Photo printer? We choose together

Interest in classic photos from photo labs has long since dropped to a minimum. And today, digital photographs are often no better off. Because after a big “boom,” they usually end up stored somewhere on hard drives. Unnoticed and unexamined. On the contrary, more and more people are rediscovering the charm of printed photographs. So if you too want to preserve memories of pleasant moments in the form of a printed photograph, read on. We will advise you on which photo printers you can consider when making your selection.

Right from the start, we can reveal that we will exclude laser printers from the selection of the right printer for photos. They are the perfect choice for fast, economical, high-volume printing of black-and-white documents. However, they are simply not the most suitable for printing high-quality photographs.

Inkjet or dye-sublimation printing technology?

With the aforementioned declining interest of people in photo lab services or in digital photography, inkjet and dye-sublimation printing technology has come to the forefront of interest. Because inkjet printers have found use in home or office environments, amateur and professional photographers turn to dye-sublimation printers. The truth is that dye-sublimation printers have the upper hand compared to inkjet printers. But that does not mean it disqualifies them.

Quite the opposite. Your decision-making will, to a large extent, be influenced mainly by two crucial moments. Would you prefer a multifunction inkjet printer polished with sophisticated features that can be used for more than just printing photographs? Or do you want a photo printer that will produce professional-quality photographs? A truly even score and a difficult decision. So let's take a look at what the individual printers offer.

Inkjet photo printer

Printers using inkjet printing technology are among the most commonly used types of printers in households. It is also used in professional large-format printing. You can’t do without them even when printing corporate presentation materials or graphic files, which of course must meet the most demanding criteria.Printing posters, advertising flyers, invitations and other graphic documents, including CD or DVD covers, is an added value of inkjet printers.

But let's get back to printing photographs. In the rich selection of inkjet printers, it will not be the slightest problem to find a device that offers you a reasonable price-to-quality ratio. So if you do not have high expectations, you can choose almost any cheaper printing alternative. On the other hand, if you want to enjoy professional photo quality, you can opt for example for the Canon PIXMA PRO-100S printer.   

With an inkjet printer, don't forget that photo paper will affect the final quality of the photographs. For the best possible result, the quality must therefore be on both sides. Not even the most expensive printer will print a perfect photograph on low-quality photo paper. Our article Guide to Choosing Photo Paper for Your Printer will help you find your way around. At the same time, however, it is true that an elementary condition for high-quality photo printing is the use of original ink cartridges.

Dye-sublimation photo printer

Dye-sublimation printers are characterized by high photo durability, smooth and clean transitions of color shades, and last but not least, detailed resolution. Unlike an inkjet printer, these printers use special photo paper wound on a roll.

The printing process is also different. The application of colors is handled by the thermal head, which usually consists of 3,600 heat-sensitive dots. The temperature changes occur within a thousandth of a second, and the color intensity of each applied dot depends on the temperature used. The resulting photographs then offer extraordinary color depth.

In general, you can choose from desktop or even mobile dye-sublimation printers. Both alternatives will guarantee top print quality. But with compact mobile printers, you won’t be limited in any way, and after connecting to your phone or camera, you can print photos right where you are.An excellent example of a portable dye-sublimation photo printer is the Canon SELPHY CP1000.