Most people would think that any photo printer would be able to print artwork that is fit for sale. However, most photo printers just aren’t good enough to reach a professional level. As an artist, it’s hard to know what the best printer for art prints is. Don’t worry, Joe is here to help.
We’re going to take a look at the best printers for art prints for graphic design, illustrations, digital paintings, blueprints, or photographs. Whether you are a hobby artist, or a professional looking to sell prints, you’ve come to the right place.
Our Choice for the Overall Best Printer for Art Prints in 2023:
The Good
- Wide-Format Photos
- Vibrant, Full Colors
- Professional Quality Art Prints
The Bad
- No Scanner
- Prone to Print Head Clogging
- No Touch Screen
The Bottom Line
The Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is a great all-around printer for art prints. It offers super-high quality prints at large sizes for a low price. The speed is fine, the ink efficiency is fine, and it’s great at what counts.
The biggest drawback to this printer is that it doesn’t include a scanner. However, if you are an art professional, you should have a professional quality dedicated scanner.
If you are looking for the best printer for art prints in 2019, you’ve found it.
Want to Skip the Review? Here's All the printers that made our list of the best printers for art prints in 2023
- #1. Overall Best Printer for Art Prints | Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000
- #2. Best Professional Printer for Art Prints | Canon PIXMA PRO-10 Color Professional Inkjet Photo Printer
- #3. Best Super Tank Printer for Art Prints | Epson Expression ET-7750 EcoTank Printer
- #4. Best Laser Printer for Art Prints | HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw
- #5. Best Home Printer for Art Prints | HP ENVY Photo 7855
- #6. Best Poster Printer for Art Prints | HP Designjet T730
- #7. Epson Stylus Photo R2000
- #8. Canon PIXMA Pro-100
- #9. Epson SureColor P800 Inkjet Printer
- #10. Epson Expression Photo XP-8500
Background Info
What is an Art Printer?
An art printer is a printer that can be reasonably expected to make art prints at a professional quality. These can be for personal display, work presentations, or even prints for sale. They just need to be high quality.
Who is this Best Printers for Art Prints for?
It may sound obvious, but art printers are for artists. Amateur photographers, graphic artists, illustrators, or even architects need great printers for their various projects. This best printers for art prints list is for those users.
What You Need to Know
When you are looking for the best printer for art prints, you should prioritize print quality over everything else. That doesn’t mean ink costs and speed don’t matter, but it means they take a back seat to the quality of the final product.
A lot of these printers offer a bunch of extra colors. That might increase your print costs, but it also increases your color range, which results in a better print. Keep in mind; quality is king.
Our List of the Best Printers for Art Prints in 2023
We’ve given you the background, we’ve given you the specs, it’s time for the breakdown. Let’s look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of each entry on our list of the best printers for art prints in 2023.
#1. Overall Best Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Best Print and Scan Quality
- Extra-Full Color Range
- Borderless Tabloid Prints
The Bad
- Print Head Clogs
- Inefficient Ink
- No Scan Function
The Bottom Line:
The Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is one of the best printers for art prints that I’ve ever used. When I’m looking for an art printer, I’m looking for something that gives me a product I feel like I can sell. And this printer provides that.
It’s small, compact, but it prints large and beautiful prints. I’d highly recommend the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 to anyone looking for a printer for art prints in 2023.
#2. Best Professional Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Pigment Based Inks
- Fullest Color Range
- Sellable Quality Art Prints
The Bad
- Expensive
- Inefficient Ink
- Poor Wireless Connection
The Bottom Line:
The Canon PIXMA PRO-10 is a specialized printer designed specifically for a single purpose; delivering professional quality prints.
Whether you’re printing small photos for the gallery, or vibrant illustrations for a presentation, this printer will deliver an amazing product. While the WIFI is a little spotty, and the ink isn’t cheap, this printer delivers quality where it counts.
#3. Best Super Tank Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Best Ink Costs
- Tabloid Size Photo Prints
- Great Print and Scan Quality
The Bad
- Precision Core Print Head
- Tabloid Only from Rear Feed
- Slow
The Bottom Line:
This list of the best printers for art prints wouldn’t be complete without at least one super tank printer. However, most super tank printers aren’t high quality machines. They tend to exchange mechanical quality for ink costs.
Then, there’s the Epson Expression ET-7750. While it isn’t fast, it is incredibly efficient, and actually has great quality photo printing. There’s a smaller range of paper types available, and the print head tends to clog up. But, for a hobbyist who is looking to save some money on their ink, the Epson Expression ET-7750 is a great option.
#4. Best Laser Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Fast
- Efficient
- Great Graphic Quality
The Bad
- Bad for Photos
- Large
- Expensive
The Bottom Line:
Laser printers aren’t typically what you think of when you are talking about art printers. However, there’s different kinds of art, and for graphic design, laser printers can be pretty great.
The HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw has great print quality. Obviously, you won’t be printing photos of your family vacation on this printer, but for charts or logos or graphics, this printer is great.
Also, toner costs a lot less in the long run than ink does. Saving money is always a plus!
#5. Best Home Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Instant Ink Compatible
- Dedicated Photo Trays
- Simple and Intuitive
The Bad
- Slow
- Inefficient Ink
- Bad Customer Service
The Bottom Line:
So, I’ve recommended the HP ENVY Photo 7855 a lot on this blog. And there’s good reason for that, because it’s a great photo printer.
While you can’t print at huge sizes with this printer, you can print a lot of great quality photos while saving a bunch of money on your ink. With HP Instant Ink, you can make photo prints for about a penny each.
Also, HP Instant Ink has some higher tiers that they don’t advertise. That means your monthly limit is high enough that you can print enough photos to run a legitimate art business.
#6. Best Poster Printer for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- 36" Wide Color Prints
- Roll Stock Printing
- Wide Range of Paper Types
The Bad
- Expensive
- Cumbersome
- Difficult to Source
The Bottom Line:
Now, this is a different type of printer for a different type of customer. And, the HP Designjet T730 probably won’t appeal to most of my readers. But, I wanted to include it on this list because it is great for a different type of art print.
This printer is designed for serious art professionals. It prints high quality large-scale artwork. It’s not for the feint of heart. If you aren’t making money from your artwork, this printer isn’t for you.
However, if you are making money selling poster-size artwork, this printer can save you in the long run. If you are outsourcing your poster printing, it’s a good idea to get your own printer. You’ll save on your overhead and keep a tighter control over your print quality.
Other Great Printers for Art Prints in 2023
The Good
- Elite Print Quality
- Hi-Gloss Pigment Inks
- Prints Roll Stock
The Bad
- Very Expensive
- Hard to Find
- Delicate Print Heads
The Bottom Line:
For over a decade, the Epson Stylus printer line has had one of the best reputations for high-quality machines in the entire industry. And, while they are hard to find, there are still some awesome Stylus machines floating around out there.
The Epson Stylus Photo R2000 is an extremely high-quality printer for professional photo prints. It has high-gloss pigment-based ink for vivid images, and it even has an option to print from roll stock. If you are looking for a great mid-range printer for art prints, the Epson Stylus Photo R2000 is worth taking a look at.
The Good
- Professional Quality Prints
- Great Color Range
- Mobile Printing
The Bad
- No Scanner
- Print Head Issues
- Takes Some Fine Tuning
The Bottom Line:
While I personally think the Canon PIXMA PRO-10 is a more reliable printer, the the Canon PIXMA Pro-100 is a slightly more economical way to get great quality photos. It has a very full color range, and great mobile features. It’s not the best printer for art prints, but it’s still a decent printer for its price range.
The Good
- Epson Quality Printing and Scanning
- 17" Wide Photo Prints
- Roll-Feed Printing
The Bad
- No Warranty
- No Support
- Hard to Find Ink
The Bottom Line:
For the last two entries on our list of the best printers for art prints, we have two more Epsons. That’s because Epsons generally have the best print and scan quality, which is our main point of concern with this list.
The Epson SureColor P800 is similar in function to the previously mentioned Epson Stylus Photo R2000. It offers great quality large-format prints, and high quality scanning. It also has the option to print with roll-stock.
However if roll stock isn’t something that interests you, you may want to go with another option. The ink for this printer is super hard to find. Worse, this printer isn’t meant for US distribution, so you don’t get any warranty or tech support. So, while this is a great printer, buyer beware if you choose the Epson SureColor P800.
The Good
- Fair Priced
- Simple to Use
- Epson Scanner
The Bad
- Print Head Clogs
- Inefficient
- Hard to Source Ink
The Bottom Line:
Our last choice for the best printers for art prints in 2023 is the Epson Expression Photo XP-8500. This is kind of a run-of-the-mill photo printer. It’s simple, it works well, and it prints high quality photos. It also has a print head that clogs if it isn’t printing every week, the ink is inefficient, and it it’s so new the ink is hard to find.
The biggest drawback to the Epson Expression Photo XP-8500 is that it hasn’t been time tested. Maybe it’ll move up in the rankings in the future, only time will tell.
Best Printers for Art Prints of 2023 Verdict:
After breaking down and reviewing a ton of printers, we’ve reached our verdict. While I still think the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 is the best printer for art prints in 2023, here’s the ultimate conclusion of this list.
The best printer for art prints in 2023 depends entirely on your needs. If you need to print photos for home, professional photos for sale, or poster sized graphics, you need to choose a printer accordingly. I hope this list has helped you do just that.
Thanks for this very nice review. It is very helpful to select the best one easily.
Great review. Considering the guide is for the artist in mind, I was expecting to see the types of inks they use. Do they use archival pigment inks or all just the liquid dye inks? Not all artists are interested in the photo reproductions.