Photo printers can serve very different needs. Some are built for photographers who want precise A3+ prints on fine-art paper, while others focus on affordable home printing or quickly turning phone photos into small physical copies.
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is our best overall pick because it puts image quality first, with a professional pigment-based ink system and support for A3+. The Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is the more practical option if you print frequently and want refillable ink tanks, while the Canon SELPHY CP1500 makes more sense if you mainly want smaller 10 × 15 cm prints.
Tested and written by Amanda Westberg
Translated by Lucía Bima
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 – Best photo printer overall
Maximum print size: A3+
Ink system: 9 pigment inks + Chroma Optimizer
Functions: Print
The imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is the printer we would choose when the quality of the finished image matters more than having a versatile all-in-one. Canon positions it in its professional 13-inch photo and fine-art range, and the LUCIA PRO II system combines nine pigment inks with a separate Chroma Optimizer.
Its biggest strength is the level of control it offers over colour and media. Three monochrome inks help with black-and-white printing, while Matte Black is designed to produce deeper blacks on fine-art paper. Chroma Optimizer is used on glossy and semi-gloss media to reduce uneven reflections and bronzing. Borderless printing is supported up to A3+, and the printer can also handle longer formats for panoramic images.
What makes the PRO-310 less convincing for general home use is also what makes it good for photography. There is no scanner or copier, and ten separate ink tanks require more maintenance than an EcoTank or MegaTank system. If the printer is going to be used as much for documents as for photos, we would rather choose the ET-8550.
The workflow also assumes that you actually want to work with print settings. Canon’s Professional Print & Layout software offers more control over paper, colour and layout than a standard printing app. That is useful for portfolio and fine-art work, but unnecessary if you mostly want to print family photos quickly.
Pros
Very strong for both colour and black-and-white photography
Pigment-based LUCIA PRO II system
Borderless printing up to A3+
Good support for fine art and speciality papers
Chroma Optimizer improves output on glossy media
Cons
No scanner or copier
Ten separate consumables to manage
More advanced than most casual users need
Epson EcoTank ET-8550 – Best for frequent A3+ printing
Maximum print size: A3+
Ink system: 6-colour EcoTank with refillable tanks
Functions: Print, scan, copy
The EcoTank ET-8550 becomes more interesting if photo printing is something you do regularly rather than occasionally. Its six-colour Claria ET Premium system combines Photo Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Grey with a pigment-based black ink for documents, while replacing conventional cartridges with large refillable tanks.
It is also considerably more flexible than the PRO-310 as an everyday printer. The ET-8550 can scan and copy, print double-sided A4 documents and use separate feeds for photo paper, plain paper and thicker speciality media. Its straight rear feed can handle material up to 1.3 mm thick, while borderless photos can be printed up to A3+.
The refillable system is the main reason to choose it over a traditional cartridge printer when print volumes are high. The downside is that it is not a direct substitute for a specialised pigment printer. Five of its six inks are dye-based, so photographers mainly producing archival fine-art prints may still prefer the PRO-310.
For most homes, however, the Epson is easier to justify. Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet, USB, an SD card slot and a 10.9 cm touchscreen make it flexible whether your images come from a computer, phone or memory card.
Pros
Refillable six-colour ink system
Borderless A3+ printing
Scanner and copier
Flexible paper handling
Supports media up to 1.3 mm thick
Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB and SD card support
Cons
Takes up a fair amount of space
Not a fully pigment-based fine-art system
Makes less sense if you only print occasionally
Canon SELPHY CP1500 – Best compact photo printer
Maximum print size: 100 × 148 mm
Print system: Dye sublimation
Functions: Photo printing
The SELPHY CP1500 makes more sense once we stop comparing it directly with full-size inkjet printers. It is built around postcard-size printing and uses heat transfer rather than liquid ink. The result is a compact printer that is much easier to place on a small desk or store away between uses.
Canon quotes around 41 seconds for a postcard-size print. The process also adds a protective surface layer designed to resist water, fingerprints and scratches. Smaller card and sticker formats are also available with the appropriate media.
Its connectivity is unusually complete for such a small model. Wi-Fi and USB-C are joined by SD, SDHC and SDXC card support, while the 3.5-inch display allows basic operation without a computer.
The clearest limitation is size. This is not the printer for wall art, portfolios or A4 photographs. It also only becomes fully portable with Canon’s optional battery. We would choose it if the goal is mainly to turn phone or camera photos into physical copies with as little maintenance as possible.
Pros
Very compact
Simple dye-sublimation system
Around 41 seconds per postcard print
Wi-Fi, USB-C and SD card support
Protective coating on finished prints
Several small print formats available
Cons
Limited to small photo formats
Battery sold separately
Requires dedicated paper and colour packs
Want the photo to come straight from the camera instead? See our guide to the best Polaroid cameras for models that combine photography and physical printing in one device.
Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 – Best all-in-one photo printer
Maximum print size: Letter / approximately A4
Ink system: 6-colour Claria Photo HD cartridges
Functions: Print, scan, copy
The XP-8800 is the model we would consider when the printer needs to handle normal household tasks just as well as photography. Epson uses six Claria Photo HD colours instead of the four colours common in simpler home printers, and the model can produce borderless photos up to Letter size.
Speed is also part of its appeal. Epson quotes as little as ten seconds for a borderless 10 × 15 cm photo in the appropriate print mode. Separate trays for plain paper and photo paper also mean you do not have to swap media every time the printer switches between documents and images.
The 4.3-inch touchscreen is considerably easier to use than the simpler display on the Canon G650. Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, Mopria and Epson Smart Panel cover the most common ways to print from a phone or computer, while the built-in flatbed scanner makes it practical as the only printer in a home.
Its weakness is the cartridge system. Six colours give it a stronger photo focus, but repeated cartridge replacement becomes less attractive at high print volumes. We would therefore choose the XP-8800 for versatility and moderate photo use rather than hundreds of prints at a time.
Pros
Six-colour photo ink system
Fast small-photo printing
Large 4.3-inch touchscreen
Separate trays for photo and plain paper
Built-in scanner and copier
Relatively compact all-in-one design
Cons
Cartridges are less suitable for high print volumes
No A3 or A3+ printing
Less specialised than the PRO-310
Canon PIXMA G650 – Best for affordable high-volume photo printing
Maximum print size: A4
Ink system: 6-colour MegaTank with refillable tanks
Functions: Print, scan, copy
The PIXMA G650 sits between Epson’s cartridge-based XP-8800 and the larger EcoTank ET-8550. It keeps the six-colour approach but uses Canon’s refillable MegaTank system, adding Red and Grey to Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.
Its biggest strength is how well the system suits frequent photo printing. Canon quotes up to 3,800 10 × 15 cm prints from a complete set of ink bottles, with around 47 seconds required for a photo of that size. That makes the G650 easier to justify for repeated album and family-photo printing than a traditional cartridge model.
The limitation is that it stops at A4. It lacks both A3+ output and the broader media handling of the ET-8550, while its two-line LCD feels basic compared with Epson’s touchscreen interfaces.
It does, however, include a flatbed scanner, copier, Wi-Fi and borderless printing. We would choose it if A3+ is unnecessary and most prints will be 10 × 15 cm, 13 × 18 cm or A4.
Pros
Six refillable dye-based inks
Well suited to high print volumes
Borderless printing up to A4
Scanner and copier
Red and Grey inks create a more photo-focused colour system
Cons
No A3+ printing
Basic two-line display
Less flexible paper handling than the ET-8550
If desk space matters more than large photo formats, you can also see our guide to the best small printers for more compact alternatives.
A3+ or A4 – Which format do you need?
The difference matters most when the image is going on a wall, into a portfolio or onto larger speciality paper. The Canon PRO-310 and Epson ET-8550 both support A3+, giving you considerably more flexibility than an A4 printer.
That does not automatically make them better for home use. A3+ models take up more space, while larger prints use more ink and paper. If most of your photos will be 10 × 15 cm or A4, the Canon G650 or Epson XP-8800 can be simpler choices.
The SELPHY CP1500 sits outside that comparison. Its postcard format is deliberately small and works better for albums, gifts and everyday photos than for enlargements.
Refillable ink, cartridges or dye sublimation?
The five printers use three clearly different approaches. The PRO-310 uses individual pigment-based ink tanks, the ET-8550 and G650 use refillable reservoirs, and the XP-8800 uses conventional cartridges. The SELPHY CP1500 uses dye sublimation instead, transferring colour with heat.
Refillable tanks are easiest to justify at high print volumes. Epson quotes up to 2,300 photos from a set of bottles for the ET-8550, while Canon quotes up to 3,800 10 × 15 cm images for the G650. Those figures are based on the manufacturers’ own testing methods, but they clearly show the type of use these models are designed for.
Pigment ink serves a different purpose. The PRO-310 gives up the simplicity of a tank-based system in exchange for more specialised handling of fine-art paper, black-and-white images and long-lasting prints. Dye sublimation goes in the opposite direction: fewer format choices, but very simple and predictable small-photo printing.
Do you need a scanner and copier?
The PRO-310 and SELPHY CP1500 are dedicated photo printers. That works well if they complement other equipment in a home or studio, but makes them less useful as the only printer you own.
The ET-8550, XP-8800 and G650 all include a flatbed scanner and copying. Of the three, the ET-8550 offers the broadest combination because it pairs those everyday functions with A3+ printing and multiple paper paths.
We would not choose a photo printer purely because it has a scanner, but it matters when two models otherwise fit the same need. A printer that can also handle documents between photo projects is easier to keep useful throughout the year.
Photo printers compared
| Model | Main advantage | Main limitation | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 | Professional pigment-based photo system | No scanner or copier | Fine-art and portfolio printing |
| Epson EcoTank ET-8550 | A3+ output with refillable tanks | Large and less specialised than PRO-310 | Frequent large-format photo printing |
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Compact and simple dye-sublimation printing | Small formats only | Albums and phone photos |
| Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 | Versatile six-colour all-in-one | Cartridge costs at high volumes | Home photos and everyday printing |
| Canon PIXMA G650 | Refillable six-colour A4 system | No A3+ printing | Frequent A4 and 10 × 15 cm printing |
Best Photo Printers 2026 – Our verdict
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is our favourite when the print itself is the priority. Its pigment-based LUCIA PRO II system, Chroma Optimizer and support for fine-art paper make it considerably more specialised than the home-focused models in this list. The lack of a scanner and copier is a limitation, but those features are not really the point of the PRO-310.
The Epson EcoTank ET-8550 is the model we would more readily choose for frequent home use. A3+ printing, refillable ink, scanning, copying and flexible paper handling make it useful for a much wider range of projects.
The Canon G650 applies a similar tank-based approach to A4 printing and makes more sense when A3+ is unnecessary. The Epson XP-8800 is the stronger all-rounder for lighter photo use, particularly if a touchscreen and everyday document printing matter.
The SELPHY CP1500 is the clearest specialist model in the list, but that is also why it earns its place. It does a much smaller job than the other printers and requires considerably less space. In 2026, choosing the best photo printer is less about finding the model with the longest specification sheet and more about matching the print format and ink system to the photos you actually want to produce.
