Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.

The 6 Best iPhone Photo Printers - Fall 2024

Updated Oct 28, 2024 at 02:27 pm
Best iPhone Photo Printers

If you're an iPhone user and want to print photos straight from your phone, choosing the right one for your needs can be hard, as there are many models. To help you with buying decisions, we've compiled a list of printers with the best print quality for each price segment. These printers have Wi-Fi connectivity so that you can connect your iPhone easily, and they all support Apple AirPrint, allowing you to print without having to install any drivers or third-party apps. Some models even have additional features within the printer's mobile app that aren't available for other devices, like Android smartphones.

Below are our recommendations for the best iPhone photo printers you can buy. For other options, check out our picks for the best home printers, the best portable printers, and for the MacBook users, the best printers for Mac.


  1. Best iPhone Photo Printer

    The best iPhone photo printer we've tested is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300, a professional-grade unit. It produces detailed and vibrant photos, and thanks to its 'Chroma Optimizer' cartridge, it can coat and seal the photos for better longevity and shine. Apple AirPrint support is present, so you can easily connect your iPhone to the printer and start printing without installing any drivers or third-party apps. This printer supports borderless printing and various paper sizes up to 13x19.

    As always, nothing is perfect, so there are a few downsides. First, this is a print-only model, meaning it doesn't have a scanner to digitize or copy physical photos. Second, its printing speed is very slow, taking almost two minutes to print a 4x6 photo. Third, its ink cartridges get you only around 400 color prints, meaning you'll have to replace them often, and they aren't cheap, so it can get expensive if you print a lot. Nonetheless, this is the one to get if you only want the best print quality.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range iPhone Photo Printer

    If you only print photos for personal use and don't need a professional-grade model, get the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8500 instead, a variant of the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 we tested. The ET-8550 is more expensive because it has a larger 8.5x14 flatbed scanner and supports wide format paper up to 13x19. In contrast, its smaller sibling has an 8.5x11.7 scanner and supports up to 8.5x11 paper. The ET-8550 is a great option if you need wide-format printing, but the ET-8500 is a better, cheaper option for most people.

    Regarding print quality, the ET-8500 is nearly as good as the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 above; it just isn't as color-accurate, as it tends to oversaturate colors to make them appear more vibrant. The scanner produces high-quality scans, which is great for digitizing your old photos. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi, and of course, there's Apple AirPrint support. Epson's mobile companion app is feature-rich and has functions exclusive to the iOS version. It allows you to change settings like the paper type and size, the paper source, and the color space (Adobe RGB or sRGB). Since this is a supertank model, you won't need to worry about high ownership costs. It yields thousands of prints from a full ink tank, and ink refill bottles are cheap.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range iPhone Photo Printer

    Our mid-range pick is the Epson EcoTank ET-2800, also sold as the Epson EcoTank ET-2803 at Walmart and Target. It's also an all-in-one supertank model with a high page yield and cheap ink, keeping maintenance costs low. Its print quality is great; printed photos look sharp and reasonably color-accurate. The only complaint is that the photos look slightly grainy. Unfortunately, it's pretty slow speed-wise, taking about a minute and a half to print a single 4x6 photo.

    You can connect to the printer via Wi-Fi, and yes, you still get Apple AirPrint support and compatibility with the Epson mobile app. The scanner produces good-quality scans; it boosts the contrast and saturation a bit, so you may need to do some retouches if you want the scan to be as close to the original as possible.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget iPhone Photo Printer

    For those on a tighter budget, we recommend the Canon PIXMA TR8620a. This all-in-one produces detailed and vibrant photos and supports various paper sizes up to 8.5x11. It takes about a minute to print a 4x6 picture, which is within the typical range of most inkjet printers. You can connect via Wi-Fi or USB, and naturally, there's support for Apple AirPrint.

    Unlike the EcoTank picks above, this model uses more traditional ink cartridges, resulting in a significantly lower page yield. Thankfully, the cartridges are relatively cheap, so your maintenance cost won't rise too much if you print a lot. You can get XL cartridges that'll last longer, and the printer accepts third-party ink. This printer is also eligible for Canon's ink replenishment service, which will send you new cartridges when the printer is low on ink. While this printer's price is higher at the time of writing than it has been, it regularly goes on sale; we still recommend it at either price point.

    See our review

  5. Best Cheap iPhone Photo Printer

    If you need a cheap printer to print the occasional photo, the Canon PIXMA MG3620 might be a good fit. It prints good-quality photos with well-rendered fine details and decent color accuracy. Its printing speed is also pretty quick, as it takes only 50 seconds to print a 4x6 picture. It has a flatbed scanner that's well-suited for digitizing photos, too, not to mention Wi-Fi connectivity and Apple AirPrint support. Again, it prints borderless, but only on paper up to 8.5x11 in size.

    Unfortunately, this model uses a two-cartridge system with one black and one tri-color cartridge. These ink cartridges get you only around 200 prints, about 100 fewer prints than the more expensive Canon PIXMA TR8620a. Also, since there's only one color cartridge, you have to replace the entire cartridge if only a single color runs out, which is wasteful. On the upside, these cartridges are cheap.

    See our review

  6. Best Portable iPhone Photo Printer

    For on-the-go printing, the Canon PIXMA TR150 is one of the best iPhone photo printers. You can connect to the printer via USB or Wi-Fi, and thanks to its Apple AirPrint support, you can start printing without installing any drivers or third-party apps. Though slightly grainy, the photos it produces still look detailed and colorful. It prints on glossy paper and supports various paper sizes, including 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10. As a portable printer, it has a built-in rechargeable battery, allowing you to print anywhere. The battery is good for around 330 prints and takes about two hours to fully charge.

    If you want something even more portable, check out the Canon SELPHY Square QX10. It's much more compact and easier to fit into a small bag. It uses dye-sublimation to print photos and can only print on Canon's 2.84x3.35 proprietary paper. Its print quality isn't as good as the TR150, although that's normal since it's designed to produce polaroid-like photos. Compared to the TR150, the main tradeoffs are its higher cost-per-print and shorter battery life.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Canon PIXMA G3260/G3262: If you have a large print load, the Canon PIXMA G3260/G3262 is a good alternative to the Canon PIXMA TR8620a. It costs more, but its refillable ink tank yields significantly more prints, so you won't have to spend as much for replacement ink. It has a slightly wider color range than the TR8620a but isn't as color-accurate. It also prints slower and can't print directly from a USB flash drive like the TR8620a. See our review
  • Canon PIXMA TR7820/TS7720: The Canon PIXMA TR7820/TS7720 is a great alternative to the Canon PIXMA TR8620a. Its print quality is similar to the TR8620a; however, it'll cost more in replacement ink in the long run because it doesn't yield as many pages. Also, it uses a tri-color cartridge, which means you have to replace the entire cartridge if one color runs out. See our review
  • Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2:

    For those looking for a compact photo printer you can easily carry in your purse or backpack, get the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2. It produces the typical Polaroid photo; print quality can't compare to portable inkjet printers like the Canon PIXMA TR150, but it's fantastic at what it does.

    See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Oct 28, 2024:

    We've added the Polaroid Hi-Sense Generation 2 to the Notable Mentions section as an alternative to the 'Best Portable iPhone Photo Printer.' We've also made small edits for clarity.

  2. Aug 08, 2024: We've completely revamped this article, introducing a new format, new performance usages, and changes in recommendations to better represent the best choices available.

  3. May 14, 2024: Made minor text changes for accuracy. No changes in picks.

  4. Feb 16, 2024: Removed the Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 because it's more of an office printer, and it produces grainy pictures. No change to recommendations.

  5. Nov 21, 2023: Added the Canon PIXMA TR7820/TS7720 as a Notable Mention. No change in recommendations.

All Reviews

Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best iPhone photo printers for most people. In addition to the test results, we factor in the price, feedback from our visitors, and availability.

If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here's the list of all our printer reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no printer is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.