Photo printers are of high quality, and the prices have also considerably come down. These have improved the overall quality of printing, primarily because inks and print heads have improved.

Today you have a wide choice right, from two-cartridge inkjet photo printers to eight- cartridge multicolor printers. These are feature loaded, with slots for memory cards and direct connections for cameras. You could also get small LCDs, to view and edit images, and some even print onto labeled CDs and DVDs.

Color lasers are also becoming popular, though these do not offer the same image quality. These are much less expensive, and it is possible to get monochrome lasers. The Dell Laser Printer is one of the most popular in the category and is also the first to go below the $100 category. Most scanners are now within a reasonable price range and can be all-in-one scanners or specialized for professional photographers.

When you choose a photo printer, assess your needs. You could need one that does all kinds of printing and prints a photograph occasionally or one that's ideal to print many photographs a day. You could need one that interfaces well with the computer, so that you can edit your pictures, or one that prints directly from a camera. Also, check out how much the ink, toner, etc. will cost you.

Some of the most highly rated photo printers are the Epson Stylus Pro 4000, the Canon Pixma iP8500 Photo Printer, and the Sony PictureStation DPP-FP30. Under $100, the Lexmark P4350 All-In-One, Samsung ML-2010, and HP PSC 1510 All-in-One are some of the best rated. The HP Photosmart 8450 is one of the photo printers preferred for full- size photos. Check out the range of printers available, and choose the one that fits you best in terms of price, running costs, and features.