- Look at the resolution of the photo printer to gain an idea about the printer's capabilities. A higher resolution, something equal to or more than 4800x1200 dpi, for example, will provide the best results. Keep in mind, however, that resolution numbers alone do not tell you which is the best printer.
- For the best mixture of cost and performance, most people printing photos at home will be satisfied with an inkjet printer. Color laser printers or color dye sublimation printers achieve high-end results, but they're far more expensive to operate, too. You may be better off printing most of your at-home photos with an inkjet printer, and then going to a specialty printer store to print the occasional photo that you need to be of laser-printer quality.
- When looking for a printer, you may want to consider a unit that includes memory card slots and a built-in LCD screen that allows you to make prints directly from the memory cards. If, however, you only print photos after running them through photo-editing software, the ability to print directly from memory cards won't be very important for you.
- Consider the size of the digital photo printer that will best meet your needs. A small, portable digital photo printer might be the right call if you need to be able to carry the printer with you. However, you may have to sacrifice a little in terms of print quality.
- Consider the other uses you may have for the printer. For example, if you also want to be able to print regular documents or e-mail messages, a full-size inkjet printer that can do both documents and photos is a good choice.
- Look at the number of ink wells the printer uses. For more realistic colors in your photos, try to find an inkjet printer that offers six inks rather than four (the extra two inks are specifically for photos). Also, it's best to select a photo printer that allows you to individually replace each color cartridge. Some printers include cyan, yellow, and magenta in one cartridge, which means you may have to replace the cartridge before two of the three inks are empty.
Finally, if you're looking for more information on printers, consider visiting the About.com Printers/Scanners Web site, where you'll find a lot of great, specific information about printers!
