As mentioned in the beginning, it is easy to operate a photo printer these days; however, selecting the best one is not that easy. The user will need to have some knowledge of the basic features of a photo printer. To make things easier for you, here is the list of factors considering which you can get the best photo printers today.
Resolution
A photo printer comes with different specifications, yes; different printers come with different resolutions. Most of the people often do not consider the resolution of the photo printer. Nevertheless, you should understand that when it comes to a photo printer resolution is very important.
A low-resolution printer will deliver inferior quality photos and a high-resolution photo printer will deliver a high-quality picture. We recommend that you consider purchasing a photo printer with at least 4800 x 1200 dpi, if your budget is high, then do not settle for this resolution, go for the far more high-resolution printer.
Ink quality
Quality of the ink is one of the major things that you should consider while purchasing a photo printer. There is something you should know, different photo printers use a different type of ink. There are two types of ink that are used in a printer,
- Pigment-based ink
- Colouring agent-based ink
If you are looking to print photographs with high quality and that lasts longer, then, we recommend that you consider purchasing printers that use pigment-based ink rather than colouring agent-based ink. However, if you do not have any demands, then colouring based ink printer is a better option for you.
Size of the printer
A printer can come in different sizes, if you are running a professional setup, then we recommend that you purchase a product that is designed for heavy-duty. However, heavy-duty photo printers can be big. On the other hand, if you are planning to get the photo printer for your personal and home purpose, then consider purchasing a device that is comparatively smaller.
Compatibility
The compatibility of a photo printer is one of the most overlooked factors, imagine that you purchase a photo printer and you find it incompatible with your digital camera. Remember not all photo printers are compatible with the same device, so, before you purchase a photo printer check if the product is compatible with your device.
Speed and number of prints
A photo printer comes designed to print a certain number of photographs per minute. As the model differs, the number of photos that it can print also differs. If you want a number of prints per minute, then check the specification and purchase accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How important is print speed?
Print speed is an important feature for printers. But for photo printing, the speed is not that crucial as the resolution and quality of the picture. We don’t usually print photos in bulk. So, if it takes time to produce a good quality photo, it should not be a concern.
Most of the best printers in India take 2 min on average to print photos. What matters is the brightness and sharpness of the picture. Another aspect you should rather be concerned about is the duty cycle of the printer. This is important as long as the cost of printing matters.
- Can I print passport size photos?
If you are using a high-resolution inkjet photo printer, at first, select the size of your photo as per your requirement. Then just give the print command from your device. You can easily get high-quality passport size photos instantly in your hands with the best photo printers for home use in India<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>. Remember always to use a low gloss or matte paper for printing photographs.
- Are the photo printers with Zink technology safe to use?
First of all, there is no issue of safety with this technology. But this technology is not very useful for photo printing. It cannot print on larger size photos. In this technology, printers do not use any ink cartridges. They use a special kind of paper called Zink. The printer heats up the paper and the chemical present in the stock prints the photograph. The picture quality in this technology is not also up to the mark.
- Which printer is better for printing photos – laser or inkjet?
These two types of printers use different technologies as well as different color options. The laser printers use CMYK color combination, whereas the inkjet printers have chroma optimizer. The CMYK format has limited color options whilst the chroma optimizer has a large range of colors.
On the other hand, laser printers have a large variety of grays to print monochrome pictures with more details. So, if you are looking for monochrome image prints, then you should go for the laser printers. But if you need good quality color pigmented photographs, then you must go for the inkjet printers. Moreover, the inkjet printers are a cost-effective printing option too.
- Which is a better photo printer between wired and wireless printers?
This depends on your own preferences. Printers come with many different connectivity options, both in wired and wireless versions, such as USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, etc. Some lower-priced printers have lesser connectivity options, while other higher-priced printers have more than 1 or 2 connectivity options.
The best photo printers for photographers use PictBridge connectors for printing. It gives you an option to edit the photographs on the software and give the print command directly from there. It is an extremely convenient connectivity mode for photographers and photo printing and editing professionals.
- Can I use glossy paper to print photos on a laser printer?
You will get glossy paper specially designed for laser printers. You can use those for printing photos in your laser printer. But you cannot just print on any glossy paper with the laser printer. All the glossy paper cannot endure the heat laser printers generate on the paper.
It can cause potential damage to your printer as a result. Also, the normal glossy papers are much thicker. It will not allow the toner of laser printers to adhere on the glossy surface. If you want good quality photographs, then take more care of the toner than the paper.
- Which photo printer should I buy for printing the highest quality photos?
Every buyer has a different set of requirements. So, before buying, consider a few factors, such as the price, your goal, objective, the technology of the printer, duty cycle, connectivity, etc. After you set your priorities, it will be a lot easier to find the ideal product for you. For better understanding, refer to the buying guide of this article.
Conclusion –
A photo printer has to be selected based on the factors as mentioned above, if you end up purchasing a photo printer that does not suit your precise requirement, then remember it will be a total waste of money. So, consider purchasing a photo printer from the list above and you will not regret it.
