Top 10 Photo Inkjet Printers in 2027 — Best Overall + Best Value

Direct Answer

The best photo inkjet printer of 2027 is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100, a 17-inch pigment printer with an 11-color LUCIA PRO II ink set that delivers gallery-grade prints, ~99% Adobe RGB coverage, and 200+ year archival permanence on Canson Baryta. The best value is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550, a 13-inch six-ink dye-based printer with refillable tanks that slashes cost-per-8x10 to roughly $0.30 — a fraction of cartridge-based rivals.

This 2027 list serves printmakers, fine-art photographers, and serious home enthusiasts who want real shelf-life prints rather than throwaway snapshots.

How We Ranked the Top 10

We weighted the photo-print job specifically — not document throughput, not all-in-one fax/scan parlor tricks. Our methodology pulled long-term test data from DPReview, Image Resource, Steve Huff Photo, Wirecutter, PCMag, B&H Photo, and the archived LuLa Aardenburg light-fastness reports.

Reddit threads at r/photography and r/AnalogPrintMaking filled in real-world reliability and clog-rate data.

Weights:

• Print quality / color accuracy (35%) — Adobe RGB %, neutral B&W, gradation in shadows
• Archival permanence (20%) — pigment vs dye, Wilhelm/Aardenburg years to noticeable fade
• Cost-per-print (15%) — ink mL per cartridge or tank vs typical 8x10 coverage
• Paper handling (15%) — max width, roll support, fine-art front feed, borderless
• Build & reliability (10%) — clog rates after 2 weeks idle, nozzle recovery
• Price (5%) — MSRP rationality given the above

1. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Price: $1,499 | Best for: Serious printmakers who want 17-inch gallery prints without jumping to a 24-inch beast

The PRO-1100 is Canon's 2025 refresh of the legendary PRO-1000, and it remains the outright best 17-inch desktop photo printer money can buy in 2027. The 11-color LUCIA PRO II pigment set adds Chroma Optimizer to flatten gloss differential, and the Crystal-Fina nozzle layout prints up to 2400×1200 dpi with virtually no banding.

Maximum sheet size is 17 × 22 inches; no roll support, but front-loaded fine-art feed handles 0.7mm-thick boards. Connection is USB 3, Gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 6. Cartridges are 80 mL apiece — running cost lands at roughly $3-4 per 13×19 print.

• Adobe RGB coverage: ~99%, the widest gamut in its class
• Aardenburg-rated 200+ year permanence on Canson Baryta Prestige
• Best-in-class neutral B&W via dedicated PBK, MBK, GY, PGY inks
• Cons: no roll feed, so multi-panoramic outdoor photography work means manual sheet handling

Verdict: the reference 17-inch printer of 2027.

2. Epson SureColor P900

Price: $1,295 | Best for: Color-critical photographers who want a slimmer, lighter 17-inch with roll capability

The P900 is the Canon PRO-1100's closest rival and the smallest 17-inch pigment printer ever shipped — half the footprint of the old P800. The 10-color UltraChrome PRO10 ink set adds Violet for ~99% Pantone Formula Guide match, and the 2.7-inch touchscreen makes nozzle checks one-tap easy.

Maximum sheet size is 17 × 22, with an optional roll adapter ($199) unlocking 17 × 129 inches. Connection includes USB 3, Wi-Fi 6, Ethernet, AirPrint. Cartridges are 50 mL — slightly pricier per mL than Canon, running roughly $4-5 per 13×19.

• Adobe RGB ~98%, plus violet primaries for purple/blue accuracy
• Wilhelm-rated ~200 years on Epson Legacy Platine
• Carbon Black mode matches a dedicated B&W darkroom workflow
• Cons: smaller 50 mL cartridges burn faster than Canon's 80 mL

Verdict: statistically tied with the Canon — pick by ink-cost preference.

3. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300

Price: $899 | Best for: Enthusiasts moving up from A4 who want pigment quality at 13 inches

The PRO-300 is the spiritual successor to the Pro-10 and shares 9 of the 10 LUCIA PRO inks with its bigger brother. Maximum sheet size is 13 × 19 inches, with 0.6mm-thick fine-art board support via front-feed. Resolution tops out at 4800×2400 dpi; connection is USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet.

Cartridges are 14.4 mL — running cost is $1.50-2 per 13×19, the sweet spot for occasional gallery prints.

• Adobe RGB ~98%, virtually indistinguishable from the PRO-1100 at 13 inches
• Pigment archival ~200 years on Canson Baryta
• Compact at 15.2 kg — desk-friendly
• Cons: no roll feed, and the small 14.4 mL tanks mean frequent swaps for heavy users

Verdict: the smartest 13-inch pigment printer if you don't need 17.

4. Epson SureColor P700

Price: $799 | Best for: B&W fine-art shooters who want darkroom-grade neutrality at 13 inches

The P700 packages the same UltraChrome PRO10 ink as the P900 into a 13-inch chassis with a 4.3-inch touchscreen and dual paper paths (rear top for fine art, rear lower for plain). Maximum size is 13 × 19 sheets or 13 × 129 inches with the optional roll adapter ($179).

Resolution is 5760×1440 dpi; connection is USB 3, Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet. Cartridges are 25 mL — running cost $2-3 per 13×19.

• Wilhelm ~200 years on Legacy Platine and Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta
• Carbon Black mode beats every other consumer printer for neutral B&W
• Touchscreen UI is the best in the category
• Cons: head clogs after long idle periods — run it weekly

Verdict: the B&W photographer's printer in 2027.

5. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-2100

Price: $3,795 | Best for: Pro printmakers needing 24-inch roll output for exhibitions

Stepping up from desktop to professional 24-inch, the PRO-2100 uses an 11-color LUCIA PRO II + Chroma Optimizer set with 330 mL high-capacity cartridges. Maximum width is 24 inches in sheets or 24 × 59 ft rolls; built-in dual roll spindles and an automatic cutter handle gallery batches.

Resolution is 2400×1200 dpi at the same nozzle density as the PRO-1100. Connection includes USB, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi.

• Adobe RGB ~99%, matched to the PRO-1100 for color consistency across sizes
• Sub-cent-per-mL ink cost at the 330 mL tier
• 8-color B&W rendering with sub-pixel dithering
• Cons: needs a dedicated table — the chassis weighs 62 kg

Verdict: the print-for-pay printer for fine-art photographers.

6. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 💎 BEST VALUE

Price: $799 | Best for: High-volume home photographers who refuse to pay cartridge tax

The ET-8550 is the value pick of 2027 — full stop. A 13-inch six-color dye-based EcoTank with refillable bottles, it drops the cost-per-8x10 to roughly $0.30 and the cost-per-13×19 to ~$1.20 — a 5-10× savings over every cartridge-based printer on this list.

Maximum sheet size is 13 × 19; connection is USB, Wi-Fi 6, Ethernet, AirPrint. Resolution is 5760×1440 dpi.

• Six-color dye set with Photo Black + Gray for genuine photo quality (most all-in-ones use 4-ink CMYK)
• Wilhelm-rated ~100 years on Epson Premium Glossy — half the pigment lifespan but plenty for home framing
• One bottle set lasts ~2,300 8x10 prints
• Cons: dye-based means slightly less archival vs pigment, and scenic prints under direct sun will fade faster

Verdict: best value photo printer of 2027 — no cartridge guilt, real photo gamut.

7. Canon PIXMA Pro-200

Price: $699 | Best for: Vibrant-color enthusiasts who prioritize punch over archival permanence

The PIXMA Pro-200 is Canon's 8-color ChromaLife100+ dye-based 13-inch printer — the dye counterpart to the PRO-300. Dye inks deliver more saturated, glossier output than pigment on glossy paper, making it a favorite for wedding photographers and Instagram-portfolio printers.

Maximum sheet size is 13 × 19; connection is USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet. Resolution is 4800×2400 dpi.

• Adobe RGB ~95%, with standout reds and magentas
• Cartridges are 14.4 mL — running cost $1.50-2 per 13×19
• Prints a 13×19 in ~90 seconds — fastest in class
• Cons: dye archival ~30-40 years vs 200 for pigment — not for sale-grade prints

Verdict: the dye-glossy enthusiast's pick.

8. Epson SureColor P5370

Price: $2,995 | Best for: Prosumers who need 17-inch roll output without jumping to 24

The P5370 is the 2025 17-inch professional roll printer — bridging the P900 desktop and the P7570 24-inch beast. 10-color UltraChrome HDX pigment in 200 mL cartridges, 17-inch roll with auto-cutter, 4.3-inch touchscreen, and a built-in spectroproofer port for color-managed proofing.

Connection is Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3, Wi-Fi.

• Adobe RGB ~99% with full HDX gamut
• Wilhelm ~200 years on Legacy paper line
• Auto-switching matte/photo black — no ink swap downtime
• Cons: $3K price is steep unless you're billing prints

Verdict: the working photographer's 17-inch roll workhorse.

9. HP ENVY Photo 7855

Price: $249 | Best for: Consumer-entry users who want occasional 4×6 and 8×10 prints

The ENVY Photo 7855 is the default consumer photo all-in-one in 2027 — 6-color dye-based (CMYK + Photo Black + Photo Cyan), 8.5×11 max with borderless 4×6, 5×7, 8×10. It's an all-in-one with scan/copy/fax. Connection is USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, AirPrint. Resolution is 4800×1200 dpi.

• Real photo output for casual use, not just CMYK-document compromise
• Instant Ink subscription drops cost-per-page to ~$0.10 per 8×10
• Tiny 18-inch-wide footprint
• Cons: no 13-inch capability, dye archival ~10-15 years unframed

Verdict: the gift-shop photo printer for casual users.

10. Canon PIXMA TS9120

Price: $199 | Best for: Budget-conscious users printing occasional snapshots and school projects

The PIXMA TS9120 rounds out the list as the budget six-ink all-in-one. 6-color ChromaLife100 dye, 8.5×11 max, borderless 4×6 to 8×10, scan/copy, and a 5-inch touchscreen that's surprisingly good. Connection is USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPrint, Mopria. Resolution is 4800×1200 dpi.

• Six-ink (vs the 4-ink norm at this price) gives real photo color
• Bluetooth direct-print from phones
• Disc-tray printing for CD/DVD labels
• Cons: tiny 8 mL cartridges make this a printer-as-loss-leader play — running cost rivals the EcoTank's startup price after 100 prints

Verdict: the cheapest legit photo printer worth buying in 2027.

Buyer Decision Tree — Which One's Right for You?

What to Look For When Buying a Photo Inkjet Printer

A few specs matter, most marketing copy doesn't. From years of DPReview roundups, Steve Huff Photo long-term tests, and LuLa archival data:

• Pigment vs dye is the single biggest decision. Pigment inks (Canon LUCIA, Epson UltraChrome) deliver 100-200 year archival permanence and matte-paper compatibility. Dye inks (Canon ChromaLife, HP) give punchier glossy color but fade in 30-40 years even framed, and within 10 years in direct sun. Selling prints? Pigment, always.
• Ink count = color gamut. 6-color is the floor for "photo printer." 8-10 colors is where Adobe RGB coverage cracks 95%. 11-color sets (Canon PRO-1100, PRO-2100) add Chroma Optimizer and dedicated gray inks for gallery-grade B&W.
• EcoTank cost-per-print math is real. The ET-8550 saves ~$2 per 13×19 vs cartridge rivals. Print 400 large photos a year and the EcoTank pays for itself in 18 months vs a P900.
• 13 inch vs 17 inch is the sweet-spot decision. 13 × 19 covers 99% of enthusiast use and fits on a desk. 17 × 22 is where galleries start; below that, framers complain about mat-board math. Don't pay 17-inch money unless you print 17-inch regularly.
• Adobe RGB vs sRGB matters less than reviewers claim. Phones, web galleries, and most monitors are sRGB. Adobe RGB only pays off if you shoot RAW, edit on a wide-gamut display, and print pigment on coated paper. Otherwise the difference is marginal.

Common gotchas: clogged nozzles after 2+ weeks idle (run weekly), third-party inks voiding warranty on most pigment printers, borderless on fine-art paper often unavailable (front-feed disables borderless), and roll adapters sold separately on the P700/P900.

FAQ

What's the longest-lasting photo print I can make at home? A pigment print on Canson Baryta Prestige or Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta from the Canon PRO-1100 or Epson P900 rates at 200+ years in dark storage and ~100 years behind UV-protective glass, per Aardenburg Imaging independent tests.

Is the EcoTank really cheaper if I only print 50 photos a year? No. At low volume the cartridge-based Canon PRO-300 or Pro-200 wins because EcoTank bottles dry out unused. EcoTank pays off at 200+ large prints/year.

Why no Brother or Lexmark on this list? Brother and Lexmark target documents, not photos — their printers top out at 4-ink CMYK with no photo-specific inks. DPReview and Wirecutter both exclude them from photo roundups for the same reason.

Can I use third-party inks safely? Generally no for pigment printers — Canon LUCIA and Epson UltraChrome chemistry is precisely tuned to nozzle physics, and third-party fills cause head clogs and voided warranties. Refilled EcoTanks with Epson-branded bottles are the only sanctioned cheap-ink path.

What's the best printer for scenic and outdoor photography panoramas? The Epson SureColor P900 or P5370 with roll adapter — both handle 17-inch wide rolls up to 129 inches long, perfect for 2:1 or 3:1 panoramic crops.

Do I need a calibrated monitor to get good prints? Yes, ideally — a SpyderX or X-Rite i1Display calibration matches monitor to printer output. Without it, even the PRO-1100 produces prints that don't match your edit.

Bottom Line

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 is the best overall photo inkjet printer of 2027 — 11-color pigment, 17-inch, 200-year archival, ~99% Adobe RGB. The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the best value — refillable tanks crush cost-per-print while still delivering real six-ink photo quality.

Pick by archival needs first, budget second, and use the Buyer Decision Tree above to map your use case to the right pick.

Sources

• DPReview — Photo Printer Buying Guides 2025-2027 (Canon PRO-1100, Epson P900, P700 reviews)
• Image Resource — Printer reviews and ink-cost analysis (PRO-300, Pro-200 long-term tests)
• Steve Huff Photo — Real-world print tests on Canon PRO-1000/1100 and Epson P900
• LuLa (legacy archive of the long-running fine-art photography publication) — Aardenburg light-fastness reference data
• Wirecutter — "The Best Photo Printer" 2026 update (EcoTank ET-8550 value pick)
• PCMag — Photo printer head-to-heads (HP ENVY 7855, Canon TS9120 budget reviews)
• B&H Photo — Manufacturer spec sheets and pro-printer comparison tables
• Reddit r/photography — Community sentiment on clog rates, ink cost, EcoTank reliability
• Reddit r/AnalogPrintMaking — Fine-art printmaker discussions on Canon vs Epson pigment
• Canon USA, Epson America, HP Inc. — Manufacturer spec sheets for all 10 products listed
• Aardenburg Imaging & Archives — Independent archival permanence ratings