4 Important Features to Look for in a Photo-Specific Printer

One of the most gratifying things about photography is being able to hold an actual copy of the photograph in your hands. That is why even in today’s digital age, most photo enthusiasts still want to have their photos printed.

With the goal of wanting to see their masterpieces on print, many photographers go on a quest to find the perfect printer. But with the wide range of printers available in the market today, a buyer can easily lose his way and end up buying a printer that doesn’t actually meet his needs. To help you get started, we’ve come up with a list of four of the most important features you should look for when buying a photo-specific printer.

Photo Size and Quality

When choosing photo-specific printers, photography enthusiasts should take note of the different types of printers that they can choose from based on the kinds of photos they plan on printing. Snapshot printers produce prints in standard photo sizes (e.g. Polaroid print size, 4×6 inches, and so on), while entry- level inkjet photo printers can print slightly larger prints of up to 13×19 inches. Professional wide-format printers offer the highest print qualities and the largest print sizes possible. They typically use an eight-color cartridge system to capture a wider and more precise range of colors. It is something that a typical four-color ink cartridge system simply can’t achieve. These professional photo printers can also accommodate many different types of photo papers, including the thicker and heavier fine art papers needed to print large, high-definition photographs.

Ink and Toner Costs

More than just comparing equipment prices, consumers should also be concerned about the cost of consumables, most importantly of ink. While big professional printer models may seem expensive at the outset, they actually help you save more money in the long run. Typically, bigger printer models carry larger ink cartridges that can hold more ink. This means you do not have to replace ink cartridges as often as you would in smaller and cheaper photo-printers.

Most professional photo inkjets are also compatible with remanufactured ink cartridges, allowing more savings for the consumer. Remanufactured ink cartridges are recycled from cartridges produced by original equipment manufacturers. These products undergo thorough cleaning and reassembly before they are refilled with ink. They cost considerably less than branded ink cartridges, but they perform just as well, producing high-quality printouts and sometimes containing even more ink than OEM variants.  Just make sure to get your stock from reliable companies that sell quality products.

Speed of Printing

Speed can also be a factor to consider when buying dedicated photo printers. If, for example, you run a photo booth business that necessitates the production of a huge volume of 4×6 prints within a short period of time, then you can buy a printer made specifically for this purpose. If, on the other hand, you are a photographer who sells large prints of your work for framing, then you can consider buying a large-format printer with a slower throughput but higher-quality output.

Connectivity

Most photo specific printers in the market today are flexible when it comes to connectivity. Majority of them use USB connection to establish cable printing from computers and laptops. Conversely, other printers can function without computers, with users having the option of just printing a document straight from USB drives or memory cards. Of course, most photographers would still want to hook their printers to their computers so they can manipulate or edit the photos before printing them, but if you want to print photos straight from your device, you should look into printer models that allow you to perform wireless printing through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity.

Before purchasing a photo-specific printer, consumers first need to identify their requirements. Will it be used mainly for printing family photos, or will the printer be used for printing high-quality prints for commercial purposes? They should also research on the printer’s important features such as photo quality, ink and toner costs, printing speed, and ease of connection. Having these information at hand will guide a consumer better in finding the right photo printer that will suit their needs.