Printers that can produce stunning, high-quality photos aren’t just a convenient solution for a professional photographer, they’re also an incredible way to save money for your business. Of course, if you’re going to save cash in the long-term, then you need to be willing spend it correctly in the short-term to get the best printer for your needs.

While there are dozens of printers out there that claim to offer solutions for photographers in search of a simple way to reproduce great images, it’s worth noting that some options are simply better than others. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all way of finding the printer that’s right for you, we’re going to look at just some of the things you should consider before making your choice.

Photography Tips: How to Choose the Right Printer

The Type of Printer

When it comes to comparing printer options it’s important to remember that there are different machines available on the market, and each offers a different kind of result. For instance, the most common option is the inkjet photo printer, which is great if you’re going to be using your printer for documents as well as images.

Photography Tips: How to Choose the Right Printer

On the other hand, if you’re only focusing on photography, then dye sublimation printers might be the better choice. Though these devices aren’t intended to work well with document printing, they can produce high-quality glossy pictures on photo paper, which is great if you want to give your clients that professional result they’ve been searching for.

The Resolution

The resolution that you can achieve when printing a picture will depend on a number of things, including the camera you used, and the type of printer you have. While almost every printer you’ll find on the market today, might be branded as a photo printer, few will have the right resolution for a professional outcome.

Photography Tips: How to Choose the Right Printer

If you want the kind of images you can get from professional printing services, then you’re going to need to choose something that is at least 4,800 x 1,200 DPI or higher. Depending on whether you plan to print your images onto a shirt, plastic, or paper, you may need an incredibly high-resolution machine.

The Printer Size

Finally, the size of your photo printer might not be the first thing that generally comes to mind when you’re deciding what you want to buy, but size can be important depending on the nature of your business. For instance, if you’re constantly on the go and you want to give your customers a taste of what they can expect from your brand without going back home, then a small portable printer could be the perfect way to do that.

Photography Tips: How to Choose the Right Printer

The problem is, if you want a small printer that also delivers incredibly high quality, then you’re probably going to need to pay a lot more for your device. This is something you should keep in mind when planning your printer budget.

Photography Tips: How to Choose the Right Printer

While the decisions you make about which printer could be the right one for you will often be informed by personal preferences and requirements, the three components above should help to keep you on track towards a more confident choice. If you simply can’t find a printer that produces the results you’re looking for, then it might be time to turn your attention towards a professional printing service instead!