Best Printer for Photos at Home 2026

I’ve been printing photos at home for years now, and honestly? The quality you can get from a decent printer in 2026 is ridiculous. I printed some holiday shots from Greece last summer on my six-ink Canon, and my mate genuinely thought I’d had them done at Boots. Cost me about 30p each.

But here’s the thing — not every printer can do this. I’ve wasted money on cheap two-cartridge printers that turned every sunset into a muddy orange mess. So I put together this guide to save you making the same mistakes I did.

What Makes a Good Photo Printer?

The difference between a proper photo printer and a standard home printer comes down to a few things. Get these right and you’ll be printing gallery-worthy stuff. Get them wrong and you’ll wonder why your photos look like they’ve been through a washing machine.

Number of inks is the big one. Budget printers use 2 cartridges (one black, one tri-colour). Dedicated photo printers use 5 or 6 individual inks, adding light cyan, light magenta, and sometimes grey or photo black. That extra ink makes a massive difference to skin tones and gradients — it’s the difference between “that looks like a photo” and “that looks like a printout.”

Dye vs pigment inks affect both quality and how long your prints last. Dye inks give you more vibrant colours and are standard in most photo printers. Pigment inks resist fading and water better, so they’re the ones you want for prints going on the wall. Some printers use both, which is the sweet spot.

Resolution needs to be at least 4800 x 1200 dpi for decent photo output. Higher is better, though honestly I can’t tell the difference above 5760 x 1440 dpi — and I’ve tried, squinting at prints with a magnifying glass like a right muppet.

Paper handling — you want borderless printing, the ability to handle thick photo paper (200-300gsm), and ideally a rear feed tray for speciality media. Nothing worse than feeding expensive photo paper through a printer that mangles it.

For a broader comparison of printer technologies, see our guide on laser vs inkjet printers. Spoiler: lasers are absolutely rubbish for photos.

Best Photo Printers 2026: Comparison Table

Printer	Ink System	Max Photo Size	Borderless	Price	Cost per 6x4 Print
Canon PIXMA TS8350a	6 cartridges	A4	Yes	~£180	~30p
Epson EcoTank ET-8550	6 ink tanks	A3+	Yes	~£550	~5p
Canon SELPHY CP1500	Dye-sublimation	6x4” / Postcard	Yes	~£110	~25p (inc. paper)
HP Envy Inspire 7920e	2 cartridges	A4	Yes	~£130	~35p
Epson Expression Photo XP-8700	6 cartridges	A4	Yes	~£200	~25p
Canon PIXMA TS7450i	2 cartridges	A4	Yes	~£100	~40p

1. Canon PIXMA TS8350a — Best Overall Photo Printer

Price: ~£180 on Amazon UK | Ink system: 6 individual cartridges | Functions: Print, scan, copy

This is my top pick, and the one I recommend most often. The TS8350a is Canon’s dedicated photo-focused all-in-one, and it punches well above its price. The six-ink system uses a dedicated photo blue ink alongside the standard CMYK and pigment black. The result? Colours that pop, gradients that look smooth rather than banded, and skin tones that actually look like skin.

I printed a batch of 6x4s from a family christening on this — the difference between these and the prints I’d been getting from my old two-cartridge HP was night and day.

Key photo features:

• Borderless printing up to A4
• 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution
• CD/DVD/Blu-ray disc printing with included tray (niche, but dead handy if you need it)
• Rear tray for thick photo paper up to 300gsm
• 3.0-inch touchscreen for easy setup and memory card printing

The TS8350a accepts SD cards directly, so you can print without a computer — proper useful if you just want to pop the card out of your camera and crack on. WiFi, AirPrint, and the Canon PRINT app are all supported.

Running costs are moderate — Canon PGI-580/CLI-581 cartridges in XXL sizes bring the cost per A4 colour page to around 7p, though dedicated 6x4 photo prints cost roughly 30p in ink alone. Not cheap, mind, but cheaper than Boots.

The downside? Those six cartridges do add up when they all need replacing at once. I’ve had a £45 bill on Amazon UK for a full set of XXLs, which stings a bit.

Verdict: The best balance of photo quality, features, and price. If you print a mix of documents and photos, this is the one to get. For a comparison of Canon against its competitors, see our Epson vs Canon printers guide.

Buy the Canon PIXMA TS8350a on Amazon.co.uk

2. Epson EcoTank ET-8550 — Best for High-Volume Photo Printing

Price: ~£550 on Amazon UK | Ink system: 6 refillable ink tanks | Functions: Print, scan, copy

Right, this is the one for anyone who prints photos seriously — whether you’re running an Etsy shop selling prints, preparing for an exhibition, or you’re just the sort of person who prints every photo from every holiday (we all know one). The refillable ink tank system brings per-print costs down to roughly 5p per 6x4 photo. Five pence. That’s bonkers.

The ET-8550 prints borderless photos up to A3+ (13x19 inches), which means proper wall art. I helped a photographer friend set one up last year, and she’s now printing and framing her own work instead of paying a lab £8-15 per A3 print. It paid for itself in about three months.

It uses six Claria ET Premium inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, photo black, and grey. That grey ink is a game-changer for black-and-white photography — smooth tonal gradations without that annoying blue or green colour cast you get from printers trying to mix CMY into grey.

The included ink bottles print approximately:

• 2,300 A4 colour pages, or
• Hundreds of A3+ photo prints

Print quality genuinely rivals what you’d get from a professional lab. Resolution is 5760 x 1440 dpi, and Epson’s Micro Piezo print head produces exceptionally fine droplets.

The downsides? It’s £550, which is a big chunk of money. And it’s massive — this thing takes up serious desk space. You’ll want a dedicated shelf or table for it. Also, if you leave it unused for a few weeks, the nozzles can clog (it’s still an inkjet, after all).

Verdict: If you print photos regularly, this is the smartest investment on this list. The running costs are unbeatable and the A3+ output is a proper job. Just make sure you’ve got the space — and the budget.

Buy the Epson EcoTank ET-8550 on Amazon.co.uk

3. Canon SELPHY CP1500 — Best Portable Photo Printer

Price: ~£110 on Amazon UK | Ink system: Dye-sublimation | Functions: Photo print only (6x4” max)

Totally different beast, this one. The SELPHY CP1500 is a compact, dedicated photo printer that uses dye-sublimation technology instead of inkjet. It heats layers of dye onto specially coated paper, producing vibrant, water-resistant, smudge-proof prints with a protective overcoat. I took one to a family BBQ last summer and printed photos on the spot — everyone wanted one. Bit like having a Polaroid, but with actually good quality.

Each 6x4-inch print costs approximately 25p, which includes both the ink ribbon and the paper. Canon sells them as a combined pack — the KP-108IN kit contains 108 sheets plus ink for about £27 on Amazon UK. Dead easy.

The SELPHY prints only postcard-sized photos (up to 148 x 100mm) or square/card formats. It can’t print documents or A4 pages. That’s the trade-off — it does one thing, but it does it brilliantly.

Key features:

• Dye-sublimation printing — 300 x 300 dpi on paper but looks far sharper than inkjet at the same resolution
• Overcoat protection — prints are water-resistant and fingerprint-proof
• USB and WiFi connectivity, plus SD card slot
• Compact and portable — weighs just 850g
• Battery pack available (sold separately) for printing on the go

The downside is obvious: you can only print small photos. No A4, no documents, nothing beyond 6x4. If that’s all you need though? Brilliant.

Verdict: Perfect for printing holiday photos, party photos, or creating physical prints from your phone. Not a document printer. But for what it does, I genuinely love this little thing.

Buy the Canon SELPHY CP1500 on Amazon.co.uk

4. HP Envy Inspire 7920e — Best for Casual Photo Printing

Price: ~£130 on Amazon UK | Type: 2-cartridge inkjet | Functions: Print, scan, copy

The Envy Inspire 7920e is HP’s attempt at a photo-friendly home printer without going to six inks. It uses two cartridges (HP 303 or 303XL) and prints borderless photos up to A4. And honestly — for a two-cartridge printer, the results are surprisingly decent. Not Canon-TS8350a-level, but good enough that most people would be happy putting them in a frame.

HP has clearly put some effort into the photo side here. The 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution combined with HP’s thermal inkjet technology produces clean, colourful photos that look proper on glossy paper. It handles photo paper up to 300gsm via the rear tray.

The standout feature is the dual paper tray — photo paper in the rear, plain A4 in the front. No faffing about swapping paper when you switch between printing an essay and printing holiday snaps. I wish more printers did this.

HP Instant Ink is available (and they’ll push it at you during setup — be warned), offering plans from 100 photos/month for £4.49. If you print regularly, it can save money. If you cancel though, HP disables the cartridges remotely, which I think is frankly outrageous.

The downside? Two cartridges means you’ll see banding in gradients that the six-ink printers handle smoothly. And those HP cartridges aren’t cheap — £22 for a 303XL black.

Verdict: A decent all-rounder for families who want occasional photo printing alongside everyday documents. Just go in with eyes open about the ink costs and HP’s subscription pressure.

Buy the HP Envy Inspire 7920e on Amazon.co.uk

5. Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 — Best Six-Ink Alternative

Price: ~£200 on Amazon UK | Type: 6-cartridge inkjet | Functions: Print, scan, copy

The XP-8700 is Epson’s answer to the Canon TS8350a, and it’s a cracking printer. It uses Epson’s Claria Photo HD inks — six individual cartridges including light cyan and light magenta. The skin tones on portrait photos are excellent, and sky gradients come out smooth as butter.

Print resolution hits 5760 x 1440 dpi — the highest on this list for a cartridge printer. I’ve compared prints from this side-by-side with the Canon TS8350a, and honestly? It’s a coin toss. Epson’s colours lean slightly more natural, Canon’s slightly more punchy. Both are brilliant.

Like the Canon, you get:

• Borderless printing up to A4
• CD/DVD disc printing
• Rear feed for thick photo paper
• SD card slot for direct printing
• Duplex printing for documents

The XP-8700 is also surprisingly compact for a six-ink printer — it fits on a standard desk shelf without hanging over the edge.

Running costs are comparable to the Canon — Epson 378XL cartridges bring the cost per 6x4 photo to roughly 25p. If you want to slash those running costs, look at the EcoTank ET-8550 above instead.

Here’s the kicker: Epson’s Claria inks are rated for up to 300 years on certain Epson papers when framed behind glass. Three hundred years! If you’re printing photos for posterity, that’s a genuine selling point over Canon.

The downside is the same as any cartridge printer — six cartridges means six things to replace, and they don’t all run out at the same time, which is mildly infuriating.

Verdict: Superb photo quality in a compact package. I’d pick this over the Canon if you value ink longevity or prefer Epson’s more natural colour rendering. Read our full Epson vs Canon printers comparison for a detailed breakdown.

Buy the Epson Expression Photo XP-8700 on Amazon.co.uk

6. Canon PIXMA TS7450i — Best Budget Photo-Capable Printer

Price: ~£100 on Amazon UK | Type: 2-cartridge inkjet | Functions: Print, scan, copy

Not everyone needs — or wants to pay for — a dedicated photo printer. Fair enough. The TS7450i is a capable all-rounder that handles photos well enough at about £100. It uses two Canon PG-560/CL-561 cartridges and prints borderless photos up to A4.

I’ll be honest: photo quality is fine rather than spectacular. Put a TS7450i print next to one from the six-ink models above and you’ll see the difference — gradients are a touch rougher, shadows a bit less detailed. But for printing 6x4 family snaps to stick on the fridge or pop in a card? Absolutely fine. My parents have this printer and they’re happy as anything with it.

The TS7450i adds automatic duplex printing, a 1.44-inch OLED display, and support for Canon’s Creative Park templates. WiFi, AirPrint, and Canon PRINT app connectivity are all included.

The downside is the cost per print — at roughly 40p per 6x4, you’re paying more per photo than on any other printer here. If you print lots of photos, those costs add up quickly.

Verdict: A sensible choice if photos are something you do now and then, not every week. Solid document printer with passable photo capabilities at a decent price.

Buy the Canon PIXMA TS7450i on Amazon.co.uk

Photo Paper: What to Use

Here’s something people often overlook — the paper matters just as much as the printer. I’ve seen people buy a £200 six-ink printer and then feed it 80gsm copy paper. Madness.

Glossy photo paper (200-260gsm) — the standard choice for vibrant, reflective prints. Best for family photos, holiday snaps, and anything with bold colours. Canon Photo Paper Plus Glossy II (PP-201) and Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper are both excellent — you can grab either on Amazon UK for about £10-15 for 50 sheets.

Semi-gloss / lustre paper (200-260gsm) — slightly less reflective than glossy, with better fingerprint resistance. This is what I use for any print going in a frame. Looks more professional, somehow.

Matte photo paper (170-230gsm) — no reflection at all, which suits art prints, black-and-white photography, and prints behind glass. Canon Matte Photo Paper (MP-101) is a cracking budget option at about £8 for 50 sheets.

Fine art paper (280-350gsm) — heavyweight, textured paper for gallery-quality prints. Best suited to the Epson ET-8550 or XP-8700 with their rear feed trays. Not cheap — Hahnemuhle stuff runs £1-2 per sheet — but the results are stunning.

Third-party paper can save money, but quality varies wildly. For best results, stick with the printer manufacturer’s paper or a reputable brand like Hahnemuhle or Ilford. I’ve tried cheap Amazon Basics photo paper and the colours just look… flat.

Tips for Better Photo Prints

Use the correct ICC profile. When printing from Lightroom or Photoshop, use the ICC profile that matches your specific printer and paper combination. Download them from the manufacturer’s website. This single step made the biggest difference to my print quality — colours went from “close enough” to spot-on.

Select the right print quality setting. Use “Best” or “High Quality” in the print driver — “Standard” mode saves ink but produces noticeably worse photos. Don’t bother printing photos in draft mode. Ever.

Calibrate your monitor. If your prints look different from your screen, your monitor is lying to you. A hardware calibrator like the Datacolor SpyderX (currently around £130 on Amazon UK) ensures what you see on screen matches what comes out of the printer. It’s a bit of an investment, but if you’re serious about printing, it’s essential.

Let prints dry fully. Inkjet prints need 15-30 minutes to set. I learned this the hard way — stacked a batch of fresh prints and the top one stuck to the back of the one above it. Fifteen minutes of drying. That’s all it takes.

Store prints properly. Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from humidity. For long-term storage, use acid-free photo albums or archival sleeves. A box in the loft doesn’t count.

Which Photo Printer Should You Buy?

For the best photo quality under £200: Canon PIXMA TS8350a. This is my go-to recommendation. The Epson XP-8700 is equally good — pick whichever brand you prefer.

For the lowest cost per print: Epson EcoTank ET-8550. The upfront cost is steep, but running costs are pennies per print, and you get A3+ for wall art. If you print more than 50 photos a month, this pays for itself shockingly fast.

For portable/party printing: Canon SELPHY CP1500. Compact, dead easy to use, and produces instant dye-sub prints that you can hand out on the spot. Brilliant little gadget.

For occasional photos alongside documents: HP Envy Inspire 7920e or Canon PIXMA TS7450i. Neither matches the six-ink printers, but both handle casual photo printing well enough alongside everyday stuff.

Still undecided between brands? Our HP vs Epson vs Canon comparison breaks down the key differences across the entire product range.