Your photos deserve more than just bytes and bits, and therefore it’s crucial to have an exceptional printer to bring the most out of them.
An A3 printer is commonly used in workspaces for artwork or documents that need paper slightly bigger than regular A4 paper. So, if you’re looking to transform photographs into detailed prints or dazzling posters for your family, friends, or clients, it’s important to have the best photo printer.
Unfortunately, finding A3-compatible printers can be a difficult task at hand, so we’ve reviewed some of the best options to help you with the process. We’ve also included a detailed buyer’s guide explaining the features to be looked into when purchasing the best A3 printer for art prints, high-quality images, your designs, or text.
So without further ado, let’s dig in!
Best A3 Photo Printers
Here’s the list of the 8 best A3 photo printers available in the market today.
1. Epson-Expression Premium-XP-6000 – Best Overall
One of our top picks is this compact yet capable photo-centric all-in-one inkjet printer. The Epson-Expression Premium-XP-6000 is a viable printing option for high-quality images and sharp text. And its wireless connectivity ensures you can print your designs and photos conveniently.
Compact in size, this printer by Epson fits on a small shelf or under a desk. And its lightweight design weighs approximately 15 pounds, so you can move it around as required.
Irrespective of its size, the A3 printer delivers superior photograph-quality prints and sharp text with 5 color inks in its cartridges. And with print speeds of 11.3 ISO (color) and 15.8 ISO pages per minute, you won’t have to keep your clients waiting for long.
Concerning convenience, you have the option to connect the printer to your smartphone. It’s also integrated with Alexa voice connectivity so that you can print documents just through voice commands. As a result, it makes photo printing much more convenient and time-saving.
The unit also supports auto-duplex printing, which means you’re saving almost 50% in media costs. And by using both sides of a page, paper wastage is reduced by half.
The only limitation that we found with this unit is its high-running cost. It doesn’t include a power-saving feature and therefore consumes more electricity than other printers. So, it might not be much of an affordable option as perceived.
What We Like
- Compact printer
- Superior photo quality and sharp text
- Auto-duplex print
- Faster prints
- Mobile and Alexa connectivity
What We Don’t Like
2. Canon PIXMA iX6850 – Best For Efficiency
The Canon PIXMA iX6850 is probably one of the best printers on the market today. Supporting several paper sizes, its primary focus lies on the speed, quality, and resolution of your prints. So, if you need to print precise photo prints regularly, this is a viable unit in your office.
We all love a premium-looking printer in our space that’s made of high-quality matte black plastic, and this printer leaves no stones unturned in this regard. It feels like a solid product and has a minimum flex when fully loaded.
Moreover, this unit can handle A3+ size papers, and with a 5-ink print engine, it delivers high-quality photos on any type of paper. The maximum resolution this printer can offer is 9,600×2,400 dpi, which we think is enough for office prints.
Like our previous model, it comes with a wireless connectivity option, so you can connect the printer to your smartphone and print high-quality photos from anywhere. Also, it offers a decent printing speed of 12.8 pages per minute.
So overall, this printer can be used to get photo-quality prints quickly and conveniently.
This Canon PIXMA iX6850 photo printer doesn’t support auto-duplex printing, so printing photos will require more pages and can be a costly endeavor. Apart from that, we haven’t identified any other significant drawbacks within the product, and its state-of-the-art printing performance makes it a great option.
What We Like
- Supports many paper sizes
- Decent printing speed
- Wireless connectivity
- High-quality prints
What We Don’t Like
3. Brother MFC-J5330DW All-in-One Printer – Best For Small Businesses Or Home Office
Up next on our list is an all-in-one inkjet printer by Brother that is ideal for small businesses and home offices. Designed primarily for professional use, this unit supports wireless and mobile connectivity, automatic duplex print, and high-yielding bottled ink cartridges. With such a range of unique features, it’s bound to enhance your overall productivity.
Branded as an all-in-one printer, this unit is suitable for copying, scanning, and faxing, which means it is designed for maximum reliability, efficiency, and performance. Plus, it helps drive your overall productivity through its flexible paper-handling capacity.
Talking about its performance, you can expect high-impact color and sharp photo black text documents without breaking a sweat.
The main highlight of this unit is its 250 11”x17” photo paper holding capacity. Even if you don’t have time to scan and print the documents manually, it’s not a problem, with an automatic print feed of up to 50 sheets. Besides, it’s integrated with automatic duplex print, which minimizes paper wastage and saves money in the long run.
Besides, it supports mobile and wireless printing, adding to your convenience. And lastly, it comes with the Amazon dash replenishment enabled feature, so it automatically orders ink cartridges or ink tanks from Amazon when the ink level is low.
This inkjet printer by Brother supports only genuine Brother inks, so if they’re out of stock, you have to wait for a long. And this can be an inconvenience if you’re stuck on projects with urgent deadlines.
What We Like
- Sharp image quality
- Reliable and efficient printer
- Auto-duplex and auto media roll feeder
- Flexible paper tray
What We Don’t Like
4. Epson SureColor P900
Epson is a well-known and reliable name when it comes to offering incredible printers for high-quality photos. Likewise, the Epson SureColor P900 is a professional photo printer with many exciting and outstanding features. Its exceptional print output, premium design, and decent print speed make it one of our top choices. Let’s discuss them in detail.
To begin with, this professional printer comes with UltraChrome HD inks paired with violet that delivers precise color representation on paper. This printer is designed especially for photographers who pride themselves on quality and don’t want to miss any detail in their prints. And its carbon black driver technology delivers the best-quality black density on gloss papers.
The unit is integrated with a 10-channel MicroPiezo AMC print head that constantly delivers prints at outstanding printing speeds. But irrespective of that, you can expect consistent and accurate photos.
It also comes with dedicated nozzles for both color and black inks, so you won’t have to switch between inks when using them. Furthermore, it supports and accommodates several kinds of media sheets and paper rolls, making it a versatile printer.
This inkjet printer comes at a high price point and is intended only for professional use. If you’re looking for high-quality photos at an affordable cost in home offices or small offices, then this may not be the one.
What We Like
- Excellent print quality
- Easy switch from black to color ink
- Accommodates several types of media sheets
- Precise color representation
What We Don’t Like
5. Canon PIXMA PRO-200
As we’ve reached halfway through the list, it’s time to talk about a professional-grade printer by Canon that delivers borderless printing on A3 cut sheets. If you’ve papers with compatible sizes and your focus lies on quality, speed, and resolution, then consider going for this.
This versatile Canon PIXMA Pro-200 prints A3 and larger pages. It’s a large-format unit that’s specially designed for professional photo printing with vibrant and rich photos in just 90 seconds. And with a maximum resolution of 4800 x 2400 DPI, it creates exceptional print quality with brilliant detail and color production.
In terms of compatibility, you can use various media pages or cut sheets ranging from 13 inches to 39 inches. So, you can print exquisite photos on paper sizes above and beyond A3 documents.
Apart from that, a built-in 3-inch LCD allows checking and controlling all printer functions at a glance. So, irrespective of your working knowledge of printers, you can obtain high-quality prints from them.
Lastly, the Canon Professional Print & Layout software reinforces user convenience like nothing else. It eliminates the hassle of finding an appropriate setting and allows you to focus more on your art and creativity.
While using the printer for professional-quality prints, we found that it isn’t compatible with media rolls for creating panoramas or banners. Additionally, its initial cost is slightly high compared to other printers, making it largely unsuitable for home use.
What We Like
- High print quality
- Prints on A3+ pages
- Improved software
- Decent-sized LCD
What We Don’t Like
6. HP ENVY Photo 7155 All-in-one Photo Printer
This all-in-one printer by HP offers the cheapest prints compared to many other options on our list. If you’re a DIYer working on your own or in possession of a small office, this can be an ideal unit. With features like wireless connectivity, app support, and a wide range of photo paper support, you have a versatile and powerful machine in your hands.
Branded as an all-in-one printer, it performs several functions, including scanning, printing, and copying. And it can produce prints at pretty low costs, which makes it one of the most affordable options on the market for printing A3 photos.
Beyond that, you can print borderless photos through your smartphone using features like wireless printing and google cloud printing. It also connects at lightning-fast speed with Bluetooth Smart and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Besides, it comes with the HP smart app, a powerful printing app that allows you to set up your printer easily, scan documents using the smartphone camera, and print them easily. You can save your documents on the cloud or print photos uploaded on social media.
Not only that, but this printer also supports many print sizes, like envelopes or letters. And the unit comes with a 1-year hardware warranty.
What Could’ve Been Better?
Despite having many exciting features, the print quality of this unit is not up to the mark, so you might not want it if you need professional-quality prints. Moreover, the instant ink program that you need to enroll in for getting ink delivered to your home can be very hard on the pocket.
What We Like
- Cheaper prints
- Wireless and mobile printing
- Powerful app
- Supports several sizes
- 1-year warranty
What We Don’t Like
7. Canon PIXMA TS Series
The Canon PIXMA TS series is another compact and budget-friendly option for your A3 photo prints. This unit is suitable for printing casual photo prints for family and friends, and you can use your smartphone to print directly. Also, it’s designed for ease of use and simple replacement.
If you’re not after those overly impressive or fancy printers, the Canon PIXMA TS series is a good buy, considering its features and weight. Being a compact and lightweight option, you can move it anywhere, depending on your convenience. Also, the cost per print is low, making it perfect for use in homes or small offices.
Irrespective of its cost and design, it doesn’t compromise print quality. It delivers a maximum resolution of up to 4800 x 1200 DPI, more than enough for photo prints to decorate your home.
Apart from that, wireless connectivity is a significant benefit of using this unit. You can do it all using your phone, starting from setting up the printer and getting A3 photo prints.
This unit might not be suitable for professional photographers who seek detailed and precise photo prints to have with them or send to a client. Apart from that, many users have reported the printer getting stuck after a few months of using
What We Like
- Cheaper alternative
- Wireless connectivity
- Compact and lightweight
- Easy installation and set-up
What We Don’t Like
8. Xerox Versalink C400
Ending our list with a high-capacity laser printer, Xerox Versalink C400, that delivers professional-quality photo prints at affordable rates. Integrated with a range of security features, your documents, and data are safe. Apart from that, it’s backed by a one-year warranty, so you can have peace of mind when using this.
Xerox Versalink C400 might not be designed for printing photos, but it does an incredible job in this respect. It offers excellent range and depth in its black and white prints, with a monochrome pop. Everything looks exceptionally shaded and highly detailed.
You can speed through the printing tasks by saving some standard settings as presets using its intelligent touchscreen, and you won’t have to start over every time while printing. Every user is provided a single ID and password to secure, fast, and easy access to these task-based presets and commonly used apps on your home screen. So, feed in the photo and get it printed quickly and efficiently.
Apart from that, this laser printer is integrated with several stringent security features like card authentication and secure printing. Now your data and personal information are secured with the Xerox database. And, with a one-year warranty, you won’t have to worry about any technical faults.
The first issue that we faced was that it gets challenging to set up despite coming up with detailed instructions. You need to call a technician to do the job for you. And secondly, connectivity options are minimal. It needs to connect with a USB adapter or a computer to print pages.
What We Like
- Good print quality
- Fast and effective
- Secured
- Intelligent touchscreen
What We Don’t Like
Best A3 Photo Printers Comparison Table
Product | Printer Type | Functions | Connectivity | Max Print Resolution | Ink System | Mobile Printing | Display Screen |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epson-Expression Premium-XP-6000 | Inkjet | Print, scan, copy | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, memory card slot | 5760 x 1440 dpi | 5-color individual ink system | Epson Connect, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Android printing | 2.4″ color LCD |
Canon PIXMA iX6850 | Inkjet | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | 9600 x 2400 dpi | 5-color individual ink system | Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | None | |
Brother MFC-J5330DW All-in-One Printer | Inkjet | Print, scan, copy, fax | Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, Ethernet | 4800 x 1200 dpi | 4-color individual ink system | Brother iPrint&Scan, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | 2.7″ color touchscreen |
Epson SureColor P900 | Inkjet | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | 5760 x 1440 dpi | 10-color UltraChrome HD PRO ink system | Epson Connect, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | 4.3″ color touchscreen | |
Canon PIXMA PRO-200 | Inkjet | Wi-Fi, USB, Ethernet | 4800 x 2400 dpi | 8-color dye ink system | Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | 3″ color LCD | |
HP ENVY Photo 7155 All-in-one Photo Printer | Inkjet | Print, scan, copy | Wi-Fi, USB, memory card slot | 4800 x 1200 dpi | 2-cartridge ink system | HP Smart app, AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi Direct | 2.65″ color touchscreen |
Canon PIXMA TS Series | Inkjet | Print, scan, copy | Wi-Fi, USB, Bluetooth | 4800 x 1200 dpi | Varies by model | Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, Google Cloud Print | Varies by model |
Xerox Versalink C400 | Laser | Wi-Fi, Ethernet, NFC, USB | 600 x 600 x 8 dpi | 4-color toner system | Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Xerox Print Service Plug-in for Android | 5″ color touchscreen |
Buying Guide For The Best A3 Photo Printers
With this, we’ve come to the end of the reviews of the best photo printers available on the market for A3 photo printing. We hope you have a printer that delivers precise prints and detailed photos according to your needs. If you’re still confused about what aspects to look into when searching for a printer, we’re here for you.
In this following section, we’ve explained the essential features and aspects to help you make a better purchase decision. So without wasting much time, let’s continue reading.
1. Paper Size
A3 papers are 11.7 x 16.5 inches in size, and therefore it’s essential to make sure a printer supports papers of the following dimensions. Most printers are made for A4 documents, which can’t print on A3 papers properly, hence recommended.
2. Print Resolution
Before discussing this further, let’s know what a print resolution is. It is the number of dots or pixels printed on a page.
Resolution is measured by dots-per-inch (dpi) or pixels. For high-quality photos, it’s essential to have as much resolution as possible, but we recommend having a minimum of 1754 x 2480 pixels or 150 dpi. Anything less than this won’t deliver precision and details in a photo or sharpness in a text, as in standard photo-quality prints.
3. Printing Speed
When printing photo prints, color quality is the main priority and speed isn’t important. But if you are a professional, it’s essential to deliver your tasks within stipulated deadlines without hampering the quality. So, it’s crucial to look into the print speeds of your printer.
Pages Per Minute or PPM is a standard unit for measuring print speed. Most A3 printers have a speed of 15-20 PPM, it is a typical speed to have in a printer.
It’s worth noting that many A3 printers come with auto-duplex print, which means they can automatically print on both sides of a paper, increasing printing speeds. Having the following feature is also beneficial in saving a lot of paper and overall printing costs.
4. Ink Type And Longevity
Ink longevity refers to the durability of the inks on your photos. If you print portrait photos to hang on walls, they mustn’t fade too soon, and use good quality ink that lasts long. On the other hand, longevity isn’t a concern for many, and they just need better print output.
There are two types of printer ink: Pigment and Dye Ink
A. Dye Ink
In terms of quality, dye-based inks are a better choice. Due to its soft nature, prints come out to be more accurate and vivid, which offers the possibility of lifelike photo prints. You can expect better resistance if you print on a specially coated material. And these are also a cheaper alternative to pigment inks.
However, the primary issue with dye inks is their durability. They are prone to get washed off or easily damaged by liquid substances.
B. Pigment Ink
Pigment inks, instead of dye inks, are more durable and are a common choice for artists to use everywhere. This ink is resistant to water or UV and doesn’t fade or get damaged when exposed to direct sunlight.
The primary issue with pigment inks is color consistency. Being lighter in color, you can’t expect the same accuracy or vibrancy as dye inks.
5. Print Quality
It refers to how accurate the printouts are and is the most important aspect for photographers and artists to look into. As a thumb rule, you will obtain more precise prints with enough ink cartridges or ink bottles from your A3 printer. It’s true for both laser and inkjet printers.
The sweet spot will have four ink cartridges. You can replace each cartridge separately compared to dual-cartridge setups and are bound to deliver quality prints.
What kind of connectivity options do A3 photo printers have?
A3 photo printers may have a range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, and even NFC (Near Field Communication). This allows for easy printing from a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Can A3 photo printers print borderless photos?
Most A3 photo printers can print borderless photos up to their maximum size. This allows for a clean and professional-looking print without any unsightly borders or margins.
What kind of ink system do A3 photo printers use?
A3 photo printers typically use specialized ink systems that are designed specifically for printing photos. These ink systems may include multiple ink cartridges with different colors or shades, such as light cyan, light magenta, or gray, in addition to the standard cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
Can A3 photo printers print documents as well?
A3 photo printers can print documents as well, but they are primarily designed for printing high-quality photos. If you need a printer primarily for printing documents, there are other options that may be more suitable for your needs.
Are wireless printers better than wired ones?
We’d recommend going for one with multiple connectivity options if you ask us. So, you can have the prints in any way suitable for you.
Conclusion
This marks the end of our guide to the best photo printers, so thanks for reading!
But before leaving, we’d like to mention our top favorites. The Epson-Expression Premium-XP-6000 is our top favorite on the list. Be it speed, quality, or precision, it delivers it all.
A close second for us is the Canon PIXMA iX6850. This inkjet printer comes with features like auto-duplex printing and auto-document feeder, which fastens up the printing speed and saves half your paper.
On that note, take care and goodbye!
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