9 Best Printers for Artists: Professional Fine-Art Printers [2024]
I remember desperately wanting my own large format printer for what seemed like an eternity and I was so thrilled when I finally got one. Whether you’re a photographer, digital artist, digital mixed media artist, or just want to have more control over your digital fine-art prints, getting you’re very own fine-art printer is probably for you. The hard part is picking the one that fits your needs and budget the best. Thats why I’m writing this post for the best printers for artists. I hope it helps!
In this post, I’m going to tell you my picks for the best printers for artists based on my 20+ years as a professional artist and 15 years as a professor of art, design, and illustration. I even worked as a signmaker and printed with large format printers for 10 years and I have a 44” large format EPSON printer in my studio that I use all the time. I’ve been an EPSON printer owner and user since 2000 and I love them. I’ll list options in two different size ranges from medium format (13-17” wide) and large format (24-44” wide).
Let’s be clear right off the bat – this article is about professional-quality medium and large format printers for creating long-lasting gallery-ready prints. I’m not going to talk about dye-based inkjets here because they don’t create long-lasting prints. I’m not going to talk about laser printers either since they don’t have great control over color and they don’t offer the same versatility and range of paper types you get with inkjets. If you’re looking for either of these, I have another article all about them! This will be all about professional-quality pigment-based inkjet printers that produce the high-quality long-lasting prints that artists need.
At a Glance
Here’s a quick look at my top picks. Read on for more details.
Canon 24-Inch imagePROGRAF PRO-2600
$3,392.00 list
See Current Price
Fine Art Inkjets vs Other Types
When it comes to fine art printing, there are three things to look for.
- Color and Print Quality
- Longevity
- Variety of Sizes and Media Capabilities
Most Pigment-Based Inkjet Printers offer all three of these. That is why I always recommend a pigment-based printer for any artist. The dye-based inks used in office printers and some photo printers are capable of producing beautiful color prints, but they don’t have the longevity that pigment-based inks provide. Dye-based inks produce great color and they are wonderful for short-term prints, photos, and proofs, but they will fade in the sun, sometimes in a matter of months, and definitely in a few years. Pigment-based printer inks contain tiny light-fast pigment spheres that don’t break down in the sun – or at least not nearly as quickly. Most pigment-based printers state a lifetime of 100-200 years for a print on archival paper or other archival substrate.
There are two major manufacturers of pigment-based printers out there: EPSON, and Canon. Like I mentioned earlier, I am an EPSON fan, but I have seen some amazing prints by people with Canon printers and I know many photographers swear by them. I’ll discuss both in each of the categories below as well as some pros and cons so you can make the best choice for your needs.
A few things to be aware of before you dive in and buy a professional art & photo printer
All inkjet printers clog from time to time – particularly if they sit unused for a while.
Some people say that Epson’s printers are more prone to clogging and need more frequent cleaning cycles. This is likely because Epson printers don’t have the automatic periodic cleaning cycle system that Canon printers have. With Canon’s printers, they will perform ink tank agitations and will automatically do print head pattern tests and cleanings to keep them in good operation. They still clog occasionally, but less often. With Epson’s printers, you have to do the print head tests and cleanings manually, so they are a little more hands-on.
Making your own fine art prints requires a fair amount of craftwork.
Be ready to have a nice work surface to trim your prints once they are printed. Having a large cutting mat, a protective cutting edge, and nice clean work surface are absolute musts.
Ink is expensive!
Be prepared to spend a fair amount of money to replace your ink cartridges when they run out. Particularly with new printers, you can easily spend $100 or more for a single color cartridge and most contemporary printers use a 10 or 11-color ink system. It’s a good idea to look out for sales when they happen. You can also look into third-party ink cartridges and inks, which could save a lot of money.
Paper is expensive too!
There is a reason that professional print shops charge a lot of money for their work. It costs a lot. Rolls of paper for printers can range from about $100 to $500 per roll depending on the size and type. I always like looking for special sales to get good deals on paper.
Its worth it!
Even though having your own printer can sometimes take a lot of time and work, I liken it to a fine sports car. When it is running great and your driving down the road, there is just nothing like it. Having the control and options to print on many different types of media and experiment as you like is worth the time. There is nothing like the satisfaction of seeing your work on the wall and knowing you did it all yourself.
Here are my picks for the best printers for artists and photographers
I’m going to break these down by size – medium, and large (wide) format, and by quality of the print. When it comes to fine art (giclee) printing, you want to get the best print and color quality with the widest range of media types out there so you aren’t limited to any one size or style.
Medium Format Printers – 13-Inch to 17-Inch
Epson SureColor P700 13-Inch Printer
Key Features
- Max Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Max Borderless Print Size: 13 x 19″
- 8.5 x 11″ Print Speed: 1 min 29 sec
- 10 Channel Print Head
- 4.3″ Color Touchscreen
- USB 3.0, Ethernet & Wi-Fi Connectivity
This is the smallest printer I would recommend for any artist or photographer who wants professional-quality prints. It prints up to 13″ wide paper using Epson’s UltraChrome PRO10 Pigment-Based ink system. The color is phenomenal and the 13″ width gives you lots of options to print beyond the standard 8×10 print. New with this current model of Epsons is that you don’t have to switch blacks from photo-black to matte-black anymore. This was a big issue for folks with older models. The new Carbon Black Technology also gives you even better blacks than before.
List Price: $829.00
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 13-Inch Printer
Key Features
- Max Resolution: 4800 x 2400 dpi
- Max Print Size: 13 x 39″ (Custom)
- Borderless Printing at up to 13″ Wide
- FINE Print Head
- L-COA PRO Image Processing Engine
- 9 LUCIA PRO Pigment-Based Inks
- Chroma Optimizer and Updated Matte Black
- Nozzle Recovery System & Skew Correction
- USB, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi Connectivity
- Integrated 3.0″ Color LCD Display
Canon’s printers are very popular among photographers and they’ve come a long way in the last few years. In fact, the photo department at the university I teach at just outfitted their entire lab with Canon printers. This 13″ printer offers an 11-color ink system with incredible resolution and color quality. The technology built into Canon printers watches the print as it is being produced to check for any misprinting and does its best to adjust for it on-the-fly. This new crop of Canon printers also features sophisticated wireless printing – no cables!
List Price: $849.00
Epson SureColor P900 17-Inch Printer
Key Features
- Max Print Resolution: 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Max Borderless Print Size: 17 x 22″
- 8.5 x 11″ Print Speed: 1 min 29 sec
- 10 Channel Print Head
- 4.3″ Color Touchscreen
- USB 3.0, Ethernet & Wi-Fi Connectivity
This printer is sure to please. I have an older model, the Epson 3800, that I’ve used for years and years. With a width of up to 17-inch, you can get a full-bleed 16×20 print easily, and you have lots of options for other paper sizes. I’ve done triptychs with this size at 16″ x 36″ for each panel and have shown them nationally.
List Price: $1,249.00
Caonon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 17-Inch Printer
Key Features
- Max Resolution: 2400 x 1200 dpi
- Max Print Size: 17 x 23.4″
- Print Speed: 17 x 22″ in 4 Min 10 Sec
- Borderless Printing at up to 17″ Wide
- FINE Printing Technology
- L-COA PRO Image Processing Engine
- 12 LUCIA PRO Pigment-Based Inks
- Grayscale Photo Printing; 3.0″ Color LCD
- Canon PRINT App, PIXMA Cloud Link
- USB 2.0, Ethernet, & Wi-Fi Connectivity
This is the big brother of the imagePrograf Pro-300 listed above. It basically gives you the same quality and features but with a larger print width of up to 17 inches! You still get wireless printing and incredible long-lasting color quality with Canon’s Lucia Pro Ink System.
List Price: $1,249.00
Epson SureColor P5370 17-Inch Roll Printer (NEW for 2024!)
Key Features
- Everything you get with the P900 plus all the things below
- Includes 10-channel MicroPiezo AMC printhead
- UltraChrome PRO10 Ink with Violet expands the blue color gamut
- Industry-leading print permanence3
- No switching between Photo and Matte Black Inks (New Feature!)
- Built-in roll support w/ auto-cutter; high-capacity sheet cassette
The P5370 is similar to the P900, but it gives you so much more. For the extra cost, you get built-in roll support and automatic cutting, just like the larger 24″ and 44″ models. This is a brand-new item so there aren’t many reviews out there yet, but it looks promising.
List Price: $2,095.00
Large [Wide] Format Printers – 24-Inch to 44-Inch
The 24-Inch and 44-Inch printers offer a huge advantage over the medium format machines above. Of course, they cost a lot more as well, but for the money you get larger ink tanks, tons of options in terms of print sizes and roll paper options, and they all offer the ability to auto-cut the media after a print is finished. If you’ve ever wanted to print your own 24×36 or 40×60 and larger prints, this is where you need to look.
Canon 24-Inch imagePROGRAF PRO-2600 (NEW for 2024!)
Key Features
- Reformulated LUCIA PRO II Ink
- High light resistance for long-term preservation of inks
- Improved black density with a wider dark-color gamut range
- High scratch resistance
- Color Calibration
- Automatic media feeding
- Automatic media type, width, and length detection
- EPEAT Gold®
- ENERGY STAR®
These Canon imagePROGRAF Pro printers are getting amazing reviews – nearly 5 stars across the board (from B&H Photo customers). This plus the results I’ve seen coming out of the photo lab at my university where they use Canon machines is why I’m listing this one on top for the 24″ models. Plus, the price on these is a bit cheaper than the Epson models and you can find some great rebates and discounts out there.
Older model on B&H Photo for $2,999.00
List Price: $3,392.00
Epson 24-Inch SureColor P7570
Key Features
- Maximum Resolution: 2400 x 1200 dpi
- Maximum Print Width: 24″
- UltraChrome PRO12 Color Pigment Ink Set
- 2.6″ PrecisionCore MicroTFP Print Head
- 4.3″ Color Touchscreen
- Border-Free Printing
- Automatic Rotary Media Cutter
- USB 2.0 & Ethernet Connectivity
This printer has some great reviews out there, but a few report similar problems as its larger cousin, the P9570 (see below). That is why I’m listing this one second for the 24″ size range. One thing I love about this printer that the Canon models do not offer is the ability to feed through flat media like prepared aluminum sheets. To get the same option with the Canon, you’ll have to find a way to do a print transfer to the aluminum sheet.
List Price: $4,895.00
Canon 44-Inch imagePROGRAF PRO-4600 (NEW for 2024!)
Key Features
- Reformulated LUCIA PRO II Ink
- High light resistance for long-term preservation of inks
- Improved black density with a wider dark-color gamut range
- High scratch resistance
- Color Calibration
- Automatic media feeding
- Automatic media type, width, and length detection
- EPEAT Gold®
- ENERGY STAR®
These Canon imagePROGRAF Pro printers are getting amazing reviews – nearly 5 stars across the board (from B&H Photo customers). This plus the results I’ve seen coming out of the photo lab at my university where they use Canon machines is why I’m listing this one on top for the 44″ models. Plus, the price on these is a bit cheaper than the Epson models and you can find some great rebates and discounts out there.
Older model on B&H Photofor $4,516.00
List Price: $6,784.00
Epson 44-Inch SureColor P9570
Key Features
- Maximum Resolution: 2400 x 1200 dpi
- Maximum Print Width: 44″
- UltraChrome PRO12 Color Pigment Ink Set
- 2.6″ PrecisionCore MicroTFP Print Head
- 4.3″ Color Touchscreen
- Border-Free Printing
- Automatic Rotary Media Cutter
- USB 2.0 & Ethernet Connectivity
Why, oh why am I listing the Epson P9570 after the Canon here? The quick reason – there have been a lot of reviews out there saying this machine has paper feed issues when using non-Epson paper. That’s a problem, especially if you are trying to experiment and maybe save some money on materials. I still think this is a good printer, but it seems like Epson has some kinks to work out before I feel comfortable giving this one a top rating. All that being said, this is Epson’s best quality professional 44″ printer.
List Price: $6,895.00
Don’t want to (or can’t) spend so much on a new printer?
You can always do what I did and buy one on Craigslist (or eBay). I was in the market for a versatile large format printer and I found an affordable printer in an older Epson 9800 44-Inch for $1000. After giving it some love cleaning it and dousing the print heads in Magic-Bullet printhead cleaner for a while, it worked beautifully. One of the really nice things about an older printer like this is that you can easily use third-party ink systems. I love Ink-Owl for this and they have a great website that lets you search by printer brand and model.
How I made decisions about the best printers for artists to recommend.
I’ve been making digital art for more than 20 years and I’ve used inkjet prints the entire time. I’ve worked with just about every brand of printer out there from Brother to HP, Canon, and Epson – even Apple printers back in the day. The recommendations provided are done with the very best of intentions using my experience and personal preference as a guide.
Researching what is currently out there, I considered a few things:
- Print-Quality
- Print Longevity
- Variety of Media and Size Options
- Ease of use and versatility
- Brand Reputation.
Wrapping up
No matter whether you choose Epson or Canon, new or old, there is just nothing like having your own printer and the freedom to do whatever you want with your artwork. I use mine all the time for creating inkjet transfers, printing various art papers, and even printing things out for friends and family.
Disclaimer: Some links that appear in this article allow me to earn money using affiliate advertising programs. I only recommend products I truly believe in. Any advice or instructions given in this article are purely my own and supplied with the very best intentions.
2 Comments