If you’re an artist looking for the best way to create high-quality giclée prints of your work, you’ll want to check out the art printers on the market today. Giclée printing is a popular printing method among artists because it produces prints with incredible detail and colour accuracy.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best art printers on the market and discuss what makes them stand out from the competition. So if you’re ready to start creating beautiful giclée prints of your artwork, keep reading!
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Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer
Check prices of Epson Expression XP 15000 on Amazon
Attributes: Affordable, A3+, small footprint, six ink cartridges
The first and most affordable art printer on our list is the Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer. This printer uses a six-colour ink system to produce beautiful prints with accurate colour reproduction. The XP-15000 also has a wide colour gamut, with the usual CMYK and additional red and grey for rendering subtle details and shadow tones.
In addition, the XP-15000 comes with built-in wireless networking, so you can easily connect it to your computer and print from anywhere in your home or studio.
This printer is fast—it will complete a 4″x6″ print in 27 seconds. Plus, the printer’s Dash replenishment feature will track ink usage and order more when you are running low, if you activate this feature.
If you’re looking for an art printer that can produce beautiful prints with accurate colour reproduction at a budget price, the Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer is a great option.
Epson Surecolor P700
Check price of Epson Surecolor P700 on Amazon
Attributes: max sheet size 13″x19″, 10 inks, high quality, expensive for size
The Epson SureColor P700 uses advanced inkjet technology to produce stunning prints with incredible details. The P700 also has a wide colour gamut, with 10 ink cartridges, so it can reproduce even the most subtle colours with ease. Note that in Australia and New Zealand, this printer is called the P706.
Artists can easily print with fine art papers and roll papers to create panoramic prints. Epson uses ink technology to deliver the richest blacks, for improved colour contrast. It also comes with a violet ink cartridge, which helps to render blue tones beautifully.
This printer has a smaller footprint and is more lightweight compared to the P600, which it replaced. It is a relatively expensive printer for the A3+ size category and the running costs are high, due to the expense of the ink cartridges.
If you’re looking for an art printer that can produce stunning prints with incredible detail, colour accuracy and quality, the Epson SureColor P700 is a great option.
Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000
Check prices of Canon Pro-1000 on Amazon
Attributes: Prints up to A2, 12 inks, fast print speed, supports a wide range of media, replacement inks are expensive, large footprint
Next on our list is the Canon Pro-1000. This art printer uses a 12-color ink system to produce beautiful prints with accurate colour reproduction. The Pro-1000 also has a wide colour gamut, which brings details in darker areas to life, capturing subtleties. This printer comes with ink technology that enhances the appearance of colours, including the density of blacks. Professional artists can create striking prints with this printer.
The minimum paper size that can be loaded is 4″x6″ and the maximum it will print to is A2. Pigments have a high longevity and can be replaced individually.
The Canon Pro-1000 supports a wide range of media, including fine art paper and canvas. This is a professional quality printer that comes at an accessible price tag.
Epson Surecolor P900
Check prices of Epson Surecolor P900 on Amazon
Attributes: A2 printing, excellent quality, 10 pigment inks, small footprint for print size
The Epson Surecolor P900 is another great art printer that uses advanced inkjet technology to produce stunning prints with professional quality colour accuracy and detail in artwork.
The Epson P900 is bigger and a better option compared to the P700 for those who plan to print regularly, as the ink tanks are larger and therefore may offer better value for money if used more frequently.
Epson’s P900 model features dedicated channels for each of its 10 ink pigments, which makes refilling easy. It also comes with ink technology to deliver the richest blacks, for improved colour contrast.
The Epson Surecolor P900 is a great art printer for those who are looking for quality prints. It is important to note that the ink refills can be quite expensive. However, ink refills are competitive compared to other printers of this size.
With the inks being 100% pigment based, you can ensure that the art prints you are producing won’t fade over time.
Epson EcoTank ET-7750
Check price of Epson EcoTank ET-7750 on Amazon
Attributes: cost effective ink usage, five colour ink system, A3 printer, scans and prints
This art printer is easy to use and has a lot of features that make it a great choice for both amateur and professional artists.
The Epson EcoTank ET-7750 is a cost effective art printer that uses a five colour ink system. This art printer is an AIO (all-in-one) device, which means it can both scan and print.
The EcoTank ET-7750 also has an additional black cartridge for accurate contrast in tones. However, some of the other printers on this list have wider colour gamuts, with more than five ink cartridges. The ink system is also fade resistant, so you can be sure that your art prints will last for years to come.
It has a high initial cost, but it is inexpensive to run, making it a cost effective option for those who need to print regularly.
The best printers for art prints: What to look for
When choosing an art printer, there are several factors you need to take into account. The most important factors to consider are:
Pigment ink vs dye
Choose printer inks that are pigment based, rather than dye based if you can. Pigment based inks are regarded as archival quality and have a level of permanency that the dye inks do not.
Laser vs inkjet
Inkjet art printers use droplets of ink to produce prints, while laser art printers use a toner cartridge. To produce higher quality prints, choose inkjet printers. However, laser printers are better for speed and efficiency.
Resolution
The resolution of an art printer is important, as it will determine the level of detail that can be reproduced in a print. A higher resolution art printer will be able to produce prints with more detail and clarity.
Colour gamut
The colour gamut is the range of colours that an art printer can reproduce. So a wide colour gamut means that an art printer can reproduce a wide range of colours, which is important for rendering accurate colours in a print.
Printers that use more than four ink cartridges usually have a wider colour gamut, as they can mix colours more accurately.
Number of inksets
The number of inksets a printer has will impact on the colour gamut and therefore resulting quality of your art prints. Prints are composed of many different subtle gradients and tonal variations, so if you choose a printer with a high number of inksets, the image tone will be smoother. Traditional printers use an ink set of four colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black). Epson Ecotank 7750 uses five and the Canon Pro-1000 uses 12 for chroma stabilisation and sharper blacks.
If you will be predominantly printing in greyscale, the Epson SureColor would be much better options due to their colour additions of light blacks and the option to add in matte black for matte papers.
Print size
The size of an art printer is important to consider, as you need to make sure that the printer will be able to handle the paper size that you want to print on.
Most art printers are able to print on A-size or B-size paper. However, some art printers are only able to print on smaller paper sizes, so it is important to check the specifications of a printer before you buy it.
Printers that use roll paper can usually print on larger paper sizes than those that use sheet paper.
The Epson SureColor P700 uses roll paper, so you can opt to create beautiful panoramic art prints. However, the Epson Surecolor P900 will print larger still, as it is able to print up to 17″ width.
Art printer cost
Pay attention not just to the price of the printer, but also to the price of the inks that go with it.
As you know, a printer that accommodates a higher number of inksets will give smoother colour transitions and better colour contrast, but you will also have to buy more inks for it, increasing the monthly expenditure on the printer. The Epson EcoTank has a low running cost compared to other printers, as you will have to replace inks less frequently.
Printing speed
The printing speed of an art printer is important to consider, as you need to make sure that the printer will be able to handle the number of prints that you want to produce.
If you are only going to be printing a few art prints, then a slower printer will not be a problem. However, if you are going to be printing a large number of art prints, then you will need to choose a printer that has a fast printing speed.
The Epson SureColor P900 can print a letter sized print in 1 minute 29 seconds.
The best printer for professional artists: Top pick
The Canon Pro-1000 has a high resolution, a wide color gamut, and it uses 12 inksets to produce prints with smooth color transitions and sharp blacks. It is also able to print on large paper sizes, and it has a fast printing speed.
The only downside of this printer is that it is a bit more expensive to run than other art printers. However, the quality of the prints that you will be able to produce with this printer is worth the extra cost.
The best budget friendly art printer for beginners: Top pick
If you are just starting out as an artist, then our top pick for the best art printer is the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Printer.
This printer has a high resolution and it uses six inksets to produce prints with subtle details. The cost is much lower than others on the list.
The supplies you need in order to create Giclée art prints
- A wide format inkjet printer
- Pigment based archival inks compatible with your printer
- Archival paper (acid-free and at least 250gsm)
Capability to create a high resolution digital file of your artwork. To create the digital file, you will either need to take a photo, or a scan. You can read more about the supplies you need and how to create an art print here. If you want some quick printing tips, check out our best pointers for preparing art for print.
Have you found the best art printer for you?
As always, be sure to do your research before purchasing an art printer. There are many different factors that go into making a decision, and it’s important to find the one that is right for you and your art. We hope this guide has helped you in your search for the perfect art printer! If you’re looking for a laptop perfect for editing you images for print, check out our review of the best artist laptops.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to share your own experiences with art printers, please leave a comment below!
Happy printing!
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