Photo Printer Information

Full-sized inkjet printers often cost less and can print a wide range of photo sizes, including letter- or legal-sized prints. Some can even print 13-by-19-inch borderless prints. They also can handle general printing. Of course, a full-sized printer is not as small or light, and it can require more setup. However, most are PictBridge-compatible and have memory card slots and/or LCD preview screens. See our separate ConsumerSearch report on inkjet printers.

If you don't need immediate prints, store kiosks (such as those in drugstore and retail chains like CVS and Wal-Mart) and online photofinishers (such as Snapfish and Shutterfly) offer printing services for digital photos. Most offer editing tools and online photo sharing as well. Printing photos through an online photo service costs less, too -- 15 cents to 19 cents per photo, plus shipping. Wait times vary from a few minutes (at some store kiosks) to a few days (shipping from websites). Quality also varies, so consult our separate report on digital photo printing.

Some printers come with basic photo-editing tools, but for more elaborate adjustments, you need to use photo-editing software, which ConsumerSearch discusses in a separate report.

More information on how the thermal-dye transfer (dye-sublimation) process works can be found at HowStuffWorks.com.

Imaging Products Lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology tests manufacturer claims and often partners with other publications like PC World.

Wilhelm Imaging Research is an excellent resource if you are interested in print longevity. WIR tests manufacturer ink claims.

The following manufacturer websites provide detailed specifications on each printer:

Canon

Dell

Epson

Hewlett-Packard

Polaroid