Prints charming

TODAY’S DEDICATED PHOTO PRINTERS CAN GIVE YOU PRO RESULTS AT HOME. WE TEST EIGHT MODELS PRICED FROM $120 UP TO $999.

WHILE AN EVERYDAY inkjet can produce passable photo prints on quality paper, they are usually worse quality and more expensive than getting them printed at Officeworks (or similar). But there are also a huge range of models that are photo focused — from the very affordable, totally portable or high-end, wide-format printers. We’ve tested the full variety, covering the advantages and disadvantages of each. Some offer extra ink colours for more accurate photos, others have software that makes it easy to print directly from your phone. There are printers designed to make it very cheap to produce bulk photos at home, through to models that can print out mini posters. There are even pocket-sized battery printers that can print photos on the go without needing any ink at all.

Many photo printers also have the usual home or office features, such as scanning and copying, and the ability to churn out documents at high speed. But it’s important to note that most users won’t get the full value unless they need on demand, or bulk colour printing. For those that do, stepping up to a photo printer can give great flexibility and control over the process, but it is still often more expensive than getting photos printed elsewhere. That said, DIY printing larger than standard 6 x 4-inch photos can be cost effective in many cases.

For portable photo printers, the key factor is fun. The wallet-sized photos are generally sticky backed, and are a great way to get physical copies of your smartphone snaps almost instantly.