Best Printers for Glossy Paper

Are you looking for the best printer for glossy paper to print your photos or documents? Do you want them to have a glossy finish as you see in magazines and professional prints? 

The right printer can make or break the final look of your project. The glossy paper adds a level of sophistication to your work and can make your photos and documents pop. But to get the most out of the paper, you need a printer that can handle it without smearing or smudging the ink.

If you make the wrong choice, you could wind up with a printer that either doesn’t print on glossy paper at all or produces unacceptable results. In addition, you could get stuck with a printer that requires frequent replacement of costly parts, or one that is difficult to operate. 

Shine Bright with Our Top 5 Printer Picks for Glossy Paper!

We have scoured the depths of the printing world to bring you the best printers for glossy paper. With a range of features and capabilities, these printers will bring your prints to life, making your photos, artwork, and presentations shine like never before.

1. Canon TS8220 Printer – Editor’s Choice

Key Features:

• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
• Print Speed (Color): 10 ppm
• Display: Touchscreen
• Canon App: Yes
• Auto Duplex Printing: Yes
• Paper Size: 12 x 12

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It is time to put an end to manual searching and tedious tinkering as with Alexa, now controlling the Canon TS8220 is as easy as issuing voice commands. With the Canon PRINT app, you can connect your printer to Alexa and get going. Print and scan documents at the sound of your voice; just ask Alexa to “print my document” or “scan my document”. You can even check the printer’s status; ask Alexa what the paper and ink levels are with one simple command. 

One of the best things about this item is that it has a 4.3 inches LCD Touchscreen that would enable users to customize their prints with ease, changing the brightness, contrast, and resolution to their desires. Too, it provides an intuitive way to select the type of paper, whether it be glossy or matte, and the size of the print. 

Moreover, it employs a 6-Color Individual Ink System which includes the traditional four-color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) as well as two additional inks (photo black and gray), allowing for a wider range of hues and shades to be achieved. This results in improved image quality with deeper, richer colors that are more true to life.

Canon TS8220 Printer’s maximum print speed of 10 pages per minute (ppm) for color helps create glossy prints faster. This means that it can produce 60 prints in just 6 minutes, reducing the time it takes to receive them. Plus, this speed minimizes both time and resources used in the printing process, which is beneficial for both the machine and the user.

2. Epson XP-430 Printer – Overall Best

Key Features:

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB
• Print Speed (Color): 4.5 ppm
• Display: LCD
• Paper Capacity; 100 Sheets
• AirPrint: Yes
• Auto Duplex Printing: Yes

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Those looking for a high-quality printer that produces documents with beautiful color and clarity should consider the Epson Expression Home XP-430. Its 2.7 inches Color LCD not only allows you to preview your documents before they are printed but also offers a convenient way to access the printer’s menus and settings so that you can quickly adjust your settings to get the desired results. 

You will like that this unit has DURABrite Ultra Ink cartridges that make it easy to produce high-quality prints, featuring superior image quality with the help of four individual cartridges in black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Your prints will dry quickly and remain smudge and water-resistant, offering a sharp and vibrant finish on glossy paper.

Moreover, with its built-in Wi-Fi Direct, you can easily print from any iPad, iPhone, Android tablet, or smartphone without the need to be connected to a network. That means fast and effortless printing from virtually any device, no matter where you are.

Epson Expression Home XP-430 Printer is a powerhouse of speed and quality, with an (ISO) print speed of 9.0 ppm for black print and 4.5 ISO ppm for color print. This permits it to print large documents, from colorful brochures to presentations, quickly and efficiently. In addition, it can easily produce top-notch photos and graphics in no time.

3. Epson Stylus R280 Printer

Key Features:

• Connectivity: USB
• Print Speed (Color): 38 ppm
• Display: LCD
• Resolution: 5760 x1440
• Warranty: 1 Year
• Weight: 15.5 pounds

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Epson R280 is equipped with a remarkable print resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. This high resolution provides smudge-, scratch-, fade- and water-resistant prints that boast a high level of detail and stunning color transitions. The prints appear smoother and more realistic, with a high-gloss finish that brings out the best possible contrast and vividness of colors.

When it comes to printing speed, this printer can quickly churn out monochrome and colored papers at an impressive rate of 37 and 38 pages per minute respectively. This makes it an ideal choice for both home and office use, where you can get all your printing needs done in the least amount of time possible. 

Furthermore, it is outfitted with advanced face detection to ensure accurate auto photo correction. This technology rapidly scans the image to detect human faces, then adjusts the brightness, contrast, and saturation to ensure the faces are properly exposed. Even if the image is overexposed, you can trust this machine to deliver prints that look as close to the original as possible. Plus, it will detect when the faces are too dark and adjust accordingly.

The Epson R280 is a game-changer when it comes to printing large quantities of photos, all because of its ability to produce 4-by-six-inch images in just 11 seconds so that you can have a stack of prints ready in a flash. This is especially helpful for businesses or large events that need to quickly churn out large numbers of images. 

4. Epson PictureMate PM-400 Printer

Key Features:

• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB
• Print Speed (Color): 1 ppm
• Display: Touchscreen
• Water Resistant: Yes
• AirPrint: Yes
• Auto Photo Correction: Yes

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Epson PM-400 is capable of producing prints with a resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi, which is especially beneficial when printing on high-gloss paper. This high resolution provides extremely fine details and sharpness, allowing for the accurate reproduction of small text and intricate graphics. 

You will be glad to know that it utilizes Wi-Fi Direct technology to provide users with the ability to connect directly to the printer without needing to connect to a network or hotspot. This is especially advantageous because it eliminates the requirement for a separate printer server, which is necessary for sharing a printer over a standard Wi-Fi network. 

Besides that, it boasts a convenient 2.7-inch color display which allows users to preview their print job before printing on glossy paper. This is especially useful, as the colors can appear differently on reflective paper than on regular paper. By previewing their print job on the display, users can make sure the colors are exactly how they want them, and even adjust the color settings as needed.

Epson PM-400 supports an impressive print speed of 36.00 ppm (Monochrome) on Glossy Paper that permits you to print large quantities of documents quickly and effectively. The higher the print speed, the more prints a user can make in a shorter amount of time, making it easier for them to increase productivity and save time.

5. Canon MG2520 Printer – Budget Pick

Key Features:

• Connectivity: USB
• Print Speed (Color): 4 ppm
• OS Compatibility: All Windows
• Dimensions: 12.1 x 16.8 x 5.8
• Warranty: 1 Year
• Weight: 7.6 pounds

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 Canon MG2520 has been developed with Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology which enables the print head to fire ink droplets as small as 2pl. This highly precise mechanism is ideal for those who need to create sharp, detailed graphics such as photographs and artwork. 

We were very impressed by the fact that this product is capable of producing high-quality prints on paper thanks to its printing resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi. With this resolution, it can produce finer details and sharper lines, resulting in greater accuracy and detail in the printed images. In addition, a higher resolution also enables a wider range of colors to be printed, resulting in more vibrant and accurate colors.

Furthermore, this machine is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows 7 SP1, Windows XP SP3 32-bit, Windows Vista SP1, Apple’s Mac OS X 10.6.8 – 10.9.x7, and Microsoft’s Windows RT7, etc for mobile devices, providing great flexibility to your people when using it in multiple systems.

Besides that, this product has a monochrome print speed of up to 8 pages per minute (ppm) which makes it ideal for quickly and efficiently printing a variety of documents, from business to school reports to text-heavy files.

Canon MG2520 benefits from both dye ink and black pigment ink when printing on glossy paper, as this combination can produce vivid colors and sharp text. Dye inks are made up of liquid dyes, which are absorbed by the paper, resulting in bright and vibrant colors. The black pigment ink, meanwhile, is composed of tiny particles suspended in liquid, which are then laid down on the surface of the paper, creating a crisp, dark text.

What Features To Consider When Buying the Best Printer for Glossy Paper? 

Before buying a glossy paper printer, it is important to consider the type of printer, the weight of the paper, the printing resolution, the cartridge configuration, and the printing speed. While other factors may be taken into account, these five should be enough to make the choice easier.

1. Printer Type

Inkjet printers are the most common choice for glossy paper and offer high-quality images with vivid colors and sharp detail. They are generally affordable and able to print on multiple paper types, including glossy paper. Additionally, the type of ink used in inkjet printers should also be taken into account, as pigment-based inks tend to work better and create more vibrant colors.

Laser printers can also be used to print on glossy paper, but they tend to be more expensive than inkjet printers and the colors they produce may not be as vivid. Too, laser printers often require special toners and papers to produce the best results when printing on glossy paper.

Another type of printer to consider when printing on glossy paper is the dye sublimation printer. These printers use special inks that are heat-activated and produce a high-gloss effect. However, they tend to be more expensive than other types of printers, and the cost of the inks can also be higher.

2. Weight  Of The Paper

It is also essential to take into account the weight of the paper. This will influence the quality of the result and the way the paper absorbs the ink.

The weight of paper is usually measured in either gram per square meter (gsm) or pounds per ream (lb). Generally, the lower the gsm, the lighter the paper will be, whilst the higher the gsm, the heavier the paper will be. Heavier paper is usually more resistant to wear and tear, but it is also often more expensive. 

For glossy paper, the range of available paper weight ranges from 60 gsm to 300 gsm. The most commonly used paper weights for glossy paper are 80 gsm, 120 gsm, and 160 gsm. 80 gsm is a lightweight yet economical paper, whilst 120 gsm and 160 gsm are heavier and thus more durable.

3. Printing Resolution

When it comes to getting the highest quality prints, it’s essential to consider the printer’s resolution. Different resolutions can make all the difference in the finished product. The resolution of a printer is represented in dots per inch (DPI). A higher DPI value typically results in sharper and clearer images, as the resolution is better.

The resolution you need to print glossy paper depends on the size of the image and the type of paper you are using. Generally, the higher the resolution, the better the quality of the print. For example, if you are printing an 8×10 photo on paper, a resolution of 1200 dpi or higher is recommended. For larger prints, a resolution of 2400 dpi or higher is recommended.

4. Cartridge Configuration

When shopping for a printer that will produce glossy paper prints, it is wise to contemplate the number of available cartridge configurations. The cartridge configuration refers to the type of ink components used in the printer to produce high-quality prints. The more ink cartridges a printer has, the more ink colors it can provide, and the better the quality of the prints.

There are three main types of cartridge configurations to choose from: the single-cartridge system, the dual-cartridge system, and the multi-cartridge system. In a single-cartridge system, the printer uses a single cartridge that contains both the ink and the toner, which is suitable for general printing but not necessarily for glossy paper. 

A dual-cartridge system has two cartridges, one for the ink and one for the toner, which is better than the single-cartridge system but still not as good as a multi-cartridge system. The multi-cartridge system has separate cartridges for each color, which is the best option for printing on glossy paper.

5. Print Speed

Print speed is a crucial factor! The paper is thicker and heavier than standard paper, meaning that prints take longer to finish. It’s essential to understand how long printing will take before the desired results can be achieved. Although higher-quality printers can print faster than those with lower speeds, it’s important to decide whether the extra cost is worth it for the increased printing speed.

When it comes to glossy paper, the ideal print speed is usually quite high. A printer with a speed of up to 20 pages per minute (ppm) can be considered good, while a speed of up to 30 ppm is ideal for glossy paper. There are also printers available with speeds of up to 40 ppm, which can be used for larger print jobs. The speed range should not exceed 40 ppm, as higher speeds may cause smudging or other imperfections on the paper. 

Over To You!

The best printer overall among the products reviewed in the article is the Canon TS8220 Printer. It offers a great combination of features, including a 6-Color Individual Ink System, a range of print sizes, and a 4. 3 inches LCD Touchscreen. 

For those on a budget, the Canon MG2520 Printer is a great option. It employs Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering, boasts a range of compatible operating systems, and prints at speeds of 8.0 images per minute for black and 4.0 images per minute for color.

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Nathan Chandler

Nathan is a professional printer writer which is a part of TechnofyTrends. I have done my master’s in Printing Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology. I have written several articles on printers, and I am always looking to provide the latest information on printers. Meet our team