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Glossy paper is usually used to print photos, but it can also create a smooth, professional finish on flyers, brochures, advertisements and more. However, printing on glossy paper can lead to challenges you wouldn’t face when printing on ordinary matte stock. Clarity and definition are crucial, as well as secure paper handling to prevent bleeding or smudging. We recommend either inkjet or laser models for this paper type, depending on your needs. There are thousands of options out there, but this guide will help you find the best printer for glossy paper.
Product Comparison Table: Best Printer for Glossy Paper
| Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
 | Epson Expression Home XP-430 | $ | 3.5 stars | Most Economical | Amazon |
 | Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer | $$ | 4 stars | Best Speed | Amazon |
 | Canon MG2520 Colour Photo Printer | $$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Value | Amazon |
 | Epson PictureMate PM-400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer | $ | 4.5 stars | Best Print Quality | Amazon |
 | Canon Pixma TS8220 Wireless All In One | $$$ | 4 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Epson Expression Home XP-430
The Epson Expression Home XP-430 Wireless Colour Photo Printer is a great, efficient choice for users who regularly work with glossy paper printouts. This printer has a resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi, which guarantees excellent print quality even on difficult media like glossy paper. The maximum print size is 8.5 x 44 inches (Epson’s own distinctive Panoramic size), meaning it is suitable for printing wall-hangings alongside regular photos. However, although the size and paper capacities are impressive, the print speed is a pretty disappointing 9 pages per minute for monochrome, and 4.5 for coloured sheets. That said, you can print, scan and copy from this one machine, plus connect via several options from USB to Wifi. Best of all, the 4 cartridge configuration means you can replace individual cartridges as they run out, saving you money – Amazon Dash Replacement also means the printer can judge when it’s running out, and automatically order itself a new cartridge through your Amazon account.
Pros
- High quality prints at high resolution
- USB, WiFi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity options
- Max print size supports Panoramic paper
- Economical cartirdges
Cons
- Extremely slow print speed
- No Ethernet connection
Verdict
Despite its slow speed, the Epson Expression Home XP-430 Wireless Colour Photo Printer comes in as the most economical printer on our list. The Amazon Dash Replacement and individual cartridge features allow you to keep running costs on this machine lower per page than pretty much any other candidate. This, the bargain price, and the high print quality make the Epson a great choice.
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Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer
The Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer is another great model for users focussing on glossy paper printing. Like the Epson Expression Home, this model also has a very high 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution, so you can expect great quality results with smudge, scratch, fade and water resistance. However, this machine is extremely, extremely fast; prints monochrome papers at a speed of 37 pages per minute, and coloured papers at 38 pages per minute. The maximum size is also 8.5 x 44 inches – allowing you to utilise the unique Epson Panoramic paper size – and can handle media weights of up to 11.8 mil. An inkjet printer, it outdoes its cousin with a larger 6 ink cartridges, which lead to more detail on printed text. However, there is only one connectivity option, good old USB. This means that you can only print from computers or laptops, not from phones, tablets or even the printer itself like other models on this list.
Pros
- Blistering print speed
- High resolution for high quality prints
- 6 ink cartridges
- Large range of media supported
Cons
- Old-fashioned connectivity
Verdict
It is very unusual for colour print speeds to be faster than monochrome, and considering that glossy paper is primarily used for colour photo printing, this is an excellent feature to have in your printer. The Epson Stylus Photo R280 Photo Printer is our choice for the fastest glossy photo printer available, delivering excellent results at a very high speed – without any of the smudging and fading you’d usually expect.
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Canon MG2520 Colour Photo Printer
The Canon MG2520 Colour Photo Printer is available at a bargain price, and works at a decent speed for it; it can handle 8 images per minute in black and 4.5 images per minute in colour. It also includes ink, which is applied using a full-photolithography inkjet nozzle with a patented print head firing ink droplets as small as 2pl. Despite this, the resolution is not the best in colour, coming in at only 4800 x 600 dpi for coloured documents and 600 x 600 in monochrome. It works with several paper types, from scrapbook to glossy paper, at a maximum size of 8.5 x 14 inches. It also comes with a red-eye correction feature (perfect fro photo printing), quiet mode and USB connectivity.
Pros
- Bargain price
- Decent resolution for good quality prints
- Extra features (quiet mode, red eye correction)
Cons
- Only USB connectivity
- Lower resolution in monochrome
Verdict
For solid results on glossy paper at a low price, look no further than the Canon MG2520 Colour Photo Printer. These printing resolutions are decent enough, but the monochrome resolution is not great compared to the other printers; however, considering most glossy printing is done in colour, this shouldn’t bother you too much.
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Epson PictureMate PM-400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
Similarly to the Epson Stylus and Expression, the Epson PictureMate PM 400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer offers a 5760 x 1440 dpi resolution; however, we found this machine produces the highest quality prints. Uniquely, this printer features only 1 individual ink cartridge, unlike the typical configuration of 4-6. This might seem like it would reduce print quality, however this cutting-edge technology actually increases it, as each cartridge contains four different inks. It can print borderless too, producing a borderless print of 4 inches x 6 inches (the typical glossy photo size) with a maximum of 5×7 inches. Epson even claims prints last up to 200 years! Printing is supported via various connectivity options: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB, but not Ethernet. Setup is super fast – you can have a printed photo within 36 seconds of establishing connection.
Pros
- Outstanding print quality
- Range of connectivity options
- Fast and easy setup.
Cons
- Can only print 5×7 max
- Does not support Ethernet
Verdict
The Epson PictureMate PM 400 Wireless Compact Photo Printer is easy to use, easy to set-up, and best of all produces the highest quality prints on glossy paper out of any printer we surveyed. The unique ink configuration is a huge plus, even if the print size is small. If you’re looking for perfectly printed glossy photos (the usual requirement in a glossy paper printer), this is the machine for you.
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Canon Pixma TS8220 Wireless All In One
The Canon Pixma name is trusted for a reason; the Canon Pixma TS8220 Wireless All in One printer is a real standout on print quality, speed, connectivity and other features. The resolution is a very respectable 4800 x 1200 dpi, which produces great quality prints, especially on detailed imagery. The 6 ink cartridges mean your text will be sharp, and your images will always come out clear with no smudging and bleeding, at a max speed of 15ppm. The maximum print size is fairly small – 8.5 x 14 inches – but it does have a plethora of connectivity options: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct and even Bluetooth. This allows you to print images instantly from your phone, as well as your desktop computer. The printer is compatible with a wide range of stocks (including the all-important glossy paper). Plus, it prints, scans and copies – single-sided and duplex.
Pros
- Outstanding print quality
- Good printing speed
- Largest range of connectivity options
- Comes in several colours
Cons
- Relatively small print size
- No automatic document feeder
Verdict
The Canon Pixma TS8220 Wireless All in One printer is our choice for the best printer for glossy paper in 2022. The outstanding print quality, great print speed and huge range of connectivity options combine the best features of all the other printers on this list into one sleek, compact package. It is the only glossy paper printer we featured with a duplex capability, and although it lacks an ADF, it is more than capable of meeting your glossy paper photo printing needs. Best of all, it comes in several colours, including a striking red.
