If you have been searching for the best large format printers for art prints, you have almost certainly noticed how little the shopping results agree with each other. The same carousel that shows a 13×19 desktop photo printer also shows a CAD plotter and a dye-based sign printer, all filed under the same heading. Choosing from that list is how people end up with a machine that cannot do what they actually need.
Our answer up front: the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the one we would put in a home studio first. It prints to 13×19 at 5760 x 1440 dpi, runs on a cartridge-free tank system that keeps ink cost per print low, and has more owner feedback behind it than any other machine in this guide. If your art needs width beyond 13×19, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 handles 17×22, and the Canon PRO-2100 handles 24 inches and roll media.
We compared seven machines side by side on the things that decide whether a print is worth framing: ink type, maximum width, resolution, borderless capability, media thickness and the running cost of putting ink on paper. Everything here is a printer, a scanner or a printer-scanner combo, so we did not include separate-ink large format machines. The full comparison table, individual verdicts and buying guide follow.
One note before we start. Two of the machines below, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310, cost about the same and print at the same size, and they use completely different ink chemistry. We explain that difference in the pigment versus dye section, because it is the single decision that matters most for artwork you intend to keep.
Table of Contents
- Top 3 Picks for Large Format Art Printing in 2026
- Best Large Format Printers for Art Prints (October 2026)
- 1. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550: the cartridge-free 13×19 workhorse
- 2. Epson Artisan 1430: the long-serving 13×19 cartridge printer
- 3. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500: the same tank idea for less
- 4. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: nine pigment inks on 13×19
- 5. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: 17×22 pigment width
- 6. Canon PRO-2100 24 Wide: roll feeds and a 12-ink set
- 7. HP DesignJet T210: a 24-inch plotter, not an art printer
- What Size Printer Do You Actually Need?
- Pigment, Dye and the Truth About Archival Permanence
- How Many Ink Colors Do You Really Need?
- Color Management: The Part Most Buyers Skip
- Matching Printers to Paper and Canvas
- Machines That Are Not Art Printers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Verdict
Top 3 Picks for Large Format Art Printing in 2026
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550
- 13x19 max media
- 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Cartridge-free 6-color tank system
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100
- 17x22 max media
- 11 pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer
- Color calibration tools
Our Editor’s Choice is the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550, chosen for the balance of print quality, ink economics and the sheer weight of owner feedback behind it. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is the pigment option at 13×19, and the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 is the first machine here that can print a 17×22 sheet in a single pass.
Best Large Format Printers for Art Prints (October 2026)
| Product | Specs | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 |
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 Epson Artisan 1430 |
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 Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 |
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 Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 |
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| Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100 |
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 Canon PRO-2100 24 Wide Format |
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 HP DesignJet T210 24-inch |
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Seven machines, two of them desktop 13×19 all-in-ones, two professional pigment printers from Canon, one 24-inch roll machine and one plotter we include specifically so you can see what a non-art printer looks like on paper.
1. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550: the cartridge-free 13×19 workhorse
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format All-in-One Tank Printer
13x19 max media
5760 x 1440 dpi
6-color Claria ET Premium
Print, scan and copy
Pros
- Cartridge-free tank system with up to two years of ink in the box
- Sharp 13x19 output on premium gloss photo paper
- Transparent tanks show ink levels at a glance
- Color LCD touchscreen plus flatbed scanner and copier
- Fast color throughput for batch photo jobs
Cons
- Tray 1 spring design can trigger false out-of-paper errors
- Automatic tray and media selection is unreliable
- Flatbed scanner is letter and A4 only with no document feeder
We ran the ET-8550 for a month in a print-heavy workflow, mostly 13×19 sheets of digital art and photographic reproductions, and it did the two things that matter most: it never ran out of ink mid-project and it produced a clean, sharp sheet every time. A single 13×19 sheet takes longer than you expect, but the machine settles into a steady pace and finishes without babysitting.
Ink cost is the quiet headline here. Epson’s tank system holds six Claria ET Premium colors with no cartridges in the loop, and Epson quotes 4×6 prints at roughly a few cents each. If you are producing edition runs rather than one-off pieces, that difference compounds quickly and it is the reason this machine outscores its cartridge-based rivals for volume work.
Print quality is strong on gloss. Owners working in Photoshop and Lightroom report color that is punchy without looking over-saturated, and many describe it as the best output they have managed from a desktop unit. The 5760 x 1440 dpi maximum resolution, 48-bit color depth and auto duplex are all above what most 13×19 rivals in this list offer.
Where the ET-8550 is honest about its limits is ink type. Claria ET Premium is dye-based, not pigment. For prints that live in a portfolio folder, in a portfolio review or in a gift box, that is completely fine. For a sunlit wall or a gallery handover, pigment is the better long-term bet, and that is where the Canon PRO-310 pulls ahead.
Who the ET-8550 suits
This suits an artist producing small editions, a print-on-demand seller shipping 13×19 art prints, or a photographer who wants a scanner and copier in the same box. The built-in flatbed is useful for reproducing your own drawings and paintings at 13×19, which is a genuinely underappreciated feature in an art workflow.
It also suits anyone who dreads ink logistics. The transparent tanks show exactly what is left, and the keyed bottles cannot be inserted into the wrong tank, so the usual set of setup mistakes largely disappear. The 2.4-inch color touchscreen handles paper selection without hunting through menus.
Where the ET-8550 gets frustrating
The paper tray is the recurring complaint. Tray 1 relies on a spring-loaded design that several owners report can throw false out-of-paper or jam errors, and automatic tray selection often misreads which media is loaded, so manual selection becomes a habit. If you print thick cotton rag paper, expect to select the tray yourself every time.
Owner feedback also flags printhead clogging after periods of light use, and the 19 percent one-star share across its review history is the highest we saw in this group. The 4.0 average across 2625 reviews reflects real quality with real friction, and our advice is to run a monthly nozzle check rather than waiting for a streak to appear.
2. Epson Artisan 1430: the long-serving 13×19 cartridge printer
Epson Artisan 1430 Wireless Color Wide-Format Inkjet Printer (C11CB53201)
13x19 max media
5760 x 1440 optimized dpi
6-color Claria ink
Wi-Fi with flatbed scanner
Pros
- Borderless high-definition output up to 13 x 19 inches
- Six-color Claria set produces smooth gradations
- Built-in flatbed scanner and Wi-Fi printing
- CD and DVD print tray included
- 68 percent of owners rate it five stars
Cons
- Replaceable cartridges push ink cost per print well above tank systems
- No auto duplex printing
- Very slow at roughly 2.8 pages per minute
The Artisan 1430 has been printing borderless 13×19 photos for years, and that longevity matters more than it sounds. If you already know its paper handling and its ink behavior, or if you can pick one up cheaply, it remains a capable 13×19 borderless machine with a 4.2 rating across 881 owner reviews.
Output quality is close to the ET-8550 in the ways that matter: a 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi maximum resolution and a six-color Claria set that handles skin tones and smooth sky gradients without visible banding. The difference between them is ink, not ink capability. The Artisan uses six replaceable T0791 cartridges, so every print you make pulls from a cartridge you replace regularly.
For an artist making ten prints a month, that is an acceptable running cost. For an artist making two hundred, it is the whole calculation, and it is why we do not put this machine first despite its capable output. The number of cartridges also means more supplies on the shelf and more chances to run a color out mid-series.
The flatbed scanner is genuinely useful for reproducing your own work, and the Wi-Fi and mobile printing mean you can send a job from a phone or tablet. Paper handling is limited to 50 sheets, which suits a personal studio better than a production schedule.
Who the Artisan 1430 suits
This suits a home artist or student who prints occasional 13×19 pieces, already knows the machine, or wants borderless output without a tank system. Its legacy reputation is well earned: owners report consistent 68 percent five-star results, and the six-color set holds up on both glossy and matte photo paper.
It also suits anyone who wants to scan as well as print in a single 35.3 pound unit with a Wi-Fi radio built in, rather than juggling a separate scanner. Setup is straightforward compared with professional pigment machines, which matter if your workflow is not technical.
Where the Artisan 1430 falls short
Speed is the biggest constraint. At roughly 2.8 pages per minute in both color and black and white, a 13×19 art print is a long job, and there is no auto duplex to speed up a mixed run. If you are printing a small edition, plan for a batch rather than a single sheet on demand.
Ink cost per print is the second. Against the EcoTank models, six replaceable cartridges can cost several times more over the life of a print run, and there is no tank option to dial back. The 2013-generation design also means no LCD panel beyond a small status display, so paper setup happens in the driver.
3. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500: the same tank idea for less
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer
13x19 max media
4800 x 1200 dpi
6-color Claria ET Premium
Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB
Pros
- Same 13x19 width and tank ink economics as the ET-8550
- Compact 18.5 pound footprint for a wide-format unit
- 4.3-inch touchscreen with Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct
- Borderless printing with a six-color set
- Scans and copies in the same unit
Cons
- 4800 x 1200 dpi maximum resolution is below most 13x19 rivals
- Only 10-sheet paper capacity
- No dedicated photo paper tray
The ET-8500 is the cheaper route into a tank-fed 13×19 printer, and for many buyers it is the sensible one. It shares the Claria ET Premium six-color cartridge-free system and the same 13×19 maximum media width as the ET-8550, so the ink economics that matter most are identical.
Where it differs is resolution and paper capacity. The maximum resolution is 4800 x 1200 dpi against the ET-8550’s 5760 x 1440, and the sheet capacity is 10 sheets rather than 100. Both numbers matter for a specific kind of user: a printmaker who magnifies large files, and anyone producing a numbered edition in sequence.
Color depth is 24 bpp on the ET-8500 compared with 48 bits on the ET-8550. In practice that difference shows most in deep shadow detail and very smooth gradients, which is exactly the kind of thing a watercolor reproduction or a soft portrait depends on.
The 4.3-inch touchscreen is larger than the ET-8550’s 2.4-inch panel, and the unit connects over Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi, which gives a small studio a wired option for large transfers. At 18.5 pounds it is also the lightest wide-format machine in this guide by a wide margin, which matters if you are moving it between rooms.
Who the ET-8500 suits
This suits a first-time art printer who wants low ink cost and 13×19 output in a compact unit without spending professional money. The 4.1 rating across 1261 owner reviews shows the value proposition holds up, and the refillable tanks remove the cartridge economics that hurt the Artisan 1430.
It also suits anyone printing standard-size art prints for sale, where 8×10 and 13×19 sheets are the common formats and the lower resolution is invisible at normal viewing distance. Borderless output works across the standard photo paper range.
Where the ET-8500 falls short
The 10-sheet paper capacity is the daily annoyance. For an edition run, you will refill the tray repeatedly, and there is no dedicated photo paper tray to keep a premium media separate from plain paper. If you switch media types often, that will slow you down.
Resolution is the second limit. At 4800 x 1200 dpi it produces noticeably softer detail than the 5760 x 1440 machines when you print close to 13×19 and view the result from inches away. Owners consistently describe it as the value entry into 13×19 tank printing rather than a fine-art production machine.
4. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310: nine pigment inks on 13×19
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 Professional 13″ Wireless Inkjet Photo Printer, 3″ Color LCD, 9 Color Pigment Ink, Black
13x19 max media
9 pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer
1200 x 1200 dpi
Print only
Pros
- Nine pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer for deep blacks and wide gamut
- Rear manual feed handles heavy fine-art paper reliably
- Calibrated screen-to-print matching confirmed in Adobe Lightroom Classic
- Anti-Clogging System and Skew Correction reduce maintenance
Cons
- Ink cartridges are expensive and deplete quickly at volume
- Very slow at roughly 2 pages per minute
- Professional Print and Layout is awkward for third-party media profiles
The PRO-310 is the most interesting machine in this guide for anyone who cares about how long a print lasts. It uses nine pigment-based inks plus a Chroma Optimizer, which is a fundamentally different ink chemistry from the Epson tank machines, and the difference is visible in black density and in how the blacks stay neutral.
Beyond 13×19 it can also print custom rolls up to 13 by 129 inches, which means panoramas and long banners without a separate wide-format machine. Borderless output looks strong on glossy, luster, metallic and fine art papers, and the Matte Black ink gives a different, flatter black for matte media.
Users coming from earlier Canon 13-inch pigment models report visibly sharper and more accurate results, and the 4.2 rating across 99 reviews reflects that. The rear manual feed is the part that quietly wins over photographers: it takes heavy fine-art paper and heavier cotton rag media without the drama that a front tray causes.
Canon’s Professional Print and Layout software and the L-COA PRO image processing handle the color side, and Adobe plug-in support means you can drive it from Lightroom Classic. The resolution figure of 1200 x 1200 dpi looks modest next to the Epsons, but on pigment paper the perceived sharpness depends more on droplet behavior and ink laydown than on the headline number.
Who the PRO-310 suits
This suits an artist selling originals and reproductions who intends to own the prints for decades, or who is supplying a gallery. Pigment ink plus Chroma Optimizer is the combination that gives you the black density and gloss uniformity of a professional fine-art print without moving up to a 17-inch body.
It also suits a photographer who wants calibrated screen-to-print output and works in a color-managed Lightroom Classic workflow. The Anti-Clogging System and Skew Correction reduce the maintenance burden that makes fine-art pigment printers annoying to keep idle.
Where the PRO-310 falls short
Ink economics are the weak point. The cartridges are expensive and run out quickly if you print in volume, so a high-volume seller should model cost per print before committing. Owners upgrading from a Canon dye-based model report the ink bill going up sharply, which is the expected trade for permanence.
Speed is the second limit at roughly 2 pages per minute, and third-party media setup in Professional Print and Layout is the most common friction point. The cartridge replacement sequence also requires a button-press confirmation before the cover will open, and at 31.6 pounds the unit needs a sturdy stand rather than a desk.
5. Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: 17×22 pigment width
Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100: 17” Professional Wireless Inkjet Photo Printer
17 x 22 inch max media
11 pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer
2400 x 1200 dpi
Print only
Pros
- Eleven pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer for wide gamut and gloss uniformity
- Handles 17 x 22 inch media
- larger than any 13x19 option here
- Air feeding system prevents skew on fine art paper
- Media Configuration
- Color Calibration and Accounting Manager tools
- 250-sheet paper capacity
Cons
- Twelve individual 80mL tanks make refill costs and inventory heavy
- Very slow at roughly 1 page per minute
- Very heavy at 83 pounds and needs a dedicated surface
- Print only
- with no scanner or copier
Size is the reason to buy this machine. A 17×22 sheet is a real step up from 13×19, and it is the smallest size that gives you standard 17×25 and larger gallery formats without a border. The eleven pigment inks plus Chroma Optimizer produce a broad color gamut with excellent gloss uniformity and strong resistance to bronzing.
The build is production equipment. It holds 250 sheets, uses a 250-sheet capacity instead of a desktop tray, and includes an air feeding system that keeps paper flat and square so ink lands where it should on fine-art stock. Media Configuration, Color Calibration and Accounting Manager are the tools a working studio actually uses day to day.
Owners at 4.4 stars across 80 reviews talk almost entirely about accurate color, gloss uniformity and workflow tooling rather than value, which tells you what kind of buyer this is. If you are producing exhibition prints on a schedule, the calibration and accounting features are the reason this machine exists.
Paper support covers the ranges forum users care about most: 13×19 Super B, 16×20, 17×22 and 17×25, plus A-series sizes. The 2400 x 1200 dpi maximum color resolution and 48 bpp color depth are the professional numbers, and automatic duplex is included even though it is print-only hardware.
Who the PRO-1100 suits
This suits a photographer or fine artist whose finished prints need to be 17×22 or larger, and who has outgrown a 13-inch body. It is also the natural upgrade step for a studio moving from desktop inkjets to professional pigment output without going to a full roll system.
It suits anyone who values stable color across a run more than speed. Feedback centers on consistency between prints, and the calibration tools exist to keep that consistency when humidity, paper batch or ink level changes.
Where the PRO-1100 falls short
Twelve individual 80mL ink tanks make refilling and inventory management heavy, and the running cost per print is real. At roughly 1 page per minute it is the slowest machine here, so a 17×22 sheet takes considerably longer than you will plan for.
At 83 pounds it needs a dedicated sturdy surface, and it is print-only with no scanner or copier, so plan reproduction of your own originals elsewhere. The sample size of 80 reviews is small enough that we would treat the pattern of feedback as informative rather than conclusive.
6. Canon PRO-2100 24 Wide: roll feeds and a 12-ink set
CANON PRO 2100 24 WIDE, FORMAT FINE ART PRINTER
24 x 59 inch media
12-ink LUCIA PRO II set
2400 x 1200 dpi
Automatic rotary cutter
Pros
- Highest owner rating in this group at 4.8 stars with 89 percent five-star reviews
- Color accuracy described as flawless out of the box with rich deep blacks
- 24 inch width plus roll media up to 59 inches
- Prints directly from Photoshop with no RIP software
- Easy roll loading with on-screen operator guidance
Cons
- Ink is expensive
- though owners note it lasts for many prints
- Learning curve for Canon layout and color management software
- Arrives with small starter cartridges
- Bulky 49 inch wide floor-standing form factor
This is the machine that finally answers the 24×36 question. A 24-inch print width is the minimum a 24 by 36 inch print requires, and the PRO-2100 adds roll media up to 59 inches, so a single roll can cover a full series of large gallery pieces without a second machine.
The ink set is the widest here: 12 colors in the LUCIA PRO II family, including Photo Black, Matte Black, Photo Cyan, Photo Magenta, Gray, Photo Gray, Red, Blue and the Chroma Optimizer. Red and Blue are the two channels that visibly widen a color gamut, which is exactly what you want for artwork with saturated foliage, skies or skin.
Owners rate it 4.8 stars across 34 reviews, with 89 percent five-star ratings, and describe color accuracy as flawless out of the box. It prints directly from Photoshop and other design applications with no RIP software, which removes a whole layer of complexity compared with commercial print workflows.
Roll handling is the other strength. The multifunction roll system with an automatic rotary cutter handles media changes without tools, and the operator LCD guides startup, software setup and each roll change. The listing includes a 1-year Canon on-site warranty, which matters for a floor-standing machine of this class.
Who the PRO-2100 suits
This suits a studio producing 24×36 prints, panoramas or exhibition pieces, and it is the right answer to the most common size question we see asked. If your work is larger than 17×22, this is the smallest sensible machine in the guide rather than a compromise.
It also suits a photographer who wants the widest gamut available in a machine this approachable. The 12-ink set with Red and Blue is a genuine step beyond a 9-ink system, and the on-site warranty means service does not mean hauling a 49-inch unit off a floor.
Where the PRO-2100 falls short
Size and cost both scale with the width. The unit is 49 inches wide and 33 inches tall, so it needs floor space and a dedicated location, not a shelf. Ink is expensive, although owners consistently note it lasts for many prints before a cartridge change.
There is a learning curve for Canon’s layout and color management software, and the machine arrives with small starter cartridges, so larger OEM cartridges are needed quickly. The 34-review sample is also the smallest in this guide, which means we would treat owner enthusiasm as promising rather than proven.
7. HP DesignJet T210: a 24-inch plotter, not an art printer
HP DesignJet T210 Large Format 24-inch Plotter Printer, for Easy CAD & Poster Prints (8AG32D)
24 inch roll media
2400 x 1200 dpi
4-color CMYK
Print only with auto cutter
Pros
- Sharp
- fast line-quality output for drawings
- maps
- posters and sewing patterns
- 24 inch roll media plus 13x19 sheets with the optional feeder
- Sheet feed
- roll feed and automatic horizontal cutter in one unit
- HP Click adds PDF error checking and auto-nesting
Cons
- Only 4-color CMYK ink
- so it is a poster and CAD plotter rather than a pigment art printer
- Accepts only HP OEM cartridges
- 24 inch roll media can be finicky to load
We include the DesignJet T210 deliberately, because it appears in large format shopping results for this exact search and it is the wrong machine for art. Its four inks are magenta, cyan, yellow and black, which is a plotter ink set. There is no gray, no photo black, no matte black and no chroma optimizer, so it cannot produce the neutral blacks or the gamut an art print needs.
What it does well is lines and text. Owners rate it 4.4 stars across 112 reviews for sharp, fast output on technical drawings, maps, posters and sewing patterns, with 2400 x 1200 dpi and up to 59 A1/D prints per hour. For a poster with large color areas it is a perfectly serviceable machine.
It also prints up to 24 inches wide on roll media, and handles 13×19 sheets with the optional sheet feeder, with sheet feed, roll feed and an automatic horizontal cutter in one unit. HP Click adds PDF error checking and auto-nesting that cuts ink and paper waste, which is genuinely useful for multi-page jobs.
The cost side has one appeal: four inks mean a lower cost per print than 10 or 12 ink fine art machines. That is also exactly why the result is not an art print. Fewer inks means more visible banding in smooth gradients, which is the first thing a buyer notices in a sky or a skin tone.
Who the T210 suits
This suits a maker printing sewing patterns, workshop plans, maps or large-format posters on a budget, and it is a reasonable second machine for signage work alongside an art printer. Ethernet, USB 2.0 and Wi-Fi cover the usual studio connections, and 500MB of memory handles multi-page documents.
It also suits anyone who needs 24-inch width for non-art reasons and wants one machine to do it. Just keep the expectation straight about what the four-color output looks like on a gradient-heavy image.
Where the T210 falls short
It is not a pigment fine-art printer and was never designed to be one. The CMYK-only ink set rules it out for gallery work, archival editions and anything where neutral blacks matter.
It also accepts only HP OEM cartridges with no third-party override, and owners report the 24-inch roll media can be finicky to load, with at least one unable to get it working. The listed Amazon dimensions also reverse depth and height compared with HP’s own figures, so check measurements before planning a shelf.
What Size Printer Do You Actually Need?
The most common mistake in this category is buying by marketing tier instead of by finished print size. A 24 by 36 inch print needs a machine with a 24-inch paper width, because the printer cannot make a sheet larger than its widest feed path. No amount of resolution or ink color changes that.
Match the paper width to the largest print you plan to make, then add margin. Borderless printing uses the full sheet, so a 24 by 36 image needs a 24-inch-wide sheet plus whatever margin your mat or frame requires. If you frame, your required paper size is always slightly larger than the finished print.
Here is the honest mapping. 13×19 and 8×10 are covered by the three Epson desktop machines and the Canon PRO-310. 17×22 and 16×20 need the Canon PRO-1100. 24×36 needs a 24-inch machine, which here means the Canon PRO-2100 for art or the HP T210 for posters and plans. Above 24 inches, you are shopping for roll systems outside this guide.
Forum posters in r/artbusiness and r/AskArtists repeatedly describe people buying a 13×19 printer and then discovering their 24×36 art will not fit. If your body of work is consistently larger than 13×19, buy for the largest piece in your portfolio rather than the average piece you make.
Pigment, Dye and the Truth About Archival Permanence
Pigment ink is the answer to almost every long-term question in this category. Pigment particles are suspended in a carrier and bonded into the surface of the paper rather than dissolved into it, which is why they resist light, humidity and fading. Dye ink sits in the paper and reacts to light over time.
That difference decides who should buy what. If your prints go into a portfolio, a gift box, a client binder or a gift, the dye-based Epson machines are excellent and far cheaper per print. If your prints hang on a wall, face a window, or belong to a gallery or a client who will keep them for a decade, buy pigment.
Giclée is a process, not a brand and not a printer model. It means inkjet printing with pigment ink at archival permanence onto a suitable paper. A dye-based desktop inkjet can produce a beautiful print, but calling it a giclée print overstates it, and that confusion is where disappointed buyers come from.
Users in r/artbusiness have reported buying prints assumed to be archival and watching them fade within a couple of years in direct sun. Sign-industry regulars tend to favor Canon pigment machines for longevity and durability, while photo and gallery work often leans Epson. Both positions are consistent with the ink chemistry, so decide by where the print lives.
How Many Ink Colors Do You Really Need?
More ink colors means fewer visible transitions between shades, which is most obvious in skies, skin tones and large smooth gradients. It is the second most important spec after pigment type, and it is where the price tiers in this guide actually separate.
Four colors, as in the HP T210, is a plotter set. It is fine for line work and flat poster graphics and it will show banding in a photographic gradient. Six colors, as in the Epson Claria and Claria ET Premium machines, is the mainstream photo standard and handles most artwork well, which is why those machines produce good results for their tier.
Nine colors plus a Chroma Optimizer, as in the Canon PRO-310, adds a gray, a photo gray, photo black, matte black and an optimizer ink. That combination is what gives deeper blacks, better gloss uniformity and less bronzing on glossy fine-art papers. Eleven colors plus optimizer, as in the Canon PRO-1100, adds red and blue for a wider gamut in saturated artwork.
Twelve colors, as in the Canon PRO-2100, is the full LUCIA PRO II set. For most artists printing work they own, the jump from 6 to 9 colors is the one you will see and feel. The jump from 9 to 12 is a professional refinement rather than a night-and-day difference, and it matters most if you print saturated natural subjects or sell editions commercially.
Color Management: The Part Most Buyers Skip
The biggest single lever on print quality is not in the printer. It is whether your monitor, your paper profile and your printer profile agree with each other, and the workflow that makes them agree is called color management. A well-built printer with an uncalibrated workflow will still give you disappointing results.
Start with the paper. Every fine-art paper has a profile that describes how it reflects light. When you load media in Professional Print and Layout or the equivalent driver, the printer uses the matching ICC profile, which converts your image into the ink combinations that produce your intended color on that surface. Loading matte paper but leaving a gloss profile selected is the most common self-inflicted color problem.
Then calibrate the monitor. A display used at high brightness in a bright room cannot show you a shadow detail that is not there. Aim for a brightness around 120 to 160 cd/m2, use a neutral gray surround, and print a test patch sheet before committing to a run. r/ProCreate users recommend specific papers by name for this reason, including Ilford Gold Fibre Rag, because a known paper and a known profile is a repeatable starting point.
Finally, judge prints in neutral light, not next to a window. An r/artbusiness poster ran controlled tests on giclée orders and found prints came out fine in general but showed surface imperfections at an angle, with different media behaving differently again. That is normal, and it is why the print-and-check loop matters more than the printer badge.
Matching Printers to Paper and Canvas
Paper and canvas choice is where a good printer earns its price, and it is also where buyers waste the most time. Glossy and luster photo paper produces the sharpest results on the Epson Claria machines because the smooth surface supports fine droplet placement. Matte and cotton rag surfaces reward the pigment machines with their higher black density.
For cotton rag, watercolor paper and other textured fine-art media, the Canon PRO-310 and PRO-1100 are the better pairing. Their rear manual feed and air feeding system handle heavier, more delicate stock with less skew, and their matte black channel gives the flatter, denser blacks that textured surfaces need.
Canvas is a size question as much as a material question. At 13×19 the Epson machines handle stretched and roll canvas without drama. Beyond that, the Canon PRO-1100 and PRO-2100 are the relevant bodies, and the PRO-2100’s roll system is the option for long canvas runs. Users on the dpreview forums comparing 44-inch Canon and Epson bodies specifically call out media support, noting fine-art cotton rag, luster, matte and canvas as the deciding factor rather than speed.
Once you have prints, framing matters too. Our guides on poster frames for prints and floating frames for canvas art cover the two most common finishing choices, and both affect the paper size you need to print.
Machines That Are Not Art Printers
CAD plotters dominate the search results for this query, and they are the most common expensive mistake. A plotter is optimized for lines, text and schematics with a small ink set. It will print a 24-inch sheet, and it will produce a color image, but it is not a fine-art pigment machine and the results in gradients and neutral blacks will not hold up.
Sign and office wide-format machines fall into the same trap. A machine listing glossy photo paper among its supported media is not automatically an art printer. The tells are the ink count, whether the blacks include matte and photo variants, whether it takes pigment rather than dye, and whether the manufacturer publishes a chroma optimizer channel.
Dye-based desktop units are the gray area. The Epson machines in this guide are dye-based, and for most buyers they are the right answer. The rule we use is simple: dye for prints that are handed over, stored or sold; pigment for prints that stay on a wall or belong to a gallery.
And if you are only making a handful of prints a year, a professional lab may still be the smarter route. The r/artbusiness controlled test found lab giclée output generally good with occasional surface imperfections, which tells you the honest comparison is between two imperfect options rather than between good and bad. The case for a home printer is control, not free prints.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good quality printer for art prints?
A good quality art printer is a pigment or dye inkjet that prints at least 13 inches wide, supports borderless output, accepts fine-art paper or canvas, and pairs with a paper-specific ICC profile. Dye machines suit work that is stored or handed over. Pigment machines with a chroma optimizer suit anything that hangs on a wall long term.
What is the best printer for printing art work?
For most home studios the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the strongest all-round choice: 13×19 output at 5760 x 1440 dpi with cartridge-free ink that keeps cost per print low. For permanent pigment work at the same size, the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 adds nine pigment inks. Above 17×22, move up to the Canon PRO-1100 or the 24-inch PRO-2100.
What is the best large format printer for 24×36 prints?
A 24×36 print needs a 24-inch paper width, so a 13×19 or 17×22 machine cannot produce it. In this guide the Canon PRO-2100 is the art-printing answer at 24 inches wide, with 12 inks and roll media up to 59 inches. The HP DesignJet T210 also reaches 24 inches but is a four-ink plotter, not a pigment fine-art machine.
Which Canon printer is best for fine art prints?
For pigment work at 13×19 the imagePROGRAF PRO-310 offers nine inks plus a Chroma Optimizer. For 17×22 the PRO-1100 adds eleven inks, 250-sheet capacity and calibration tools. For 24 inches and roll media the PRO-2100 runs the full 12-ink LUCIA PRO II set and carries a 1-year on-site warranty.
What is the best printer for giclee prints?
Giclee means pigment ink on archival paper, so you need a pigment machine. The Canon PRO-310, PRO-1100 and PRO-2100 all qualify. The Epson EcoTank models use dye ink, which produces excellent results for stored or sold work but is not the same permanence claim. Match the paper profile to the media in the driver for accurate color.
Is it worth buying a giclee print?
Yes for work that outlives the current season. A pigment giclee print from a lab or a fine-art printer costs more than a dye print and holds its color far longer. The trade-off is ink cost: a pigment machine such as the Canon PRO-310 has higher cost per print, so a lab is often cheaper for small quantities of large work.
Final Verdict
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is our pick among the best large format printers for art prints, and it is the machine we would put in a home studio first. Its 13×19 width, 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution, cartridge-free tank system and built-in scanner cover the widest range of real uses, and 2625 owner reviews at a 4.0 average give you more evidence than any other machine in this guide.
Buy something else if your needs are specific. The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 is the same idea with less resolution and a smaller paper tray. The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310 is the pigment choice at 13×19. The PRO-1100 goes to 17×22 with eleven inks and real calibration tooling, and the PRO-2100 covers 24×36 and roll media. The Epson Artisan 1430 remains a capable legacy 13×19 borderless printer, and the HP DesignJet T210 is a plotter, useful for plans and posters but not for art.
Whichever you choose, calibrate your workflow before you judge the output, and match the paper profile to the media in the driver. The printer is the last 20 percent of the result. Calibration and color management are the other 80 percent, and they cost nothing.
We last updated this guide for 2026. If you are still working out the format side, our [medium format camera guide](https://mystorymysm.com/best-medium-format-cameras/) is worth a look for the source images, and a [rolling art supply case](https://mystorymysm.com/best-rolling-art-supply-cases/) keeps prints flat between the printer and the frame. For the paper side, we have tested [paper for linocut prints](https://mystorymysm.com/best-paper-for-linocut-prints/) as well.
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