The practice of producing art has changed in the information age. Your skills still matter extremely of course, but you also need the right pieces of equipment to produce the best possible results.
Digital artists can tell right away if a specific piece was produced using shoddy or high-quality equipment. The differences may be subtle, but they are present.
That’s why you need to determine what is the printer for art prints and get it yourself. The best printer can bring out the richness inherent to colors and make them pop on paper. They can also perform consistently well while saving you money over the long haul.
We understand how important it is to choose the right printer for your needs, which is why we have taken on the task of reviewing some of the top options currently available. Included here are some of the top printers from the biggest brands in the industry.
Regardless of your printing preferences or needs, you will find a printer that suits you below.
Best Printers for Art Printing:
1. Epson Expression XP-15000 Wide Format Printer
Wide-format printers can’t be designed in the exact same way as their more conventional counterparts. They have to be sturdier because you don’t want to see your prints end up on the floor.
One of the best things the people over at Epson managed to accomplish with their Expression XP-15000 Wide-Format Printer is that they managed to give it ample sturdiness while keeping its design compact.
This is one of the few wide-format printers that you should have no trouble accommodating on top of your work desk. Despite its compact frame, this printer can handle a lot of material. The paper tray attached is capable of holding up to 200 sheets.
As for the prints, you can count on them coming out consistently well too. The inks are used to produce crystal-clear images, with the black and white prints featuring a genuine pop.
You do have to be a bit more judicious with what you print though as this machine can run through ink in a hurry. It’s also only designed to pair with Epson cartridges.
More sophisticated wide format printers are available currently, but there’s a strong case to be made for getting this Epson offers. Many folks still familiarizing themselves with this medium consider this as the wide-format printer for art prints because it’s a beginner-friendly option.
The reasonable price tag attached to this printer works to make it an even more appealing option for newer artists.
Pros
- One of the few compact wide-format printers
- Does exceptionally well when asked to produce black and white prints
- Provides borderless prints
- Able to work quietly
Cons
- Only works with Epson cartridges
- Tends to consume plenty of ink
2. Epson Expression Premium ET-7750 Wide Format Printer with Scanner
Ink is expensive. Ideally, the printer you’re using maximizes that pricey resource. That’s precisely what the Expression Premium ET-7750 Wide Format Printer from Epson does.
This particular printer makes use of ink bottles. That allows it to effectively cut down on ink consumption.
It’s also worth pointing out that the manufacturers have given you plenty of ink to work with right away. The items provided right out of the box should allow you to produce 14000 pages using the black ink and an additional 9000 pages with the colored inks.
The tanks can also be refilled easily once you run out of the initial supply.
We all know how expensive it can be not just to purchase a printer, but to maintain it as well. That’s why you’ll appreciate the fact that people are praising this printer for how cost-efficient it is.
Do note that the specific way in which the ink is used throughout this machine impacts clean-up. You will have to spend more time cleaning it than most other printers. Cleaning also becomes a bigger chore if this printer stays inactive for an extended period.
Dedicated trays for photographs and printer paper make organizing your work a more manageable task. They do feature a decent amount of stability, but you should still refrain from letting the prints stack upon them.
The scanner included works exactly how you want it to and is a solid addition to this printer as a whole. Combine that addition with this item’s other features and you can make a good case for this being the printer scanner for art prints
Pros
- The printer uses ink bottles to cut down on the consumption
- Manufacturers package plenty of ink together with this printer
- Trays for photographs and papers provided
- The included scanner offers consistent performance
Cons
- Cleaning up this printer will take a good amount of time
3. Epson Workforce WF-7710 Wide Format Printer
You always have to be mindful of how much electricity a particular piece of equipment consumes. By failing to keep track of that, you could end up with a shockingly large bill that you may struggle to pay.
The beauty of Epson’s Workforce WF-7710 Wide Format Printer is that it allows you to produce your art more efficiently. Compared to the majority of colored laser printers, this Epson offering uses 80 percent less power. That should come in handy whenever you have to produce a print in bulk.
You’re not sacrificing quality for quantity either.
Both black and white and colored prints produced by this machine feature crisp quality. The printed materials will come out in a hurry too. Even if you’re maxi it out to come up with 13 x 19 prints, it should be able to work fast.
It’s a good thing that the printer works quickly because you will have to run it often. If it remains on standby for too long, it can become difficult to properly clean.
Ink usage is not a problem with this printer as it’s not a very voracious consumer. However, it is only compatible with Epson cartridges.
On the plus side, you’re given a quality scanner capable of working on documents sized up to 11 x 17 inches. It also has a 2-sided automatic document feeder.
The WF-7710 from Epson is one of the most versatile inkjet printers for artists and it has also garnered praise from owners who love its easy-to-use interface. It will make a fine addition to any digital artist’s arsenal of tools.
Pros
- Doesn’t consume as much electricity as many other printers
- Prints 18 black and white pages per minute and 10 colored pages per minute
- Provides a user-friendly interface
Cons
- Has to work often or else it gets messy inside
- Only works with Epson cartridges
4. Canon iP8720 Wireless Printer
Wide-format printers are usually on the more expensive side since they have to be designed in a certain way to come up with the products users are looking for. Still, there are budget-friendly options available such as the iP8720 Wireless Printer.
Right off the bat, you will find that this printer is a bit lacking in the features department. Or at least that’s the case when you compare it to printers in the same category. You’re not getting a bunch of extra features or specialized additions here.
Even so, this is a good choice if you’re simply looking for a printer for high-quality art prints. The 13 x 19 prints it provides feature great detail and contrast. This printer is also capable of producing borderless creations.
Avoid using this printer if you are in a rush. It will require a bit more time to provide the prints. Thankfully, this printer works quietly, thus making its slower work rate more tolerable.
The people over at Canon are also touting the fact that this is a wireless printer. That’s a great feature for sure, but you may struggle with it at first.
Users have pointed out that the setup process, you have to go through to get this printer online can be confusing. The documentation provided doesn’t explain the steps as well as it should.
Once you get around that problem though, you should have a printer that will prove helpful more often than not.
Pros
- One of the more affordable wide-format printers
- Works very quietly
- Can produce borderless prints
Cons
- Does not work quickly
- The initial setup process can confuse
5. Canon PIXMA Pro-100 Wireless Printer
For those searching for artist-quality printers, Canon has something well worth taking a closer look at and it comes in the form of the PIXMA Pro-100 Wireless Printer.
What we appreciate most about this Canon printer is that it’s focused on producing high-quality images. That’s evident in the array of features included in this machine.
The dye-based inks used in this printer excel at recreating the exact colors featured in your works. The Optimum Image Generating System installed on this printer plays a huge role in that.
This printer arguably does even better when it’s asked to work on black-and-white creations. 3 dedicated inks present in this printer produce remarkable monochromatic results.
Image quality doesn’t drop even as you print out larger works. The pictures will look just as great at 13 x 19 as they do at the smallest setting available. The output tray could benefit from being a tad larger, but with a capacity of 150 sheets of regular paper, it’s not small either.
Housing all of those features did have an impact on the final design of this printer. You will need to find a good spot for it right away. At over 43 pounds, this is not a piece of equipment you will want to move around often. You’ll likely be more than willing to take on that though given the high-quality results this printer offers.
Pros
- Optimum Image Generating System helps the printers select the right ink
- 8 dye-based inks used in this printer
- Includes a trio of dedicated grayscale inks
- The output tray has a capacity of 150 sheets of regular paper
Cons
- The weight of the printer makes it hard to move around
6. Epson SureColor P800 Printer
Specializing in monochromatic art can be a real challenge if you don’t have the right tools on hand. You can get started on equipping yourself properly by purchasing the SureColor P800 Printer from Epson.
As you might have already guessed, this printer specializes in producing black-and-white images. Three different levels of the color black can be realized by this printer and that should help create the right amount of contrast you are looking for.
Apart from the great black and white images, this printer also works exceptionally well when called upon to create colored pictures. The 8 UltraChrome inks deliver the quality color you want bringing life to your creations.
The colored inks used by this printer also offer greater durability than many of their counterparts. Color fading is not something you have to worry about if you’re using it.
Unsurprisingly, the UltraChrome inks utilized by this printer are expensive. You’ll have to pay a pretty penny when the time comes to secure replacements. The printer itself is not exactly super affordable.
It’s possible to print from roll-based media with the help of this Epson offering, but you will have to pay extra for the roll feeder. On its own, this item can produce prints that are 17 inches wide.
The people who’ve gotten to use this printer have said that the optional roll feeder works as intended. You won’t be throwing money away if you decide to get it.
Pros
- Produces three different levels of the color black at high-quality
- Images that come from this printer will last for a very long time
- Offers roll paper support
Cons
- Replacement inks for this printer are very expensive
7. HP Envy Photo 7855 Printer
Getting into the world of digital artistry is not always easy. You may not have a lot of money to work with early on, which means that your only option is to look for more affordable equipment. Thankfully, items such as the Envy Photo 7855 Printer from HP are available to artists with a smaller budget.
This is a very affordable printer for art prints and you’ll have a tough time finding comparable products that come with a lower price tag attached.
Naturally, when a product is priced well below its competitors, people become skeptical of how good it is. The reality is that this HP printer does not quite match up to the other items highlighted in this article in terms of overall performance.
However, it can still deliver quality results.
The Envy Photo 7855 Printer is at its best when it works on producing photo prints, according to the folks who’ve gotten to use it. Limit it to that type of work, and you should be pleased with this printer.
This HP printer can print on various sizes of paper but do note that they are smaller sizes. You will have to look elsewhere if you need a wide-format printer.
Connectivity issues do hound this printer, but they don’t pop up often. When it’s not affected by those, you can make use of the handy HP Smart app to get this printer up and running.
Pros
- Easily affordable printer
- Produces great prints of photos
- Works great with the HP Smart app
Cons
- Image quality is not on the same level as what you’ll see from many other printers
8. Canon PIXMA iX6820 Wireless Printer
Last up, we have the PIXMA iX6820 Wireless Printer from Canon. Contributing to making this item a good printer for art prints is the fact that it works with Canon’s My Image Garden software.
What we love about this program is that it makes using the PIXMA iX6820 so much easier. Whether you’re looking to apply filters to your work or checking out how templates can improve your creations, the program will be able to help you.
My Image Garden should also prove useful if you’re trying to organize your photos for printing and storage purposes.
You won’t be facing many technical difficulties when trying to use this printer. It is compatible with different operating systems so you can just choose the one you’re most familiar with.
The FINE print head technology utilized by this printer enables it to give you clearer images. It’s better suited for color prints than it is for black-and-white creations.
This is another one of those printers that you cannot leave idle for an extended period. Doing so will make cleaning it away a more troublesome undertaking than it needs to be.
Despite those issues with idleness and cleanliness, the people who have gotten the opportunity to work a lot with this Canon printer have lauded its performance. They also appreciate the value it provides since it’s available at a lower price. It is also suitable for screen printing.
Pros
- My Image Garden software makes using this printer a breeze
- FINE print head technology aids in the creation of better color prints
- Reasonably priced printer
Cons
- Will not be easy to clean if it sits for a while
Conclusion
The ability to produce high-quality monochromatic and colored images consistently is the most crucial feature any printer could have. For that reason, our pick for the printer for printing digital art is the PIXMA Pro-100 Wireless Printer from Canon.
The fact that the printer above can give you incredibly detailed colored images thanks to the dye-based inks it uses is a huge plus. The same can be said for its ability to provide gorgeous black-and-white images with the help of grayscale inks.
It helps that this is also a wide format printer available at a good price.
You can’t go wrong with any of the options highlighted above, but we see the PIXMA Pro-100 as the top home printer for making art prints.
