Today, on the market of goods and equipment, you can find many models of printers that differ in price and quality. This is why it is important to know how to choose a 4×6 photo printer and not make a mistake. You can find a huge number of color printers that can print a color image with varying degrees of success. Devices that can print photos with professional quality and will not cost a fortune can be counted on your fingers. In this article, you will find all the necessary information for choosing a photo printer.
In our article you can get acquainted with the following printers:
- Canon SELPHY CP1300 — Best Overall
- HP Tango — HP Instant Ink
- Canon Pixma iP110 — Compact InkJet for Photos
- Kodak Dock — Wi-Fi 4×6 Photo Printer
The 4 Best 4×6 Photo Printers in 2020
Contents
Viewing printed photos is much more fun than viewing digital photos. After all, they can be framed, hung in a prominent place, and daily receive positive emotions from observation. You don’t have to go to the Studio. You can print images at home by purchasing printing equipment. So, let’s start looking at the best models of photo printers.
Canon SELPHY CP1300 — Best Overall
Do you want to find a compact and multifunctional wireless 4×6 photo printer? Then this model is perfect for you. It is equipped with a sublimation technology, which many customers like. Moreover, you can connect two phones at once and send multiple photos. The printer will make a collage of them and print high-quality photos. Isn’t that amazing?
Its weight is only 2 pounds, and the print resolution is 300×300. It will print you a 4×6-inch photo in just 47 seconds. The portable model allows you to get bright realistic images thanks to the technology of sublimation printing. The image is of high quality, does not fade over time, and does not lose saturation. What’s more, the printer prints waterproof photos. Automatic optimization corrects shortcomings, making the photo even better.
The device works not only with mobile gadgets, as the previous version, but also with Windows, Mac OS, and iOS. For ease of use, there is a small display. One of the disadvantages is the lack of scanning and copying functions, but most often people do not use them to print photos.
| Pros | Cons |
| Thanks to its small size, you can take it with you on a trip.
Suitable for printing high-quality photos: the image is bright and clear, with no blurred fragments. There is a slot for a memory card. Automatic image optimization. |
Cannot copy or scan.
You can only print photos in size 4×6. There is no cartridge, photo paper included – they will have to be purchased separately. |
Final Verdict
If you choose which printer is better for printing photos at home, pay attention to canon 4×6 photo printer. With it at hand will always be a device that will print a high-quality image in less than a minute. You can print 4×6 photos with good quality resolution. And with the help of the display, you will be able to view the photo before printing.
HP Tango — HP Instant Ink
The next smart photo printer that accepts voice input is the HP Tango. What is special about it and how does it differ from other models? If you subscribe to HP Instant Ink, you can print 4×6 photos for free. This means that you will only spend money on purchasing the printer itself. It seems like a great addition. Other competitors do not have this option. The photo resolution will be 4800×1200. Copying and scanning is possible via your smartphone using the app.
The company paid special attention to appearance. When assembled, the HP Tango does not look very much like a printer, but with a branded cover-a cover made of linen or corkwood, it completely dissolves into the interior. It is configured and managed from your mobile device via the HP Smart app (for Android and iOS). with an active Internet connection, you can print from anywhere in the world. There is also a function of a document scanner using the camera.
| Pros | Cons |
| You can only print photos in size 4×6.
If you subscribe to HP Instant Ink, you can print 4×6 photos for free. Voice control functions. |
Copying and scanning is possible using your phone.
Does not work on batteries. There is no USB port, which is often necessary and convenient. |
Final Verdict
The main advantage of this 4×6 printer is instant ink, which will last you a lifetime for printing photos up to 4×6 inches. This means that you can take smaller photos, which gives you more choice. You can control the printer remotely, but it doesn’t work with batteries.
Canon Pixma iP110
A following printer is a great option for printing photos at home and in the office. As for the undeniable advantages, this includes high resolution (9600×2400 dpi), printing on cards, labels, matte and glossy photo paper, envelopes, a connection in 3 ways (Wi-Fi, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB), the possibility of remote operation of the device. The best printer for photo printing in the budget segment.
The printer is used in offices: for preparing presentations, advertising materials, documents, color posters and graphs, and photos. Here, an inkjet thermal technology is provided, in which the ink is fed by heating it to 600 °C.
Thanks to Photo Print+, you can change the photo before printing it directly. In addition, it supports AirPrint, Cloud, USB, PictBridge, and wireless connections. You will have as many as 5 cartridges. Not every printer can afford this. With this, you will get a large number of tones and colors for bright and high-quality photos. The printer weighs only 4.3 pounds. It can work without a wire, so you can take it with you. The photo size can reach 8.5×23.
| Pros | Cons |
| PhotoPrint+ for editing photos.
High-quality resolution. Hardware can be managed on multiple computers over an office network. Support for printing from mobile devices. You can only replace the ink that runs out. |
Print photos only larger than 4×6”. |
Final Verdict
IP110 is one of the best photo printers that allows you to print high-resolution photos in just 53 seconds. 5 replaceable cartridges make it possible to print images bright and clear. On photo paper, the images are excellent. The printer is the simplest, easy to connect and configure.
Kodak Dock — Wi-Fi 4×6 Photo Printer
This 4×6 photo Printer is suitable for those who want to find a portable and high-quality device. The printer is equipped with a Kodak dock. You can connect a phone to it for management. Moreover, you can charge two phones at once on the printer. Isn’t that cool?
The weight of this printer is only 1.6 pounds. The resolution of photos is 300×300, which makes them rich and bright. The printer can print 4×6 images. The surface of the photos is waterproof and does not fade in the sun, so they will be stored for a long time.
As already mentioned, it can be connected to the phone. And there is also a USB port, so it adds convenience to use the device. Unfortunately, it does not run on batteries, so this should be considered before choosing a place for the printer.
| Pros | Cons |
| You can connect two smartphones at once.
It is very light and compact. USB port. |
Prints only 4×6 ” photos.
Does not work on batteries. The mobile app frequently crashes. |
Final Verdict
Overall, this is a great and multi-functional printer. With the help of a Kodak Dock, you will not be able to spend time connecting your smartphone for a long time. Just put it on the printer station and that’s it. High-quality printing allows you to make bright and long-lasting photos.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a 4×6 Photo Printer?
Why do you need a photo printer?
Everyone knows what a photo printer is – the device is designed for printing photos. When choosing, it is important to first decide for what purposes the equipment is purchased: to a professional studio, home, office, or it should be a portable gadget that you can take with you and print high-quality images at any time if necessary.
What printing technology do you need?
If you only want to control your printer using a tablet or phone, you won’t need to devise with a USB port, so the choice becomes wider. If you don’t like using your phone and printer app, but will manage your device using a personal computer, then the question of whether you have a USB port is the main one. For those who want to scan and copy images, there are two options. Some smart photo printers allow you to print from your phone’s camera, which is convenient. There are also printers that scan directly from sheets of paper.
Photo Quality
It is the most important selection criteria among printers. It is the print resolution that determines the detail of the image and how smooth the transfer of color transitions will be. The best option for home use is a resolution of 4200*1200 dpi, this density is enough to provide the necessary detail, smoothness of contours. If you need better photos, contact the nearest photo store. The higher the value, the more accurate the details are.
2.4 Size
As for the size 4 6 photo printer, you need to understand whether you want a desktop device or a portable one. If you want the printer to be portable and transportable, then look for smaller models. You can take them with you on the road and travel/ If this item is not very important for you and it is enough for the printer to stand on the desktop, then the choice becomes wider. Then look for the printer according to the free space on the table itself. It is better to decide in advance.
Ink Cost
Before buying a printer, it is important to make sure that the cost of ink is quite affordable because if you are a fan of printing photos, they will have to be changed quite often. You also need to check whether the manufacturer has special offers for users so that you can save on cartridges and not pay extra money. As you may have already read in our review, there are models where ink is provided for a subscription. So, study this item in more detail.
Additional function
Most manufacturers worry about the convenient, easy operation of their devices. Therefore, they complement their products with a variety of functionality:
Touch-screen display. The perfect solution for photo printing from digital media, phones, and memory cards. It makes it easier to select the desired photo on the media.
Photo editor. If you came up with the idea to retouch a photo at the last moment, but don’t have enough time to do it, the built-in editor will help you quickly retouch and then print the photos without any extra hassle.
Scanner. Allows you to digitalize the necessary documents, images, and texts. Possibility to use plain paper. This support allows you to print not only photos but also texts.
Internal memory. It is convenient because it allows you to transfer files for printing in advance and print later, without resorting to media. But everyone knows that a large number of functions significantly increase the cost of the device, so you should give up unnecessary functionality and save money at the same time.
Types of Paper:
If there is no special paper included with the printer, then you need to choose it correctly. There is a special paper for printing photos. Of course, you can print photos on plain paper, but the quality and durability will be questionable. The thing is that the paper for printing photos is a kind of system of several layers, which can be up to seven pieces.
Glossy Finish
This type of paper medium has a high density. The glossy layer protects the material from fading and washing away the paint. Glossy photo paper perfectly conveys the brightness of colors and gradations of all shades and is also resistant to moisture.
Matte
This type is considered a budget, it can be satin and silk. The porous structure of the layer is similar to an unprotected one, but it is not. The material consists of several layers: the substrate protects the sheet from ink seepage, prevents warping, and the top rough layer is resistant to minor damage and does not retain traces of fingers. The advantages of matte paper also include its compatibility with pigment, water, and even sublimation inks and whiteness, which makes the image bright and detailed.
Canvas
There is also canvas paper. They are perfect if you want to take a picture of a photo on the wall and put it in a frame. The canvas can be stretched on a frame and hung on the wall. The paper combines a small gloss and matte coating, but the detail in the photo is excellent.
Semi-Glossy
The Semi-Glossy modification occupies an intermediate position between microporous papers imitating a matte surface and papers with a high gloss.
What conclusions can be drawn?
Modern printers have become not only an office product. Now users don’t need to go anywhere to print documents, photos, or postcards. In our rating of the best photo printers, you will find different models that have many advantages and functions. They are used by many fans of printing photos at home, so it is very important that the printer has all the necessary functions.
Canon SELPHY CP1300 became the first in our rating. This 4×6 photo printer portable allows you to quickly print photos (in less than a minute). Images are high-quality and rich due to the high-quality resolution. It is small in size, so it is easy to carry.
The second place among photo printers was taken by HP Tango. This is a smart printer that connects to your phone. You can use it to scan and copy photos. This happens thanks to your smartphone’s camera. Moreover, for a subscription to Inc, you will get a free opportunity to print photos 4×6.
A distinctive feature of the third Canon printer-Pixma iP110 is Photo Print+. You can use this feature to edit photos before printing. And the last printer is a Kodak Dock. It doesn’t have a battery, but it’s small enough to make it portable.
