In today's article, we'll be discussing the best printers for crafting. This article was written with the sole goal of helping the reader buy the best printer for craftworks.

We based our research on expert opinions and user feedback. We also took time to grade each of our recommended products with a score of 1-10 on each criterion.

We also made sure to point out our scenario-specific use for each printer such as a budget printer for crafters or the best wide format printers for crafters. These can help make your choice if you have a specific use case you would like to address.

Enjoy!

How To Choose the Best Printers for Crafting

For an optimal decision-making process, we've decided that the following selection criteria are the best when it comes to picking the best printers for crafting

Max Print Size

Print size refers to the final size of your printout. This is one of the most vital selection criteria as if a printer does not support certain printing sizes, it might not be useful for specific crafts

Print sizes are measured in height x width format.  Many home crafters print smaller items such as 4"x6" cards or various cardstock crafts.  In these cases you can safely use the commonly available 8.5"x 11" printing size, which is standard "letter paper".

If you have specific needs for your projects, keep a close eye on print size to make sure it aligns with your requirements.

In today's article, we will be having a look at printers that can print max sizes from 8.5"x 11.14" up to 12"x12".

Compatible Papers

A very important aspect of crafting is the material to be used for printing.  Many crafters use paper such as cardstock, textured paper, and regular copy paper.  There are also options for using vinyl for stickers or in combination with a Cricut or other cutting machine.

As most printers are easily compatible with standard copy paper, the important feature you will want to keep an eye out for is the compatibility with cardstock and vinyl.

In today's article, all of the printers will be compatible with Cardstock and Crafting paper.

WiFi/Connection

Connection refers to the way your printer connects with another device for operation. This is particularly a handy selection criterion for professionals as you might need to print at any moment even if you're not around to do so physically.

Ideally, you'd want a printer that has wireless connectivity so you can easily connect it with your Wi-Fi network. You'd also want printers that work with mobile apps preferably Apple Print and Google cloud print as they are the most common ones.

In today's article, we'll be looking at printers that have wireless connectivity. We'll also be mentioning f they are compatible with AirPrint or google cloud printing

Scanner

A scanner is an additional part that scans documents to preserve them and print them later if needed. Typically all-in-one printers come with a built-in scanner. So if you don't have a separate scanner.

Scanners are mainly used by crafters to scan particular designs. So that they can print them later on their crafts. There are two main parts to look for in a scanner, if you decide to go for an all-in-one printer, we'll discuss these criteria in detail.

Scanner Resolution

The number of details captured with a scanner while scanning is referred to as scanning resolution. And ideally, the more resolution a scanner can scan in, the better.

Scanner resolution is measured with DPI (Dots Per Inch). While there isn't a rock-solid range for scanner resolution, 300 DPI is considered an ideal resolution for scanning documents. So based on that we recommend going a bit above at 600 DPI printing resolution.

In today's article, we'll be having a look at printers that have scanning resolutions ranging from 1200 DPI up to 9600 DPI.

Scanner Color Depth

The color depth of a scanner is the measurement of the number of colors it can produce on a digital image. And the more color depth you can have on your scanner the better.

Color Depth is measured in bits. The number of bits refers to the number of colors available in every pixel. So if a scanner has 8bit color depth, that means that the printer has 8 colors present in every pixel. You'd also want to know separate color depths for internal and external aspects of the scanner.

Ideally, a minimum of 8-bit color depth is recommended. In the 8bit spectrum, you can find up to 16 million colors. And the human eye can catch up to 10 million colors. So it's safe to say that 8-bit colors will be able to cover most bases easily.

In today's article, all of the printers have at least 24DPI color depth. Some even have 48-bit color depth (Internal)

Quality

Quality refers to the outcome of a printout. If the color and resolution settings of the printer are right, the printout will be accurate. We'll now be discussing both Resolution and Ink cartridges. We'll also be discussing the recommended ranges for each of these criteria and how to measure them

Print Resolution

Print resolution means the number of dots that can be put upon a printout. And in this case, the more DPI there is, the better.

DPI (Dots per Inch) is used to measure resolution. Print resolution is formatted in a Heightx Width format. So for example, If a printer has 4800×1200 DPI resolution, It means that the printer has 4800 DPI resolution vertically and 1200 DPI horizontally.

Ideally, the recommended range for print resolution is 600 DPI both horizontally and vertically. But you can also settle for 300 DPI resolution if the printout is less detailed.

Today, we'll be looking at printers ranging from 4800 x 1200 DPI resolution up to 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution. The higher the DPI is, the smoother the print will get.

Cartridge Count

Cartridge count refers to the number of cartridges available on the printer. The more cartridges a printer has, the better color diversity the printer will have. Typically a printer has a CMYK setup (CYAN. Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black).

Cartridge count is measured by the number of cartridges a printer can hold. And If you don't have any budget issues then 4 cartridges are the recommended range for color-accurate printing. You can also go for a 2 cartridge setup if you're short on budget. But that will result in less variety of colors.

In today's article, we'll be looking at printers that have cartridge counts between 2 to 5. If you want optimal performance, be sure to go for the highest count one.

Price

Price refers to the amount one needs to spend behind a certain object. Today, we'll be measuring prices based on the value they provide and score them accordingly.

We can divide the prices of the printers into three sections,

  • Low price- $160<
  • Medium Price $160-$250
  • High Price- $250+

Based on the selection criteria and overall review and feedback, we can safely say that the Canon TS9521C is the best printer for crafters. It has the much necessary 12×12 max printing size and also meets the other recommended criteria pretty well.

Our Recommendations For Best Printers for Crafters

  • Best Overall Printer for Crafting – Canon TS9521C
  • Best Printer for Professional Purposes – HP ENVY Photo 7855
  • Best Wide Format Printer for Crafting – HP OfficeJet Pro 7740
  • Best Ink-Tank printer for Crafting – Epson EcoTank ET-2720
  • Best Budget Printer for Crafters – HP ENVY Photo 7155

#1. Best Overall Printer for Crafting – Canon TS9521C

Canon TS9521C All-In-One Wireless Crafting Photo Printer

Selection Criteria

  • Max Print Size – Up to 12 x 17″
    • Our score – 9.5/10
  • Paper Compatibility – Compatible with Cardstock, Normal papers, Envelopes
    • Our score- 9/10
  • Connection – Supports Wireless printing and has Apple AirPrint support
    • Our score- 8.5/10
  • Scan resolution – Up to 2400 DPI
    • Our score- 9/10
  • Color Depth – 16-Bit (Internal) and 8-Bit (External)
    • Our score- 9/10
  • Quality – 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution and 5 cartridges
    • Our Score- 9.5/10
  • Price – $250
    • Our score- 9/10

About the Canon TS9521C

The best printer you can get for crafting right now is the Canon TS9521C. This printer can print sizes up to 12×17" and both connection interfaces and paper compatibility is on point as they meet the recommended settings for crafters. I like the max printing sizes of this printer in particular as it is one of the few selected printers that can print on 12"x12" with perfection.

And as this is an all-in-one printer, it comes with a built-in scanner. The scanner has up to 2400DPI scanning resolution and up to 16bit color depth, so both aspects of the scanner are on point.

With support for paper types like cardstock, this printer proves that it is ideal for crafters. The quality portion of the printer is also perfect as both printing resolution and the number of cartridges meet and exceed the minimum requirements.

Pros

  • One of the few printers that can print 12"x12" with perfection.
  • The 5 ink cartridge setup provides a diverse color scheme while printing.
  • A prominent scanner section that meets the recommended range of color depth and resolution

Cons

  • The prices of Ink cartridges are slightly high.

#2. Best Printer for Professional Purposes – HP ENVY Photo 7855

Selection Criteria

  • Max Print Size – Up to 8.5 x 14″
    • Our score – 9/10
  • Paper Compatibility – Compatible with Cardstock, Normal papers, Envelopes.
    • Our score – 9/10
  • Connection – Supports Wireless printing and has Apple AirPrint support
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Scan resolution – Up to 1200 DPI
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Color Depth – 16-Bit
    • Our score – 8/10
  • Quality – 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution and 2 cartridges
    • Our Score – 8.5/10
  • Price – $230
    • Our score – 9/10

About the HP ENVY Photo 7855

Next, we have the HP Envy Photo 7855, and this printer is good for offices or businesses that maintain a high volume of craft printing throughout the month. And it's business-friendly because It has a high monthly duty cycle as well as cheap ink cartridge prices. And it meets our recommended selection criteria in all sections.

This printer has the highest score in terms of paper compatibility and Max printing size as both of those criteria surpass the recommended range. The max printing size of 8.5 x 14″ is great especially as crafters often need to print large-sized craft books

Other selection criteria of the printer meet the recommended ranges too. With up to 1200DPI scanning resolution and 16Bit color depth, the scanner within this printer seems to be a perfect fit for the job. And the printer is also a workhorse as it can produce up to 1000 pages a month.

Pros

  • A workhorse printer with high volume printing capability.
  • Great for printing large format crafts.
  • Ink prices are generally cheap. They're even cheaper if you subscribe to the HP+ subscription.

Cons

  • The dual ink cartridge setup provides less color variety.

#3. Best Wide Format Printer for Crafting – HP OfficeJet Pro 7740

HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 Wide Format All-in-One Printer

Selection Criteria

  • Max Print Size – Up to 11.7 x 17″
    • Our score – 9.5/10
  • Paper Compatibility – Compatible with Cardstock, Normal papers, Envelopes.
    • Our score – 9/10
  • Connection – Supports Wireless printing and has both Google Cloud Print v2.0 and Apple AirPrint support
    • Our score – 9/10
  • Scan resolution – Up to 1200 DPI
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Color Depth – 24-Bit
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Quality – 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution and 4 cartridges
    • Our Score – 9/10
  • Price- $280
    • Our score – 8/10

About the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740

The HP OfficeJet Pro is the 2nd coming of HP Envy 7855 as it's quite identical to that printer and is better in almost every aspect. This printer also meets all of our recommended criteria.

The OfficeJet Pro 7740 is a wide format printer aimed at people who want to print large. This is why it offers up to 11.7 x 17″ printing capability. On the other side, the paper compatibility and scanning resolution are on par with the recommended range.

As I mentioned before that this printer succeeds the 7855 in every way possible, It proves that statement as there's a 4 cartridge setup instead of the 2 cartridge setup of the 7855. The color resolution is also both standard and on par with our recommended range. So overall, the quality section of this printer is perfect.

Pros

  • Provides ideal wide format printing resolution for crafters.
  • 4 Cartridge setup ensures much-needed color variety during printing.
  • Great connection interface that offers direct printing to both iOS and Android devices.

Cons

  • The price is slightly higher for the value this printer provides.

#4. Best Ink-Tank printer for Crafting – Epson EcoTank ET-2720

Epson EcoTank ET-2720 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer

Selection Criteria

  • Max Print Size- Up to 8.5 x 47.2″- Our score- 8.5/10
  • Paper Compatibility- Compatible with Cardstock, Normal papers, Envelopes.- Our score- 9/10
  • Connection- Supports Wireless printing and has both Google Cloud Print and Apple AirPrint support- Our score- 9/10
  • Scan resolution- 2400 dpi (Optical) and 9600 dpi (Interpolated) Our score- 9/10
  • Color Depth- 48-Bit (Internal) and 24-Bit (External)- Our score- 9.5/10
  • Quality- 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution and 4 cartridges- Our Score- 8.5/10
  • Price- $260 – Our score- 8/10

About the Epson EcoTank ET-2720

If you're looking to buy a printer that would last longer and you won't have to buy inks frequently then you can go for the EpsonEcoTank 2720. This is an InkTank style printer that comes with a large amount of Ink with it.

The printer justifies its InkTank name by providing the user with up to one year worth of Ink upon purchase. You can also get up to 2 years worth of ink with the printer, but that'll add up to the price.

This is great for crafters as you can print in volumes without refilling if you need to print a lot. And if you don't print frequently, this will last more than the aforementioned time.

Aside from the Inks, this printer also matches our recommended ranges for all the criteria. It particularly thrives in the scanner area as the color depth goes up to 48bit (Internal) and it also has up to 9600 DPI scanning resolution which is much higher than the recommended range.

Pros

  • Up to 2 years' worth of Ink comes with the printer.
  • Scanning resolution and color depth are one of the best in the business.
  • Good color variety thanks to the 4 cartridge setup.

Cons

  • Ink cartridges are costly.

#5. Best Budget Printer for Crafters – HP ENVY Photo 7155

HP Envy Photo 7155 All in One Photo Printer

Selection Criteria

  • Max Print Size – Up to 8.5 x 14″
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Paper Compatibility – Compatible with Cardstock, Normal papers, Envelopes.
    • Our score – 9/10
  • Connection – Supports Wireless printing and has Apple AirPrint support
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Scan resolution – 1200DPI
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Color Depth – 24 Bit
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Quality – 4800×1200 dpi resolution and 2 cartridges
    • Our score – 8.5/10
  • Price – $150
    • Our score – 8/10

About the HP ENVY Photo 7155

If you're looking to get into crafting or you're someone with a low budget then the HP Envy Photo 7155 would be the ideal printer for you. This printer fits in with our recommended selection criteria and comes at an affordable price.

The best thing about this printer is that it doesn't overdo anything and rather maintains a balance across all the selection criteria. Surely none of the selection criteria are best in class for this printer, but they are the best that can come in for the price of the printer.

The max printing size and paper compatibility are great for starters. You can print up to 8.5 x 14″ sizes with this printer. And like all the other printers on this list, it has support for papers such as cardstock which is necessary for crafting.

The connection interfaces are fast and on point. Though it's missing Google Cloud printing, it makes up with Apple AirPrint. The scanner portion is great too with a standard 4800×1200 resolution.

Pros

  • Affordable price.
  • Decent Selection criteria score across the board.
  • Ink cartridge prices are low.

Cons

  • A dual cartridge setup means there are fewer colors to play with.

Conclusion

With this, we'll be concluding our buying guide for printers for crafters. In this article not only have we discussed how you can identify good printers for crafting but we've also left certain recommendations that are based on various use cases.

We've explained in detail why things such as max printing size, ink cartridges, resolutions, scanner resolution, color depth, or even connection are necessary for crafters. We then explained how to measure certain selection criteria and we also mentioned the recommended ranges for all of them.

After we were done on how to identify a good printer, we left our best recommendations to cover various use case scenarios. So for example, whether you're looking for the best printer for crafting or just looking for a budget printer, you'd find it here.

Sources

  • https://diycraftclub.com/blogs/idea-room-1/best-inkjet-printers-for-your-arts-crafts-business
  • https://www.reasonstoskipthehousework.com/best-printer-for-arts-and-crafts/#tab-con-14
  • https://smallstuffcounts.com/cricut-maker-list-of-materials/
  • https://vsellis.com/understanding-dpi-resolution-and-print-vs-web-images/
  • https://inkjet411.com/?p=4427
  • https://help.cricut.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009429814-Design-Space-says-printable-image-is-too-large#:~:text=The%20maximum%20print%20area%20size,than%209.25%22%20x%206.75.%22
  • https://www.theverge.com/21279634/best-printer-recommendations-laser-multifunction-inkjet-canon-epson-brother-hp-home-office