Photo Printers Test

Reviews on Photo Printers

"Epson Stylus Photo 1400"

Computing Made Easy
Issue: 123

On test: Epson Stylus Photo 1400

The Epson Stylus Photo 1400 is primarily an A3 photo printer, an ideal solution for those who want to print big. With the option to print photos twice the size of the popular A4, the all-round bulk of the 1400 is unsurprisingly larger than your average home printer.

"HP Photosmart A626"

Issue: 12/2007

On test: Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart A626

HP's Photosmart A626 is an incredibly small portable photo printer that can print both 6x4in and 7x5in photos. As well as connecting to your PC via USB, it can print directly via PictBridge and a variety of memory card formats, including CompactFlash, SD, xD and Memory Stick. However, its highest 4,800x1,200dpi resolution is only available when you're printing from a PC.

"HP Photosmart A826"

Published on: 10/2007

On test: Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart A826

Dedicated photo printers are small machines with tiny screens, right? You open them up and load them with paper each time you want to print, because they only take a few sheets of photo paper at a time and the paper sticks out the top, getting dusty. None of the above is true of the Photosmart A826. This new photo printer from HP wouldn't look out of place in the Command Centre of Space: 1999's Moonbase Alpha. The rounded teardrop shape in white, pale grey and silver looks sleek and retro at the same time. It sits on the desk like a small backpack. Fold down the front cover, which becomes the output tray, and it reveals a set of memory card slots, a hatch to access the single, three-colour cartridge and, more unusually, a small plastic stylus. The memory slots cater for CompactFlash (Type I and II), Memory Stick, SD/MMC, SmartMedia, and xD.

"Epson Stylus Photo R285"

Published on: 9/2007

On test: Epson Stylus Photo R285

Straight photo printers, rather than All-in-One machines with scanners and memory card slots still have their market, though a reducing one. Epson has refreshed its range recently and the Stylus Photo R285 is the replacement for the R265. It's a six-colour printer, intended primarily to print photos. It has a fast, black text print, though not as fast as Epson would have you believe. Styled in a simple, functional way, more Dell than Apple, the Stylus Photo R285 is coloured black and silver, with a set of three control buttons and indicators at the extreme left of its front panel. The icons on two of the buttons are not overprinted in white, so are difficult to read.

Photo Printers

If you have built up a collection of digital photos and the time has come to transfer them to paper, a trip to the photo lab is no longer the only option. Photo printers and special photo paper allow high quality prints to be produced by even the most technically challenged among us.

There are four main printing methods and the quality and running costs vary quite a lot so it is wise to do some research and perhaps get some test shots printed before committing yourself to a particular model and manufacturer.

Colour laser printers produce long lasting prints that are water and smear proof but not the best image quality. An Inkjet photo printer is usually cheaper and more versatile but the pictures produced can be easily damaged by moisture and need some time to dry when first printed. Photos produced by an Inkjet printer are also susceptible to solarisation and so will change colour or become foggy if left in the sun for too long. In comparison to laboratory prints it is also quite expensive to print photos this way and the quality does not compare favourably. A specialist photo Inkjet printer can produce very high quality prints but they will still suffer from light damage and are not immune to moisture. The most expensive option is a dye-sublimation printer. Dye-Sub printers heat up the dye so it fuses into the paper and produce high quality prints which stand up to scrutiny even under a magnifying glass.

Whichever type of printer you go for, remember that the quality of results will also depend on the quality of paper used. Photo paper is available in matte or gloss finish and designed to be used for high quality, high resolution printing. A photo printer with an integrated screen also makes things easier as cameras can be connected directly via USB or the card inserted into a slot and prints made at the touch of a button, all without the need for a PC.

This category contains tests on Picture Printer, Picture Printers.