Printing houses and advertising agencies need a large format printer for their daily needs. Their printing jobs usually involve vinyl banners, outdoor billboards, and detailed architectural plans and designs. This means that the best photo printer for this type of client has very different specifications than the equipment other companies require for office printing jobs.

Having the right equipment is crucial for the success in your line of business. Moreover, a printer for pictures is a significant investment, so you want to make sure that you picked the right printer for your needs. In this article, we will explain what you need to look for in a professional photo printer for wide format printing jobs and for very high resolution requirements.

What Exactly Is a Professional Photo Printer?

First of all, let us answer this question: what is a photo printer? Why is it a different product from the general purpose printing device I can look for online? The best inkjet photo printer uses special ink cartridges. The pigment in the printing ink is of superior quality, producing long-lasting photos.

Secondly, they have a wide format frame, capable of printing large billboards or posters. Finally, the best photo printer offers Ethernet connectivity, allowing you to access photos stored on a server and print them. This means that your clients do not have to bring their files on a USB stick or DVD but simply offer you access to their cloud storage facilities. The professional photo printer accesses the picture online and prints it.

How to Select the Best Inkjet Printer for Photos

Now that you know what is a color printer, let us move on to the key topic of this article: how to find the best printer for photos that meets your needs. When comparing the features of various professional inkjet printers, you have to pay attention to several specifications, such as:

1. Printing Quality

Top photo printers render each photo in extremely high resolution – up to 9600 x 2400 dpi. This means a very high level of detail, which is absolutely necessary for a large sized poster or advertising billboard.

2. Maximum Print Size

The best color photo printer for large printing jobs should have a paper carriage of up to 64 inches. Even if a very large poster has to be made up of several parts glued together, each of them must have a considerable size to allow perfect detail and minimal staggering at the edges where the pieces connect (especially visible on human faces, vertical and horizontal lines).

3. Print Materials

A color photo should have the same prinking quality irrespective of the material it is printed on. An inkjet photo printer for professional printing jobs can handle various types of materials:

• Paper
• Vinyl
• Fabrics
• Acrylic

4. Printing Speed

When you are looking at the specifications for a professional photo printer, don’t forget to check the printing speed. If you have a high volume of printing jobs, speed is a priority. When superior quality of the picture matters the most, the best color photo printer does not really need to work very fast. On the contrary, slower printing speed means more accuracy and higher photo resolution.

A Few Words on the Best Printers for Photographers

Photography is both an art and a thriving business. Many people hire photographers to capture important events in their lives in memorable images: weddings, gender reveal parties, the first photos with their baby, etc. While some clients only require the digital photos and choose to print them elsewhere, the great majority want a physical photo album, and even large format photos that they can frame and hang on the walls. This means that even photographers need to buy a professional photo printer.

So, how do you find the best printers for photographers? Obviously, you will not have to handle very large scale printing jobs. Thus, the best photo printer for photography is not very large and does not need a lot of space to install. However, its inksets are specifically designed to produce vivid colors and long-lasting photos. The industry standards in this respect are Stylus Pro and Pixma Pro-1 pigment based inks. You can usually find them equipped on Epson and Cannon, brands that get the best photo printer reviews from professional photographers.

Other Aspects You Should Consider When Looking for Top Photo Printers

Apart from positive reviews, the best inkjet printer for photos should be within your budget. You need to consider not only the initial purchase price, but other ongoing costs, such as:

• Maintenance – the more complex a printer for pictures is, the more specialized maintenance it will require
• Consumables – ink cartridges and printer photo need to be of the highest quality to satisfy your clients’ needs
• First printer vs. replacement – if you are just starting in business, you need to spend your budget carefully.

We Can Help You Pick the Best Photo Printer for Your Company!

At Metro Repro, you will find a team with over 40 years in the business of providing large format printing equipment and accessories to companies. We are the reliable B2B supplier of top photo printers and we will help you select the best fit for your needs.

Call us now: 888-484-9292!