With so many printers out there in the market, choosing the best one may seem like a daunting task. There are just too many online reviews to consider, too much advice and too many products to choose from. The entire process may look like entering into a big black hole that has no exit.
If you are looking for the best printer for large format print, you have come to the right place. Thus, to help you in your search, we have put together this buying guide to help you narrow down your options based on the kinds of things that matter most in photography, such as the quality of your prints and how quickly they come out of the printer.
Before we get to the five best big format printers for 2024, let’s take a closer look at the criteria we will be using to evaluate the machines.
Which Large Format Printer Should You Use?
There are a number of factors that can be taken into account when purchasing a printer in today’s market. However, before anything else, think about the quality of the images you wish to print. To do so, consider factors like print resolution, print speed, ink set availability, printer unit size, and weight. We have talked about all of them in detail in the paragraphs below. If you are looking for a Transparency printing service, visit this site.
Print Quality
A printer’s resolution is the amount of detail it contains and the quality of the image it prints. The image becomes more detailed as the resolution increases. Dots per inch, or DPI, is the most common unit of resolution measurement. Resolution increases with the number of ink dots per inch. The clarity of a print can be a good indicator of resolution.
Capacity for Printing
Choosing the best large-format printers is one of the most important factors to consider. Make sure to buy a printer that uses paper carriages that are capable of delivering at least 13-inch-wide images. Also, they must have paper trails that are at least 64 inches wide. We’ll go over the best options for both types of print sizes.
Inksets
Your printer’s ink set will have a significant impact on the quality of your prints. Printing using extra ink cartridges will make your images appear more vibrant since more colors are used to achieve the desired tone.
For example, since yellow is made up of red and green, the more red and green variations you have, the more accurate yellow will appear. The more ink colors you have at your disposal, the better your photos will be because images are a composite of many various tones. Grayscale prints can be enhanced even more by printing in a black-and-white variant.
Interfacing Options
When it comes to sending an image to print, there are a plethora of options you should look for in your printer. To print high-resolution images, you’ll need a data source that can host the image at its full resolution.
A regular Ethernet port and a USB port are found on the majority of gadgets. Make sure your printer is equipped with all these features and it is easy to connect your smartphone to your device via a lot of different options.
Recommendations for 2024 Products
Now that you are equipped with the factors you need to consider before making a purchase, let’s look at the best big format printers for photographers this year.
1. Canon’s PROGRAF
This printer can be used for both photographs and for graphic designing. It is one of the most versatile printers on the market today because of its speed, resolution, and quality.
Canon image PROGRAF PRO-1000 is the best choice of the year not because it has the highest rating in any of the categories, but because its mid to high rating delivery in each category makes it the most well-rounded alternative.
Pros
Each of the PRO-1000’s black toner cartridges can be swapped out individually, allowing you to get the most out of your film or digital camera’s monochrome prints in terms of depth and richness. This will help you save some common recurring costs.
Cons
However, despite the PRO-1000’s many advantages, it does have some predictable downsides. After all, no printer is perfect.
The printer’s size is one of its drawbacks. This printer is a tad larger and a tad heavier than the other alternatives on our list.
2. Epson P5000 SureColor
The Epson SureColor SC-P5000 is a specialist when it comes to printing photographs that you plan to display at an art exhibition. With its 99 percent color-matching capacity of Pantone solid coated colors, this award-winning machine is a strong player in the market.
Pros
New covers and seals from Epson have improved the printer’s reliability by preventing dust and dirt from interfering with high-quality prints on your fine art paper.
Cons
The size and weight of this printer are two reasons why you might wish to avoid it.
3. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300
Amazing reviews were given to the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300. This was because of its Unit Size, Interfaces, maximum resolution, and quality of ink used. The use of pigment ink instead of dye ink and a large number of ink cartridges in this printer sets it apart from the competition.
Pros
An optional “Chroma Optimizer” adds the last touches to glossy stock prints using this printer’s 10 ink cartridges. Monochrome tones such as black and matte black are available in your printer. If you’re going to print matte and glossy images side by side, this will come in handy.
Cons
The PRO-300 has some drawbacks, such as slow print speeds. It can’t generate long prints like panoramas or banners, either. Among other big format printers, its greatest paper width is also the narrowest.
Final Word
We hope the following information comes in handy when purchasing the best printer for large format prints. Keep the points mentioned in the buying guide in mind when making a purchase.