Once upon a time, printing out images meant developing them yourself in a dark room or sending them to a professional lab. Luckily, digital photography has changed all that! Better yet, it wasn't that many years ago that home printers were prohibitively expensive. Things have changed!

The good news is that as technology has improved, it's also gotten cheaper. Today you have a broad range of printers available for every budget and need. If you're going to print out pictures, you want excellent quality images, even if you're shooting as a hobby! Selecting the correct printer for your needs is essential.

Twenty-years ago buying a high-quality, color printer was about the price of a small car (ok, we exaggerate, but you get the point!). Today, however, high-quality printers are more affordable, and you have many more options and price points. We've put together a list of six of the best color printers for photos based on our research. They aren't listed in any particular ranking.

Below is a look at some of the best photo printers on the market today. We hope they can serve as a guide to help you purchase your next printer. Let us know your thoughts or experience with any of these printers. We'd love to hear from you!

1. Canon Pixma iP8750:

• Print speed: 14.5ppm

• Paper capacity: 150 sheets

• Paper size: up to A3

• Approx. price: $500

The Pixma iP8750 offers affordable A3 prints with vibrant quality. It is a print-only device offering high-quality printing. It has six inks cartridges adding a lot to quality but also to costs. It's a reliable choice if you need a print-only device.

2. Epson Expression Photo XP-960 photo printer:

• Paper capacity: 100 sheets

• Print speed: 8.5ppm

• Paper size: up to A3

• Cartridges: Six inkjet cartridges

• Approx. Price: $200

The Epson is a 3-in-1 device with a superb six-ink system, but it is slow to print. It has excellent A3 photo quality and is a smaller printer. It's on the more expensive side for running costs. The scanner is A4-size and high resolution, but it does not have fax capability. Excellent quality printer.

3. Epson EcoTank ET-7750 photo printer

• Print speed: 28ppm

• Paper capacity: 100 sheets

• Paper size: up to A3

• Approx. price: $650+

This is a compact, all-in-one printer at a decent price point has NO cartridges. What sets it apart is its EcoTank system. You might pay upfront to buy this printer, but its ongoing ink costs are cheap compared to most printers. It also has excellent image quality. Photos printed on photo paper look great. On the downside (there had to be one, of course!), it's a bulky sized printer.

4. Canon Pixma Pro-100S photo printer

• Print speed: 15ppm

• Paper capacity: 100 sheets

• Paper size: up to A4

• Approx. price: $504

This is considered a Canon entry-level A3 photo printer. It's an excellent choice if you need to print professional-quality A3+ size posters and brochures. There are eight individual dye-based inkjet cartridges. It can recognize a wide range of paper sizes up to A3. This model has built-in WiFi but no front USB port, which is a bit disappointing for its price point. Also on the downside, its cartridges are on the pricey side. Overall, however, it's an excellent photo printer.

5. HP Envy 5055 (5010 in the UK) photo printer

• Print speed: 10ppm

• Paper capacity: 100 sheets

• Paper size: up to A4

• Approx. price: $50-$70

This is a low-priced and easy-to-use printer, scanner, and copier all-in-one. It's an excellent photo printer. However, its downside is that there is no Ethernet or USB port, so if you need that connectivity, this won't be a good option for you. It prints on the slower side but with good quality printing given its price point. The HP Envy is inexpensive to buy, but its running costs for replacement cartridges aren't any cheaper than more expensive printers.

6. HP Envy Photo 7855 (7830 in the UK)

• Print speed: 15ppm

• Paper capacity: 125 sheets

• Paper size: up to A4

• Approx. price: $99+

This is a low-priced printer for the quality of its photo printing and number of features. Photos come out vibrant. It's all-in-one loaded with features, including fax, SD card slot, colored inks combined into a single cartridge, and a friendly touchscreen interface. You can subscribe to HP's Instant Ink Service program.