Products at a Glance
How We Picked the Best Budget Photo Printer
Beyond affixing a low price threshold, we also considered a number of core features of the printers: print speeds, print sizes and print quality were our key factors. We also considered the overall user-friendliness of each printer, and how easily they connected to external devices like smartphones or PCs. Finally, especially since the majority of our picks were InkJet printers, we valued the overall cost-per-print and ink economy.
We settled on four distinct products, each a highly-worthwhile budget photo printer for homes or businesses. We’ll break down the benefits of each one, whilst also highlighting any specializations or particularly features that make one cheap photo printer better-suited over the others.
Product Reviews
- Great print quality
- Versatile media options
- Great color gamut
- Higher-budget price
We recommend the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 to everyone – from students to their schools – and this bestselling printer is bestselling for a reason. Boasting tremendous versatility at an affordable price point, this budget photo printer is suitable for anyone and everyone.
Though the ET-2850 is newer, the ET-2800 is more affordable given it’s age, and still delivers tremendous print quality and value for money. Setup is quick and easy, and you’ll soon be able to print anything from borderless photos through to art prints, all made highly affordable. The EcoTank Ink Tank system makes for larger reservoirs of ink, and vibrant color reproduction across the entire spectrum. As we said: there’s a reason this printer is a bestseller.
That said, the low price point may still be out of reach for some ultra-low-budget photo enthusiasts – and there are certainly cheaper options on the market. But for the median of price and quality, we still consider this the best budget printer for photos!
- Low price
- Easy to use
- Poor ink economy
If your budget is under $100, consider the HP Envy 6055e range. These highly affordable printers are ideal for photos, and are capable of printing on a wide variety of media alongside this.
Once you have the 6055e, the setup is quick and painless. It connects easily over your wireless network for fast printing from any device. As mentioned, the print quality is great, with effective resolution and stellar color clarity for photos. And at such a low price, it’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of this printer – which is why it frequently makes the cut as the budget pick for our guides such as the best printer for greeting cards.
However, we must stress that it’s the printer that is low-budget. With high ink costs and high ink consumption, this art printer will quickly eat into the money you save. If you’re able to justify the long-term expense, then the 6055e is a sterling choice for budget art prints!
- Portable design
- Affordable
- Limited print quantity
For photo printing on the go, the Canon SELPHY CP15000 is the ideal solution. Pocket-sized and powerful, this budget photo printer is highly suited for turning digital photos physical wherever you go.
The CP15000 is a quick and easy-to-use photo printer, with both WiFi connectivity and an SD card slot for the full-fledged photographers. Utilizing dye sublimation technology usually found in photo booth printers, the resulting 4×6 photos are rendered gorgeously and with great depth and detail. For even more versatility, the printer offers a separate battery that can allow you to print even without a power supply on hand.
However, the compact nature of the Cp15000 is a hindrance as much as a help, with limited print capacity and battery life making for frequent and frustrating refills. If you take the due care to pack spare paper and ribbon, however, this is still a highly versatile cheap photo printer!
- Great brightness and vibrancy
- Affordable
- Inconsistent wireless connection
Canon are not to be left out of the budget photo printer market, with the Pixma IX6820 being their best offering. Employing Full-photolithography InkJet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology, photos are rendered with incredible color clarity and texture.
The results of this FINE technology is highly precise ink droplet placement, with photos rendered with as much as 9600 x 2400 DPI resolution. Considering the low price point, generally retailing under $200, this level of quality is unprecedented. With functionality for nearly every version of Windows and MacOS, you’ll be able to easily connect via USB.
However, the pitfall of the IX6820 is the wireless connection: though it has wireless functionality, the connection is difficult to set up and inconsistent when you do. It’s the only pitfall though, and the IX6820 is the best budget photo printer for outstanding color clarity!
Features and Considerations
If you’re looking at buying a cheap photo printer not on today’s list, here are some key things to consider:
Print Speed
Whilst photos are generally always slower to print than documents, the print speed can vary. If you’re wanting to print large quantities of photos quickly, make sure that your choice of printer can keep up!
Print Resolution
Resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI), and is the metric for the detail of a photo. We generally recommend 600DPI as the minimum for photos – any lower and images don’t have the necessary detail.
Connectivity
Depending on how you choose to connect to your budget photo printer, you may want to check compatibility. For photographers using full-fledged cameras, many printers come with an SD card slot to enable you to literally plug-and-print your images. However, for optimum results, connectivity wired or wirelessly to a PC or laptop is the best solution. This allows you to configure your print settings in detail, so we highly recommend doing so!
Media Compatibility
Photos aren’t printed on standard paper, and photo printers will often use a secondary media tray for specialist media. If you intend on doing some more graphic design or creative printing, make sure your printer is up to the task.
Can you use a laser printer to print photos?
The short answer here is that you can, but shouldn’t. Color laser printers are best suited for documents, heating up powdered ink to transfer the print to paper. Whilst this means they are quick to dry and even quicker to print, the overall quality and color range isn’t as dynamic as an InkJet or dye sublimation printer. For this same reason, they also don’t tend to have specialist media compatibility – as the features would be largely redundant with overwhelming results. Considering the cost of the best budget photo printers, they are well worth the additional hassle of an extra printer in your home or business.
What is dye sublimation?
Dye sublimation is a method of printing that chemically bonds colored ribbon to photo paper, leading to great color accuracy and quick drying. However, dye sublimation printers tend to be more expensive than InkJet printers.
What's the difference between matte and glossy photo paper?
Matte photo paper is less reflective of light, making images less shiny but flatter in color. Glossy images tend to be a little brighter but reflect light. Depending on your desired photo print, you may prefer one over the other – or semi-gloss as a middle ground.
Our Verdict
Though it stretches the definition of “budget”, the Epson ET-2800 is our best budget photo printer. Boasting tremendous print quality and incredibly vibrant photos, this unit is well worth the extra expense!
If you’re looking for other great all-rounder printers for your student home, check out our guide on the best budget printers for students today!