Buying a new Best Ink Tank Printers for Photos is a big decision. If you are printing high volumes of photos or documents, a printer with an ink tank might be the ideal solution for you.
Not everyone is familiar with ink tank printers, as they are still quite rare.
Basically, these are regular printers, but they come with refillable tanks. You don’t need to use ink cartridges at all.
When the ink runs out, you fill the ink tank with a refill bottle. Tank printers are therefore much cheaper than a regular model.
It is only recently that ink tank printers have become such an interesting prospect. In the past, these were often inferior models.
But thanks to the latest technology, ink tank printers are now expected to last for years. So you will save a lot of money on ink over time.
However, you want to be sure that you are buying the right tank printer. Think of it as an investment: you don’t want to get stuck with a finicky printer for years.
Choosing the right printer will also save you as much money (and time) as possible over the years.
The last thing you want is to buy an ink tank printer, which breaks down after a year.
This is why it is essential to do your research! But don’t worry, I’ve made it easy for you.
Also Read: Best Epson Printer For Sublimation
Best ink Tank Printers for Photos
Table of Contents
Ink tank printers do not work with traditional ink cartridges like inkjet printers, but with ink tanks that you can manually refill with separately available ink bottles.
With some ink tank printers, you will receive a set of ink bottles upon purchase. Depending on the number of prints, you can sometimes use them for years.
Three brands currently offer one or more ink tank printers in their range, namely Epson, Canon, and HP.
Epson’s models are a bit more user-friendly, in our opinion.
Probably because they were the first to land on the market with this type of printer and thus were able to acquire greater expertise.
This makes it much easier to see how much ink is left in the reservoirs of an Epson printer, than with a Canon or HP model.
I have searched for the best ink tank printers available on the market right now. Moving on to the comparisons, next, I’ll share with you my tips for choosing a good printer with an ink tank.
7 Best ink Tank Printers for Photos | Comparison Table
5-Stars Picks | High Quality | Top Brands
| Printer Name | Prints Per Battery | Print Speed | Price $$ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epson EcoTank ET-2720 | 100 | 16 Sec | |
| HP Smart-Tank 551 | 25 | 50 Sec | |
| Epson WorkForce EcoTank ET-3750 | -- | 60 Sec | |
| Canon PIXMA G3200 Cheap | 25 | 42 Sec | |
| Brother MFC-J995DW | 20 | 30 Sec | |
| Canon PIXMA MegaTank G7020 | 35 | 58 Sec | |
| Epson EcoTank ET-4760 | 20 | 10 Sec |
7 Top ink Tank Printers for Photos | [year] Products Overview
1.Epson EcoTank ET-2720 All-in-One ink Tank Printers for Photos
About:
Epson’s Eco Tank ET-2720 is a super tank inkjet printer that supports a wide range of applications. It is equipped with four ink tanks for filling and is characterized by a large number of pages up to the filling. This allows for a very low unit price for black-only printing and color printing. Unfortunately, the printing speed is slow and even a simple black text document takes a considerable amount of time to print completely.
In addition, the flat scanner does not have an automatic document charger and a two-sided scanning function, so it has minimal functions. That said, the printer has a fairly compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to connect to a router or print using a mobile device.
Features:
Design: The Epson EcoTank ET-2720 has a great design. Easy access to the ink tank and easy loading of paper. However, the exit tray is thin and is not accessible from the back even in case of a paper jam. There is a door under the screen, which can be difficult for people with large hands to eliminate a paper jam. In addition, when scanning a large object such as a book, the scanner lid does not stretch, which is difficult. In addition, after initialization and not in use for one month, it was necessary to perform four head cleanings before printing began.
The screen of “Epson Eco Tank ET-2720” is a decent result. The main body is rotated so that the screen is easy to see and visibility is good whether you’re sitting or standing. The pushbuttons are arranged around the screen instead of the touch panel, but you need to press them several times to access the command you’re looking for.
The Epson Eco Tank ET-2720 is equipped with an excellent super tank system. Equipped with four high-capacity ink tanks, you can print many pages in black and color by filling the ink yourself. In addition, a contextual message appears on the PC to regularly check the amount of ink remaining, which is appreciated by those who do not pay attention to the ink tank.
Printing Cost: Epson’s ET-2720 eco-tank has a very good unit printing price. Black prints, color prints, and photographic prints all achieve extremely high-cost performance. The ink tank can be resupplied for each ink bottle as well as for multiple packs. If you’re looking for a super tank printer that reduces your photo printing costs, take a look at the Canon PIXMA G2 260.
Printing Speed: Epson “ET-2720″ has an average print speed. Printing the first page doesn’t take much time, but printing extra black pages isn’t that fast. Color pages are also slow to print and it takes almost a minute and a half to print a single 4″x 6” photo.
Connectivity:
The Epson ET-2720 has good connectivity. You can connect wirelessly using Wi-Fi via a router, or you can use Wi-Fi Direct. If you’re using a mobile device, you can also use Apple AirPrint or Mopria Print Service. The downsides are that you can’t use Ethernet cable and it doesn’t support external storage.
- Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer with Scanner and Copier
- Extremely low print unit price.
- Compact and lightweight design.
- High number of black and colour prints
- flatbed scanner is limiting
Also Read: Best Printer For Infrequent Use
2.HP Smart-Tank 551: Top Printers for Photos
About:
The HP Smart Tank Plus 551 is a compact super tank printer. Thanks to the design of the rechargeable ink tank, you can get high page yields before recharging with black and color inks. This printer also offers a very low unit price for printing all inks.
However, printing black characters and color takes time and therefore does not work when there are many pages. In addition, this printer does not have a sheet-to-sheet power scanner, so its use at work is quite limited. However, the operating cost is low and it has simple functions, so I think that's enough for occasional use.
Features:
The design of the HP Smart Tank Plus 551 is good. It has sturdy plastic construction with a visible ink level window so you can see how much ink you have left when printing. The printer also has a removable print head that can be replaced if damaged or obstructed, extending the life of the printer. The front screen opens for easy access if the print head is removed or the paper jam is removed. However, when you open this screen, there is not much space for your fingers around the print head, making it difficult to replace the print head or remove a paper jam. In addition, the flat scanner could not scan large formats because the hinges did not stretch, but there was no rear access due to paper jam.
The HP Smart Tank Plus 551 has a display screen. It uses a very limited display and can only display individual ink levels and an exclamation point in case of a problem. In addition, the light at the top of the screen will flash red if there is a problem. In addition, seven physical buttons are placed around the screen. Unfortunately, you can't tilt or rotate the screen to make it easier to see. However, it is easy to see if you are sitting or standing and you can still see the screen from the side. If you're looking for a better display screen with a similar ink tank printer, check out Epson's Eco Tank ET-15000.
Cartridge: Smart Tank Plus 551 has a complete super tank system. It uses four self-rechargeable ink tanks and produces an incredibly high amount of black and color pages before one of the tanks needs to be filled. It also uses a removable ink head that can be replaced if damaged or clogged, extending the life of the printer.
Ink Cost: The HP Smart Tank Plus 551 has a very high print unit price. The cost-effectiveness of black prints, color prints, and photographic prints is very high. However, HP currently does not offer combined packs, so each bottle can only be purchased separately.
Print Speed: The HP Smart Tank Plus 551 prints average. Printing the first page of a black document takes a long time, and the following pages are not as quick either. Color manuscripts are also surprisingly slow, which can be painful for anyone trying to print the slides they use in class. In addition, it takes more than a minute to fully print a 4 "x 6" photo. If print speed is high, Epson's EcoTank ET-2760 is also a super tank-type printer with high print speed.
The photo print quality of the "Smart Tank Plus 551" is reasonable. The colors are good, especially green is a beautiful color. However, there are stripes of color on the greyscale, and some parts of the photo are slightly grainy.
This result is based on the actual photo and the scanned images provided as a reference above are not representative of the photo print quality of this printer.
Connectivity:
The HP Smart Tank Plus 551 has a vertical connection function. You can connect wirelessly using Wi-Fi via a router or using Wi-Fi Direct. And with Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service, you can print, copy and scan directly from your mobile phone. On the other hand, it doesn't support Bluetooth, so you can't use an Ethernet cable or print directly from an external storage device such as a USB stick.
- Reaches a very low unit price for black and color printing.
- Get a high yield with black and color ink bottles.
- Compact format.
- bit slow printing speed
Also Read: Best Dtg Printer For Small Business
3.Epson WorkForce EcoTank ET-3750 printers with refillable ink tanks
About:
The Epson WorkForce ET-3750 eco-friendly tank printer with black ink as a bonus will transform your printing experience. Epson has a very large ink tank and already contains two years of ink, so there is no need to replace or order a cartridge. In addition, one of the attractions is its compact size that does not take up space.
Features:
Ultra-economical
EcoTank can reduce your printing costs by 74% on average¹ thanks to integrated high-capacity ink tanks replacing traditional ink cartridges. In addition, it comes with the equivalent of three years of ink². This model comes with two ink kits.
Print thousands of pages
Make more prints between refills. Using ink included with the purchase of the machine, it delivers impressive print volumes with 14,000 black pages and 11,200 color pages³.
Discover the new generation of EcoTank printers
With their ink tanks now on the front, the more compact EcoTank printers have never been easier to use. To prevent leaks when refilling ink, the range features an improved refill system designed for simple refills. In addition, the new bottles are designed with keys, thus avoiding the wrong color when refilling the reservoirs.
Professional features
Create crisp, clear text with the PrecisionCore printhead and Epson pigment and dye-based inks. Designed for businesses, it features a 150-sheet paper tray, duplex printing, high print speeds of 15 ppm, and a 30-page automatic document feeder. For users' peace of mind, it comes with a 3-year warranty (after registration).
Connectivity:
With Wi-F and Wi-Fi Direct, send your documents to print from mobile devices via Epson iPrint. You can even receive files anywhere in the world via Epson Email Print.
- Ultra-low-cost per page: Reduced printing costs by 74% ¹
- Three years of ink² included: Print up to 14,000 black and 11,200 color pages³
- Next generation ink refill system: Enjoy easy refills with the improved ink bottles
- Mobile printing functionality and connectivity: Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet and free mobile printing apps
- Designed for business: 30-page automatic document feeder, duplex printing and 150-sheet front tray
- No SD card and support for
- ADF USB flash drive not auto duplex
- Very basic feature set and capacity for the price
Also Read: Best Printer For Waterslide Decals
4.Canon PIXMA G3200 Cheap ink Tank Printers for Photos
About:
Canon now offers its Megatank printers with a refillable ink system. Still not convinced? What if we told you that the reserve contains 30 times more ink than a conventional set of cartridges? Enough to put an end to your setbacks with consumables! And finally to find a value for money that will satisfy you. To learn all about the Canon Megatank G series printers, it's here!
The major advantage of this range of printers is that you can make a large number of prints without constantly changing your ink refills. The prints of professional quality, ideal for the office and for home.
In addition, the tanks embedded directly in the facade are not annoying for the user and allow good monitoring of the ink reserve thanks to the transparency of the windows.
Features:
Large printing capacity
Open up a convenient and economical high-volume home printer with the unmatched efficiency of the Canon MegaTank PIXMA inkjet printer. The printer uses an ink tank system that allows users to print up to 6,000 black pages and 7,000 color pages. The dispensing system is sealed, which means the ink will not dry out between uses. The ink level can be seen from the front, so you will always be able to know how much ink is left.
An economical and qualitative photo printing
The Canon Megatank G Series lets you print up to 2,000 4 x 6-inch color photos using refill ink bottles. More than enough to sublimate your most beautiful holiday or family shots. In addition, the multiple functions available allow you to refine your photos in order to obtain a truly professional quality.
Substantial savings on color printing
These refillable ink tank printers are now capable of producing color printing at a cost of around 1 penny per page!
- Integrated ink tanks
- Profitable printing
- Easy to recharge
- Print borderless documents and photos
Connectivity:
- Print from virtually anywhere in your home or office using built-in Wi-Fi
- Conveniently print from your favorite mobile devices using Canon's PRINT app
- Google Cloud Print makes it easy to print from your Android phone or tablet
- You can conveniently view and refill ink with built-in ink tanks.
- Print detailed documents with crisp black text using pigment black ink.
- The ink cartridge is equivalent to 30 sets of traditional ink cartridges.2
- Conveniently print from your favorite mobile devices using Canon’s PRINT app5.
- Lacks support for flash memory devices.
5.Brother MFC-J995DW
About:
Brother MFC-J995DW is an excellent all-in-one printer designed for home use, but because of its versatility and high performance, it can be used in a wide range of applications. With Brother's high-efficiency INK clothing tank, you can print a large number of documents while reducing costs.
The photos are well printed in every detail, but the accuracy of the colors can be a little unsatisfactory for professional graphic designers and others. The overall print speed is good and supports NFC, so you can easily connect to a mobile device with just one click.
Features:
Brother MFC-J995DW has an excellent design. The robust construction as a whole makes ink cartridges easily accessible from the front of the printer. The power tray and scanner lid are solid, but the power cable is not removable. The USB and Ethernet ports are located under the scanner tray inside the printer and have grooves to route the cables to the back of the printer. This groove shortens the cable by about a foot, so you'll need a longer cable to use these ports.
There is a display screen at the front, which can be tilted upwards for better visibility. The touch screen is quite small, but responsive and offers a good angle of view.
Brother J995DW has an excellent cartridge system. Brother's "ink tank ink system," which contains a large amount of ink per cartridge, is used. Ink cartridges are easily accessible from the front and are compatible with Brother's high-efficiency cartridges (LC3035). Third-party ink cartridges are also available, but please note that this printer did not recognize the yellow cartridges.
The unit print price of Brother J995DW is wonderful. Low cost even when printing in large quantities
The print speed is good and it's a little faster than the Brother MFC-J805DW INKvestment Tank as a whole. For black-and-white documents, the print speed doesn't change much between the first and subsequent pages, and printing for color documents is as fast as for black-only documents.
The accuracy of Brother MFC-J995DW's print colors is correct. Most colors are inaccurate and are not recommended for tasks that require accurate color reproduction.
The print quality of the photos is excellent. The image is detailed, but the printing of certain colors or some gray causes thin strips. Printing without margins is possible, but the position of the photo is often misaligned and requires manual adjustment.
Connectivity:
Brother MFC-J995DW has a wide range of connection options. The printer has an NFC function and when you use the NFC feature, the Brother app starts on your mobile device. I was able to make a connection using the Mopria app, but I couldn't print or scan. You can also print directly from a USB stick or an SD card.
- Exceptional cartridge system.
- Low-cost printing is possible
- An excellent mobile app.
- Printing speed can be improved
Also Read: Best Printer for Vehicle Wraps [year]
6.Canon PIXMA MegaTank G7020 ink tank photo printer
About:
The Megatank Wireless Canon PIXMA G7020 is the perfect printer for family use. It's economical and has a lot of black and color prints, so you can print many pages without having to reload the ink tank or replace the ink bottle, and you can buy it at a reasonable price. It also has a sheet-to-sheet feeding scanner and a flat-to-flat scanner, making it convenient for scanning fragile objects such as multiple documents and photos.
On the other hand, the printing speed of black characters and color documents is very slow, and since it uses a 2-line dot matrix display, some people may feel the limitation.
Features:
Design: The Canon PIXMA G7020 is made of solid and wonderfully made of plastic. Because the ink tank is under the scanner, it has good access to the ink tank and the scanner lid will not fall off during ink filling or paper jam removal. In addition, the scanner lid will not fall off when filling ink or removing paper jams. You can eliminate a paper jam by lifting the back of the printer or the entire scanner. The front and rear input bins have sliders that can be adjusted according to the size of the page. However, the rear power tray can get stuck when you remove it from the printer or put it back in place.
The Canon G7020 has a display screen. A monochrome 2-line matrix screen with a vintage feel like a calculator. However, some people may find it limited because the number of characters that can be displayed at the same time is limited. In addition, the physical buttons are arranged to surround the screen, and the screen cover can be tilted, but the downside is that the viewing screen's viewing angle is narrow.
The Canon PIXMA G7020 uses an excellent ink cartridge system. As there are many black and color prints, there is no need to reload ink even if you print multiple sheets. Ink made by other companies is also supported, but in this case, it is not covered by the warranty.
The printing cost of the Canon G7020 is very good. Whether it's black, color or photo, you can print multiple pages with a single ink tank, which is a good deal. You can buy each ink tank separately, but Canon sells bundled packs, which is more advantageous.
Even if you only print in black, most inkjet printers continue to use color inks for their services, so I think they will eventually need to be replenished.
The printing speed of the PIXMA G7020 is disappointing. The first page of a black text document takes time. The next page is also very slow and color manuscripts take longer, which can be stressful when you're in a hurry. In addition, it takes less than a minute to print a 4-inch x 6-inch photo. If print speed is high, we recommend HP OfficeJet Pro 9015.
Connectivity:
The Canon PIXMA G7020 has a wide range of connection options. You can connect wirelessly using Wi-Fi via a router or Wi-Fi Direct. You can also print from your mobile device using Apple AirPrint if you have an iOS device or Mopria printing service if you've installed it on your Android device. For a wired connection.
- Reaches overwhelming cost performance.
- Makes it possible to obtain a high number of monochrome and colour prints.
- Robust and solid construction.
- color accuracy is average
7.Epson EcoTank ET-4760
About:
The Epson EcoTank ET-4760 is a great tank printer. It's user-friendly and easy to use, and it comes with all the features you need.
This smart printer can copy, scan, and fax, as well as print. It, therefore, covers all your needs for a reasonable price.
Refillable ink is very affordable which saves you a lot of money compared to buying cartridges. This makes it a very economical printer to buy.
Plus, it comes with plenty of ink - enough to last you for up to two years. So you won't have to worry about stocking up on ink for years. Refills last just as long.
Features:
The EcoTank is equipped with a very practical color touch screen. Although the screen is small (2.4 inches), it is useful and makes it easy to select the right options.
The paper tray holds 250 sheets, so you don't have to refill it too often. So you can print easily and with your hands-free.
You can connect your devices and print over Wi-Fi, eliminating the need to stand next to the printer. Just send your documents wherever you are, as long as you are logged in. It is a real-time saver.
EcoTank allows you to reduce your paper consumption with automatic two-sided printing. It is also profitable and ecological.
Epson's ET-4760 has a very low unit printing price. Ink bottles are not that expensive and this printer uses a lot of ink. Even with a lot of prints, it will take a long time for the ink bill to reach your wallet.
The print speed of the Epson ET-4760 is good. It prints faster, printing monochrome documents much faster than other Epson printers, but not as fast in color documents. In addition, the printing of photos is very slow. On the other hand, the feed tray contains a significant amount of regular paper.
For a tank printer, it is quite compact with its dimensions of 50.29 x 25 x 41.65 cm. It doesn't take up much space.
This printer can handle a wide variety of paper sizes: 3.5 ″ x 5 ″, 4 ″ x 6 ″, 5 ″ x 7 ″, 8 ″ x 10 ″, 8.5 ″ x 11 ″, 8.5 ″ x 14 ″, A4, A6
Connectivity:
The Epson ET-4760 has excellent connection features. The Epson ET-4760 has excellent connectivity, allowing you to connect to a Wi-Fi router on your home network via Ethernet or set it up wirelessly. If you don't have a WiFi router, you can also use Wi-Fi Direct. It doesn't support Bluetooth, but it supports AirPrint and Mopria, and mobile printing is possible.
- Affordable printing in color and black and white
- Convenient functions that save time and money
- The touch screen is quite small
- Photo printing quality is decent.
How to Choose The Best ink Tank Printers for Photos | Unrivaled Guide
If you are purchasing a printer with an ink tank, there are a few things to consider.
But first, let's take a closer look at why you should get an ink-efficient printer. What are the advantages over ordinary printers?
Traditional ink cartridges are very expensive, especially if you need a specific brand. They don't contain a lot of ink, and you will need to purchase separate cartridges for each color,
Your printer could soon become a big burden on your wallet. If you are looking for a budget printer, then a printer with a reservoir might be right for you.
While tank printers tend to cost more to purchase, the ongoing costs are tiny. You could spend less than $ 10 on ink for an entire year.
An ink refill can last between 7,000 and 10,000 sheets of paper. Not only will you save money, but you will also save time. Plus, you won't have to worry about running out of ink.
These printers are also more environmentally friendly, as they reduce wastage of ink cartridges.
Another advantage is that they even consume less power than laser printers. A laser printer relies on the production of heat during its process to fuse toner to the page.
A printer with an ink tank does not heat up when printing, so it is more energy-efficient.
The main attraction of a tank printer is the low level of overhead and cost. While you spend more immediately, it's a wise investment in the long run.
When deciding to buy a printer with an ink tank, you will need to consider these factors.
How much does the printer with tank cost? And how much would you spend on ink for a regular printer? Compare these numbers, and you will have your answer.
With these simple calculations, you can determine whether purchasing a printer with an ink tank is a good idea. For most people, this is a smart and profitable decision.
Now you fully understand why tank printers are so useful. So let's take a look at the factors to consider when buying an ink tank printer!
Also Read: How To Make Prints of Watercolor Paintings
Cut
You don't want a printer that's too big to take up all of your office space. Some printers are heavy and bulky, while others are much more compact.
If you're buying a printer for home use, you want it to be small and look good no matter where you place it. But a smaller size doesn't have to mean you forgo essential functions.
Characteristics
Some printers are pretty basic. Higher-end models can offer many advanced features. Which printer is best for you depends on your needs.
An all-in-one printer is great if you also need to scan, copy, and fax. This type of printer will save you space and reduce the number of devices you need.
But these features might not be used if all you need is a decent printer. Other features to look out for include borderless printing and automatic two-sided printing.
You should also check if the printer is equipped with an automatic document feeder (ADF). This is convenient because it allows you to print in "hands-free" mode.
Also, check the number of pages the paper tray can hold. The more, the better, especially if you have to deal with large print runs.
Also Read: Best Printer For Barcode Labels
Reliability
You want a printer that produces clean, accurate prints every time. The best way to check printer reliability is to read reviews (like mine below!)
I also recommend that you go for one of the better-known brands like HP, Brother or Epson. These companies have decades of experience building quality printers that are built to last.
Speed
Another key statistic to check is speed measured in ppm (pages per minute). A ppm of 10 or more is reasonable, while high-speed printers can print more than 20 pages per minute.
If a printer has a ppm of fewer than 10 pages, consider this a warning that it will be slow. It doesn't have to be a deal-breaker, but it's worth keeping in mind.
Price
Finally, you should always keep your budget in mind. There are great printers out there for all prices.
By deciding how much you want to spend, you can narrow down the options. This makes it much easier to find the right printer for your situation.
Also Read: Best Printer For Giclee Prints
FAQs
Conclusion
So here's my roundup of the best ink tank printers.
Switching to a printer with an ink tank will save you a lot of money! You just wish you had done it sooner.
The winner of the all-around competition must be the Epson EcoTank ET-4760. But the other models on this list all have some cool features and might be what you need.
For example, if you are on a tight budget, I recommend the Canon G3200. And if you're looking for a quality photo printer, the Epson Expression Premium won't disappoint.
Let me know which printer you decide to go for below! Then don't forget to sign up for the Proactive Creative newsletter. I'll keep you up to date with the best resources, tips, and advice for creative professionals.
