9 +Best Printer For Graphic Design | 2022 Ultimate Guide

The printers , although less common today than a few years ago, can still be one of the best tools for graphics and creative. Admitted, it is obvious, that you are very clear about your goals and know how to choose the product that best suits your needs.

Since we are dealing with graphic design and visual creativity in general, we therefore decided to explore what the market offers from the point of view of professional printers .

The assumption is that what you need is a printer with a ‘ high quality in color reproduction and detail that might allow you to operate on alternative formats, the standard, but at the same time with an eye to economic sustainability.

Instead, we exclude those printers designed mainly for the office , which have as their main quality that of being able to produce a lot of A4s per minute, in black and white at low definition.

Warning: if you have a small agency, a printer that can perform both functions well could still be useful – in this case report it to us in the comments, we can think of a second dedicated article;) ‌‌.

Best Printer For Graphic Design | 2022

So let’s see what are the features you should take into account to choose the product that allows you to professionally transfer your graphic projects to paper from the best printers on the market.

Best Printer For Graphic Design | 2022 Comparison Table

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Best Printer For Graphic Design | 2022 Reviews

Best Printer For Graphic Design | 2022 Guide

The characteristics of graphic and creative printers

As I anticipated, even if the market is as always very rich in proposals, there are some characteristics that you must take into account in particular if you want to choose among the best printers those most suitable for producing graphic projects.

One of the most common mistakes could be to rely only on the quality of the rendering , the definition and the richness of the inks, for example.

Certainly they are important parameters , but likewise you should try to evaluate better the printing cost also , depending on the type of cartridge, as well as having a ‘ very precise on the specific idea you want to do the printer.

This way you will be able to find what you need even while staying within the confines of a reasonable budget .

The alternative is obviously to turn to professional printing services . If you need more information on how to prepare a file for printing, or on printing techniques in general, you can find it here andhere.

So let’s go now to see together in more detail what are the characteristics to pay attention to in order to guide you in choosing among the best graphic and creative printers.

Laser or inkjet

Choosing between these two types today, thanks to the enormous progress of recent years, is less obvious than some time ago. In fact, the gap between laser and inkjet has increasingly narrowed in terms of quality and definition of results.

But some differences remain, and it is good to know them to make the right choice. The printers inkjet ensure fuller and vivid colors , and also the professional ranges provide more than four color tanks, from six to twelve. This obviously allows you to obtain greater chromatic fidelity .

On the other hand, laser printers offer you greater speed and flexibility . They adapt well to all types of use. Also, depending on the type of paper you want to print on, in some cases the results may be better than what you would get with inkjet.

When choosing between these two technologies, don’t forget to consider the cost . Inkjet printer cartridges are usually less expensive, but last less. On the other hand, toners are quite expensive, but they guarantee you a greater number of prints.

So if you plan to print a few copies, inkjets are for you, on the contrary you should evaluate lasers.

Still speaking of inks, keep in mind that jet printers can work with two very different types of ink and choosing the right one allows you to obtain better graphic results depending on the media. I’ll explain better.

Pigment inks or dye inks

The dye inks are the more traditional ones, based on water-soluble dyes .

On the contrary, pigmented inks are made by incorporating the pigments , then the colored molecules, in synthetic resin ; ‌ everything is then suspended in a liquid.

This solution is by far the most expensive and guarantees almost unchanged results over time , unlike dye inks which are very sensitive to light.

But pigmented inks do not disperse as easily as dye inks, so they are less suitable for example on coated papers. Not only that: ‌ the dye inks immediately give a more saturated and lively result .

Also in this case, therefore, the right choice is the one that best suits the use you will make of the printer.

Format

Standard printers, especially those designed for the home, typically print in sizes up to A4.

But obviously there is no shortage of options on the market. If you have different needs, you can choose printers that go up to A2 and even plotters that print in A1 format .

As performance levels up, so does the price of the printer. I therefore advise you to carefully consider what your real professional needs are before making a choice

Paper

The types of paper you need to work on are another element to be carefully evaluated. In fact, not all printers are able to operate with all weights or finishes; ‌ for example, laser printers frequently do not accept thicker papers .

Or you may need to work with “double-sided” photo papers. Therefore, always make sure which types of paper are supported by the device you are interested in.

Cartridge format

I have already partially anticipated the importance, when buying a printer, to take into account not only the cost of the peripheral itself, but also the printing costs , which are mainly linked to the inks and their duration.

Also in this case there are many solutions proposed by the market. However, I advise you to always prefer, and this applies to both laser and inkjet, the proposals with the tanks of the various colors separated .

So you can not only change the ink only when really needed, but also avoid errors or unwanted smudges during printing.

We have clarified what are the parameters that help you make the choice that best suits your needs. So let’s go and discover the most interesting models among the best printers that the market offers us for graphic designers and creatives.

Budget and price matching

Make a list of the things you want in your Printer and the price you are willing to pay for it. So try to look for a product in that price range and choose the one that appeals to you the most. One tip we would like to give you is: don’t settle for a cheaper product if it doesn’t even have a function you need.

Warranty Matters!

When you buy a Printer from a well-known brand, you will get a guarantee. Low-cost products also come with warranties, but the claim process could be tougher. That’s why I always suggest you buy the product from a reputed brand and the one that comes under warranty. It will save you from repair costs in the future. On average, around 21% of people end up paying 40% of the product price for the service! You can save on service costs if the product is under warranty!

Check out our website

On our website we have experts in all categories and no matter what the product is, we have a better review or list about it. The products on our list are based on expert picks, advice and hours of research. That’s why when you buy something that’s listed on our best list, you won’t regret it. However, there is a possibility that we may not have covered the product you might be interested in, but if you come across something like this, please let us know via comments or contact us.

Conclusions

We have seen together some very different options , in terms of price, performance and vocations of use. However, they all have in common the ability to offer you considerable help when it comes to taking your graphic and creative projects from digital to paper.

What kind of experience do you have with printers? Do you think you would like any of these models? Maybe you have used any of them? ‌ In this case you can report your considerations in the comments. Or do you think it is more useful or convenient to contact printers?