How to Find the Best Ink-Jet Printer for Photographers

No matter how good you are with a camera, your photos are ultimately only as good as your printer. Many ink-jet printers capable can handle diverse tasks from small-business printing jobs to high-quality family photos without smudging or blurring your precious images.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Shop around: Visit an electronics store and look online for printer brands and models specifically designed for photography. Use the terms “photo printer” or “photography” as part of your search terms.

2. Visit a review site such as IT Reviews to weigh the features of different models against one another (see Resources below).

3. If you know any digital photographers, ask them which ink-jet models they use and how happy they are with them. Consumers often are the best sources of information when you're considering a purchase. As the ad once advised, "Ask a Man Who Owns One."

Tips & Warnings

• Look for ink-jet printers with “photo” in the name, like the HP Photosmart—these are specifically designed to print high quality images (see Resources below).
• Don’t buy a model just because it received one good review. Check around to make sure that the positive opinion is the rule rather than the exception. You should also remember that some manufacturers and vendors plant good reviews on sites to bolster sales.

Resources

• Ask Famous Photographers