to produce a print. If you have a large volume of prints it may not be efficient to choose an option with print speeds of 4-5 minutes per image.
Multi-function or Dedicated Photo Printer?
Some printers are excellent when it comes to photo printing and are able to handle day-to-day office needs too. A few offer multi-function features such as a copier and are able to print crisp text-based documents. If you will be using the printer for documents as well as photos keep this in mind as some photo printers are designed purely for producing great print photos.
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Print Quality
The resolution is an important factor when you require professional-quality photo printing. Look for a printer that offers at least 4800 x 1200 dpi. If you are printing family photos and you are not concerned with them being the highest quality, lower resolutions will be acceptable. The average resolution of a standard inkjet printer is 1200 x 1440 dpi which is fine for personal photos and prints less than 5 x 7 inches.
Some printers utilise multiple shades of black so that black and white images are detailed and high-quality. If you frequently produce black and white prints this is worth considering as a photo printer that can truly handle the needs of a black and white print can make all the difference.
Compatibility and Connectivity
Different printers offer different compatibility and connectivity options. Check the printers you are considering are compatible with the paper type and size you plan on using as well as the digital storage method you frequently use.
Do you need an SD card slot so you can print directly from the camera memory card? Do you use USB drives so require a USB port? Or would you prefer to have WiFi connectivity options so you can print from your computer, tablet or smartphone via the wireless connection? Some printer manufacturers offer apps that allows you to easily edit photos prior to printing and print straight from your smartphone.
