The best all-in-one printer for photographers these days is likely to be a remarkable machine. Even the most basic will produce good-quality prints. And the best will amaze you with its print quality, speed, scanning capability, and price.
Choosing the right one for you requires getting the balance right. The balance between outlay, running costs, features, and usability. We’ve chosen some of the best all-in-one printers available for you to consider. Our top pick is the Canon PIXMA G620 MegaTank. It’s by no means the cheapest. But it offers an excellent blend of print quality, performance, and value for money.
What Is the Best All-In-One Printer for Photographers?
We’ve picked some of the best all-in-one printers for photographers. They cover the amazingly cheap to the extraordinarily capable. Before we look in more detail at each one, here’s a summary of our recommendations.
- High page yield of 3,800 color photos per set of ink
- Low-cost prints at just 2.5 cents per photo
- Six color dye-based inks for vivid images
- Compact design for easy placement anywhere
- Incredible value all-in-one printer
- Automatic duplex printing
- Easy direct printing from mobile devices
- 1200 x 1200 dpi scanner
- HP Instant Ink for convenient ink refills
- Three paper cassettes for flexibility
- Straight rear paper path for long prints (up to 6' 6")
- Six inks for improved photo printing
- High-speed printing with up to 16 pages per minute
- Wireless connectivity for on-the-go printing
- Compatible with various media types for diverse projects
- Saves money with cartridge-free, high-yield ink bottles
- Six inks for better photo printing
- Dye-based and pigment-based black inks
- SD card slot
- 2400 x 4800 dpi scanner
- Perfect for the small office
- High monthly cycle of 25,000 pages
- Capable of sending and receiving faxes
- Automatic document feeder
- Automatic document feeder
- Dye-based and pigment-based black inks
- Excellent 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution
- Ethernet for fast, reliable networking
- Offers versatile printing with scan, copy, and wireless features
- Convenient for mobile professionals with its compact, portable design
- Ensures high-quality prints with original HP cartridges
- Features a long-lasting battery to reduce charging
- Two large-capacity paper cassettes
- 4800 x 2400 dpi printing
- NFC communication
- Auto document feeder for easy copying
Choosing the Best All-In-One Printer for Photographers
Let’s look at those choices in some more detail, starting with our top pick.
1. Canon PIXMA G620 MegaTank: Print, Copy, Scan
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 11 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
6
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
600 x 1200
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
|
| Best For |
Best For
High-quality prints while saving money with refillable ink tanks and six colors
|
The Canon PIXMA G620 MegaTank all-in-one printer is not cheap. But it has many features that lift it above the almost-disposable budget printers on the market. And many of those features make it particularly attractive to photographers.
Canon PIXMA printers have a well-deserved reputation for producing excellent photo prints. This is true even of their budget printers. But there are a few disadvantages, and they are often related to ink and ink costs. Budget printers often have just two cartridges—one black and one color.
The MegaTank approach improves on this in a couple of ways. Firstly, there are six inks—black, gray, and four colors. This means that when one color runs out, you don’t waste the rest of the ink that remains in the two-cartridge system.
Secondly, the ink is contained in refillable tanks rather than disposable cartridges. This is much kinder to the environment and your wallet. The nozzles of the refill bottles are uniquely shaped, so there is no chance of putting the wrong color in a tank.
That’s all very well, but the printer needs to deliver in terms of quality and speed. And here, the G620 is also a strong performer. Its dye-based inks work best on glossy paper. And they deliver crisp, rich prints.
The paper is fed through an angled rear paper feed tray. This helps keep the printer’s footprint reasonably small. Paper sizes are comprehensive, and this all-in-one printer will even print panoramic photos or banners up to 47″ (119 cm) long.
The scanner has a good enough resolution for most everyday needs. And it’s simple to operate as a copier or scanner as well.
Finally, all of this is pretty simple to set up with a wired (USB) or wireless connection. You can print from another room or control the printer via an app or even your virtual assistant.
It’s this rich blend of features and performance that puts the Canon PIXMA G620 MegaTank on top of our list of recommendations. There are better or cheaper specialist printers. And there are scanners with greater detail. But as an everyday workhorse for a photographer, this printer really is a great all-in-one solution.
2. Canon PIXMA TS6420a
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 14 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
4
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 2400
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Duplex printing and two paper-feed trays
|
| Best For |
Best For
Occasional photo printing from a compact printer
|
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is an all-in-one printer of a very different kind. It’s so cheap, it’s almost disposable. As I write this, a set of replacement inks will cost you $15 less than the new printer. So we would be wrong to expect top-of-the-range performance from this machine.
But you would be pleasantly surprised at just how good the print quality is from this budget compact all-in-one. It has a two-cartridge system comprised of one black and one three-color cartridge. So although the prints it produces can be very good, it’s an expensive option for a large volume of prints.
The budget price might surprise you when you see the full list of features. Automatic borderless and duplex printing is a real bonus. And to have two paper feed trays is very handy. You can keep the front cartridge loaded with your everyday office plain paper. And you can use the rear tray for photo paper.
The printer’s small footprint is another advantage if your space is limited. Although you have to keep in mind that the space needed increases when you open the output tray.
The scanner performance isn’t too shabby, either. Neither the printer nor the scanner will break any speed records. But that’s not the point. This is a printer that is easy to use and absurdly affordable for occasional use.
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is a capable, all-in-one printer that offers great value. Many people will find it meets all their day-to-day needs and surprises them with its photo capabilities.
3. HP ENVY 6055e
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 11.7 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
4
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 1200
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Duplex and borderless printing
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a good-value all-in-one printer for everyday use
|
The HP ENVY 6055e offers the user HP’s Instant Ink. This is a refill service that softens the environmental and financial cost of disposable ink cartridges. It’s one of the factors that makes this capable all-in-one printer worth considering.
Although it’s not the cheapest offering, it still offers amazing value for money. It’s not a specialist photo printer. And it doesn’t make sense for high volumes of prints. But for general printing and scanning and occasional photo printing, it’s a good option.
One of the things you might appreciate is the small footprint. With a front paper cassette, the ENVY 6055e sits nicely against the wall and takes up little space. You’ll need a bit of room in front to allow the output of prints. But it’s not a space-hungry machine.
It will meet the needs of most family users. It’s like the other low-cost all-in-ones in this review. You’ll find it ideal for general printing and scanning with occasional photo printing. Automatic duplexing and borderless printing are very nice features to have.
Connection via USB or Wi-Fi is what we’ve come to expect. And HP allows you to control the printer via their own app from your mobile device. These all go to making the HP ENVY 6055e an attractive choice for anyone wanting to print the occasional good-quality photograph.
4. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
| Brand |
Brand
Epson
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
13 x 19 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
5760 x 1440
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
6
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 4800
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Four paper sources, prints panoramas up to 6 feet by 6 inches
|
| Best For |
Best For
Higher-volume printing needs on a range of media
|
There is no doubt that the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is a very different beast from a budget all-in-one printer. This is a serious piece of professional equipment. And it has the performance and price to match. And part of that price and performance comes from the fact that it uses both dye-based and pigment-based inks.
Dye-based inks are perfect for glossy media. They produce bright, crisp images. But they can disappoint on matte finishes or plain paper. High-end printers use pigment-based ink for these circumstances. So this Epson has both dye and pigment black inks.
More importantly for a photographer, beautiful matte monochrome prints look best with pigment-based inks. And with the ET-8550, you can print up to 13 x 19-inch prints or stunning panoramas more than six feet long!
It’s also versatile, with four paper-feed options. Two front paper cassettes hold up to 100 sheets of standard US letter/A4 paper. A rear cassette can accommodate 50 sheets of 14 x 19-inch/A3+ paper. And extra-long paper can be fed into the rear straight path slot.
For a busy photographer, this allows many jobs to be tackled without messing about too much. And time is money, so that’s a real bonus.
The prints you’ll get from the Epson are unlikely to disappoint. The four dye-based color inks deliver rich and detailed prints. They are delivered via refillable tanks, which is another benefit for high-volume users. Above-average print definition as well as scanner resolution add to the impressive specification list.
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 also has other useful features for the professional or office-based user. Most all-in-one printers these days offer USB and wireless connectivity. But the Epson has 10/100 Ethernet as well. Nothing beats it for solid, reliable, and quick data transfer. Although it’s not cheap, it’s a sound choice for a photographer in a demanding work environment.
5. Canon PIXMA TS8322
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 14 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
6
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
2400 x 4800
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Multi-purpose tray and two paper inputs
|
| Best For |
Best For
Photographers looking for the next step up from a basic all-in-one printer
|
The Canon PIXMA TS8322 is a great choice if you want to upgrade from a basic all-in-one printer. It’s a step up financially, but it’s still reasonably priced. The extra cost gets a photographer some significant features.
First of all, it’s a six-ink machine, which will show in your photos. And the extra two inks, compared with a more basic machine, are important for your prints. Instead of one black cartridge, the TS8322 has two. It has one dye-based and one pigment-based black ink.
This will make sure the optimum ink is available, depending on your paper. The second is a special “photo blue” ink, which will provide a better, more realistic blue color in your photos.
Photographers might also appreciate the SD card slot. Although, I confess I’m unlikely to print straight from a card without a little editing first. But we like the scanner capability. It opens up the possibility of resurrecting some of your old analog prints.
As you’d expect, there are USB and Wi-Fi connections. But there’s also Bluetooth, which is very handy for printing from your phone. Of more niche interest is the multi-purpose tray. This allows you to print on printable CDs, DVDs, or special printable nail stickers.
The Canon PIXMA TS8322 will deliver excellent-quality prints at a reasonable speed. The six inks help to ensure that. They will also help cut costs, as the inks are all separate. And they are tanks rather than cartridges, so the amount of electronic waste is also reduced. This is a really capable all-in-one printer for photographers who want that little bit extra from their machine.
6. HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e Wireless Color All-in-One Printer
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 13 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
4
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 1200
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, RJ-11 modem
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Fax capable, flash drive socket, automatic document feeder
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone with high volumes of general usage and occasional photo printing
|
The HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e looks like a small office copier with its automatic document feeder on top. And the office is one of its main target user groups. It’s rated for a pretty high monthly cycle of 25,000 pages. And it has built-in fax capabilities.
If you are looking for a capable copier, printer, and scanner, this is a good option. It will produce decent photos as well. But it wouldn’t be the right choice if printing photos is your main printing need.
The four separate ink cartridges help cut down on waste. And you can use HP’s Instant Ink program. This removes some of the uncertainty and a lot of the inconvenience of buying replacement ink.
The photos it produces are decent enough. But you’ll want a different all-in-one printer for high-volume or fine-art photos.
But as an office all-in-one printer to print the occasional batch of photos, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e is well worth your consideration.
7. Epson Expression Premium XP-7100
| Brand |
Brand
Epson
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8 x 14 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
5760 x 1440
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
5
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 4800
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Auto document feeder, rear paper path, touchscreen
|
| Best For |
Best For
Users needing a good-value office machine with good photo capabilities
|
Like the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e, the Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 has an automatic document feeder. This makes it very useful for copying or scanning documents. The Epson is also quite a bit cheaper, so it’s a tempting option.
It isn’t too shabby when it comes to photo printing. It has five inks, meaning that whether you choose glossy or matte paper, your photos should look good. Especially as the 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution is impressive for a non-specialist photo printer.
Another feature that helps set the XP-7100 apart is the Ethernet connection. It’s an office-friendly feature that isn’t too common in an all-in-one printer at this price point.
The Epson Expression Premium XP-7100 should definitely be on your shortlist if you are looking for an office all-in-one printer. And at this price, it’s an attractive prospect.
8. HP Officejet 250 All-in-One Portable Printer
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 14 inches
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 1200
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
4
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
600 x 600
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Portable battery-powered printer, automatic document feeder, touchscreen control panel
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone needing powerful features in a battery-powered design
|
The HP OfficeJet 250‘s most notable feature is that it doesn’t need an electrical outlet for power. It’s an all-in-one printer you can take on the road with you. And for a compact, portable printer, it has an impressive set of features.
Although the price at first seems a little steep for the range of features, it still is good value. You get a decent print resolution for your documents and photos. And although the 600 x 600 dpi scanner resolution isn’t record-breaking, it’s good enough for general copying. Being able to do that without needing to plug it in and with an automatic document feeder is pretty impressive.
Other specifications are much in line with a budget all-in-one printer. There are four inks—a three-color cartridge and a black cartridge. There’s a mono touchscreen to help control the functions. And you can print via Wi-Fi from your laptop or mobile device.
It won’t meet everyone’s needs. But if your primary requirement is off-grid functionality, then you should definitely look at the HP OfficeJet 250.
9. Epson Workforce Pro WF-3730
| Brand |
Brand
Epson
|
| Max Paper Size |
Max Paper Size
8.5 x 47.2
|
| Max Print Resolution (dpi) |
Max Print Resolution (dpi)
4800 x 2400
|
| Number of Inks |
Number of Inks
4
|
| Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi) |
Maximum Scanner Resolution (dpi)
1200 x 2400
|
| Connectivity |
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, NFC
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Auto document feeder, Ethernet and NFC comunication
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone looking for a good-value all-in-one printer with competent photo printing
|
Another office-style all-in-one printer, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3730 offers useful features such as Ethernet and an auto document feeder. The recommended monthly cycle of 1500 pages is on the low end for an office machine. But it’s probably more than what most families would need.
As you’d expect, you get USB and Wi-Fi. But as well as the Ethernet connection, you get Near Field Communication (NFC) for up-to-date communication. Scanning or copying documents is a breeze with the 1200 x 2400 dpi auto-fed scanner.
As for printing, the WF-3730 delivers high-resolution images that are suitable for most general-purpose photo printing. You don’t get more than the basic black and three-color ink configuration. But at least the colors are individual, which cuts down on waste.
As an office-focused machine, it has strong copying performance, churning out 17 pages per minute in monochrome. And there’s room in the two trays for up to 250 sheets of standard copy paper.
For occasional photo printing from an office workhorse, the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-3730 is an impressive all-in-one printer.
What to Look For in an All-in-One Printer for Photographers
Few of us have the luxury or resources to buy a specialist photo printer, a specialist scanner, and a general-purpose printer and copier. We generally have to choose something that does all those things. Assigning priorities is part of the selection process.
Our review has identified some excellent all-in-one printers that have strengths in one or more of those requirements. Identifying your priorities can be helped by answering some questions.
Is Photo Quality the Most Important Feature for Me?
If your main focus is on photo quality, then you’ll want to look beyond a three-color plus black printer. At the very least, you’ll want both pigment and dye-based black inks. That way, you’ll get beautiful prints on matte and glossy paper.
In terms of the number of colors, more is usually better. Top-end photo printers have 12 or even more colors. But for an all-in-one printer, six inks is often the point where you’ll really see the difference in quality.
What About Resolution?
The maximum resolution of the printer is expressed in dots per inch (dpi) with two numbers. For example, 4800 x 2400 means it will print 4800 horizontal dots per inch of printing. And it prints 2400 dots per inch vertically. As you can imagine, this is a very finely detailed printing capability.
Resolution is not the only factor that affects your final print. That will depend on the paper you use as well. And this takes us back to the pigment versus dye question. The printer will use the correct ink as long as you choose the correct paper type in the print dialog.
The final question about resolution is the scanner. If you want to make fine scans of crisp originals, you’ll want more than a 300 x 300 dpi scanner. But if you’re mainly copying text documents, this won’t be an issue.
What Else Should You Consider?
For some users, print speed will be as important as quality. If you need to churn out multiple prints on a daily basis, you’ll value speed. If it’s the occasional print, then the cost might be more important. In general, faster printing costs more money because the hardware has more demands on it.
As well as speed, convenience can be a factor. If you often copy multi-page documents, an auto document feeder will be very handy. Or if you frequently switch between paper types, then having an all-in-one printer with more than one paper cassette is going to be a real bonus.
Conclusion: The Best All-In-One Printer for Photographers
With today’s technology, all-in-one printers for photographers are capable of the most remarkable quality. Even the cheapest printer in this review will outperform something that cost much more only a few years ago.
In some ways, that makes choosing the best all-in-one printer for your needs even harder. But once you establish what your priorities are and what your budget is, we think you’ll be pleased with any of these on this list.
Our top pick, the Canon PIXMA G620 MegaTank, hits the sweet spot between features, performance, and value for money.
