People generally use the smooth and glossy type of paper to make flyers, advertisements, brochures, and many more. However, working with glossy paper is more challenging compared to working with regular office paper.
To make sure that the glossy paper’s text quality and photo quality are clear and excellent, we need to use the best printer for glossy paper.
Finding a printer for a specific purpose is not an easy task as there are hundreds of printers available for purchase.
Therefore, we had our expert research time to comb the printing market and find the finest glossy paper printers for you. In this guide, we will review some of the glossy printers that are top of the game.
How To Choose A Printer For Glossy Paper?
The factors you must consider before purchasing a glossy paper printer are printer type, the weight of the paper, printing resolution, cartridge configuration, and printing speed. Although people consider other factors before purchasing a printer, these 5 factors should be enough to make your printer choosing task easier.
Printer Type
We recommend users use either an inkjet printer or a laser printer to print on glossy paper as it is compatible with both of these printer types.
You can use inkjet printers for printing glossy paper if you are looking for an excellent printing quality at an affordable rate.
If you want a high printing quality on your glossy paper and budget is not an issue for you, we recommend using a laser printer.
You can choose between these two printer types you want to print on glossy paper. However, every kind of printer works with glossy papers explicitly designed for them, so you must keep that in mind.
Weight Of The Paper
Each paper has a certain amount of weight; some are heavy, while some are incredibly lightweight. Different types of paper also have different amount of thicknesses and thinness.
Not all printers are compatible with all types of paper thickness, and using incompatible paper can jam the printer.
Before purchasing a printer, make sure to check the paperweight compatibility to avoid paper jams.
Glossy papers usually have a different thickness than the regular paper we use.
Therefore, we must ensure that the printer can print on that thickness before putting the paper into the printer.
Printing Resolution
As we discussed at the beginning of the guide, we usually use glossy paper to print flyers, brochures, advertisements, etc.
These items must be printed in an excellent photo and text quality to ensure the high quality of these products.
Therefore, the printing resolution of the printing machine has to be great.
Although we consider the 300 dpi printing resolution decent, it is not enough to get an excellent printing quality.
We usually consider a printing resolution of 600 dpi or higher excellent for quality printing on glossy paper.
Cartridge Configuration
Cartridge configuration of a printer is quite an essential factor to consider as it determines the text quality of the printouts.
Printing on glossy paper requires excellent text quality, and the number of cartridges in the printer will ensure high quality.
We recommend printers with a cartridge configuration of at least 4 ink cartridges.
However, the ink cartridge consideration only works for inkjet printers as laser printers do not use ink cartridges.
Print Speed
Print speed is not a big deal when using a printer for home use. However, for commercial purposes, you should check out this criterion because you have to deal with a bulk amount of printing at a time: the better speed, the higher the time savior.
The Best Printer For Glossy Paper On The Market Today
After doing research, we are recommending the following five printers. These will serve your printing on glossy paper tasks smooth.
- Best Printer For Glossy Flyers: Epson Expression Home XP-430
- Best Inkjet Printer For Glossy Paper: Epson Stylus Photo R280
- Best Printer For Glossy Sticker Paper: Canon PIXMA TS8220
- Best Color Printer For Glossy Paper: Epson PictureMate PM-400
- Best Budget Printer For Glossy Sticker Paper: Canon MG2520
1. Best Printer For Glossy Flyers – Epson Expression Home XP-430
Selection Criteria:
- Printer Type : Inkjet
- Weight Of The Paper : Glossy Photo Paper
- Printing Resolution : 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Cartridge Configuration : 4 Individual Ink
- Print Speed : Black: 9 ppm Color: 4.5 ppm
About Epson Expression Home XP-430
We have handpicked the Epson Expression Home XP-430 for people who generally work with glossy paper printouts.
This printer has a printer resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi, and you can undoubtedly enjoy excellent printing quality with this item.
This printer comes with a few connectivity options such as USB, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct. However, this does not feature Ethernet connectivity, which can be a bit troubling to a few users.
You can print, scan, and copy from the same printer without any trouble.
If we take a look at the maximum printing size of this printing machine that is 8.5 inches x 44 inches, we can clearly say that it supports a very large paper size for printing.
Although the printing resolution is top-notch, the printing speed is not that great as it prints 9 pages per minute for monochrome documents. And it can print 4.5 pages per minute for colored documents.
This product has a cartridge configuration of 4 ink cartridges. These 4 cartridges are magenta, black, yellow, and cyan. And if we follow the buying guide, we will see that it matches the requirement or recommendation of cartridge configurations.
Pros:
- USB, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity
- Outstanding quality of printing
- Maximum printing size of 8” x 44”
Cons:
- Does not support Ethernet
2. Best Inkjet Printer For Glossy Paper – Epson Stylus Photo R280
Selection Criteria:
- Printer Type : Inkjet
- Weight Of The Paper : Glossy Photo Paper
- Printing Resolution : 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Cartridge Configuration : 6 Ink Cartridge
- Print Speed : Black -37 ppm, Color text – 38 ppm, 4″ x 6″ photo – 11 seconds
About Epson Stylus Photo R280
The Epson Stylus Photo R280 is another great printer that is compatible with glossy paper for printing.
Similar to the Epson Expression Home XP-430, this item also has a 5760 x 1440 dpi printing resolution. So, you do not have to worry about the printing quality of it.
One thing we personally love about this printer is its high printing speed. This product prints monochrome papers at a speed of 37 pages per minute and colored papers at a speed of 38 pages per minute.
We usually do not get to see printers where the printing speed of the colored paper is faster than that of the monochrome papers. This is something we have seen in this product.
The maximum printing size of this product is 8.5 inches x 44 inches, which is the same as the product mentioned above. The maximum thickness of paper that this printer can print on is 11.8 mil.
It is an inkjet printer that comes with 6 ink cartridges, so we can say that it has an incredible text quality.
However, this product only has one connectivity option, which is USB. Due to this connectivity option, you can only print photos and documents via desktop computers and laptops.
Pros:
- Incredible speed of printing
- Excellent printing quality
- 6 ink cartridges ensure a great quality of text
Cons:
- Does not support Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, or Ethernet
3. Best Printer For Glossy Sticker Paper – Canon PIXMA TS8220
Selection Criteria:
- Printer Type : Inkjet
- Weight Of The Paper : Photo Paper
- Printing Resolution : 4800 x 1200 dpi
- Cartridge Configuration : 4
- Print Speed : Black – 7 ppm, Color – 7 ppm
About Canon PIXMA TS8220
You cannot talk about printers without mentioning the name of Canon. The Canon PIXMA TS8220 is one of the top glossy paper printers available in the market.
The printing quality of this item is worth mentioning as it prints with a 4800 x 1200 dpi printing resolution.
The text quality of this printer is also incredible as it uses 6 ink cartridges. It also comes with a decent printing speed of 15 images per minute and 10 pages per minute for both black and white and color documents.
The maximum printing size of this printer is 8.5 inches x 14 inches, which is quite smaller compared to that of the two printers we have mentioned above.
If we discuss the connectivity options of this printing machine, we will see three different options for connectivity. These options include USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Due to these available options, you can print your images and documents easily via any device you prefer.
This item is compatible with a wide range of paper types and can elegantly print on glossy paper, cardstock, scrapbooking paper, and so on.
This printer can print, scan, and copy images and documents and also comes with a duplex printing feature that prints two sides of a paper at a single pass.
Pros:
- Incredible quality of printing
- Decent printing speed
- Compatible with various glossy and crafting paper
Cons:
- Does not feature an automatic document feeder
4. Best Color Printer For Glossy Paper – Epson PictureMate PM-400
Selection Criteria:
- Printer Type : Inkjet
- Weight Of The Paper : Photo Paper
- Printing Resolution : 5760 x 1440 dpi
- Cartridge Configuration : 1 CMYK Cartridge
- Print Speed : 4 x 6″ Borderless Photo in 36 seconds
About Epson PictureMate PM-400
We have brought you to another great glossy paper printer by Epson, the Epson PictureMate PM-400.
Similar to the two printers by the same company we have reviewed above, this printer also comes with a 5760 x 1440 dpi printing resolution.
The printing speed is that it can print a borderless document of 4 inches x 6 inches within 36 seconds of establishing the connection. Therefore, the maximum printing size of this printer is 5 inches x 7 inches.
You can print your images and documents through various devices as this item supports Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and USB. However, it does not support connectivity via Ethernet.
One of the most interesting things about this printer is that it only features 1 individual ink cartridge.
We know that we usually recommend a cartridge configuration of 4 ink cartridges when it comes to glossy paper printing. But, the interesting part is that 1 individual cartridge features 4 different inks in it. So, no worries.
Pros:
- Outstanding printing quality
- Compatible with various paper types
- Good connectivity options
Cons:
- Does not support Ethernet
5. Best Budget Printer For Glossy Sticker Paper – Canon MG2520
Selection Criteria:
- Printer Type : Inkjet
- Weight Of The Paper : Glossy Photo Paper
- Printing Resolution : 4800 x 600 dpi
- Cartridge Configuration : 2 Ink Cartridge
- Print Speed : Black – 8 ppm, Color – 4 ppm
About Canon MG2520
Last but not least, another top glossy printer by Canon, the Canon MG2520.
Out of all the printers we have reviewed here today, we are a bit skeptical about the printing resolution of this item.
It has a printing resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi for colored documents and 600 x 600 dpi for monochrome documents.
These printing resolutions are decent enough, but the monochrome resolution is not great compared to the other printers.
If we talk about the available connectivity options, then there is not much to talk about. This is because this printer only supports USB connectivity.
The printing speed of this product is good enough as it prints 8 images per minute in black and white and 4.5 images per minute in color.
This printing machine works with several paper types, especially scrapbook pages and glossy paper, and prints a maximum paper size of 8.5 inches x 14 inches.
It comes with a red-eye correction feature and also features a quiet mode so that you can print your images and documents with ease without interrupting anyone near you.
Pros:
- Decent printing quality
- Features quiet mode
- Compatible with glossy and crafting paper
Cons:
- Only supports USB connectivity
How Do You Print On Glossy Paper?
There are certain steps that you have to follow in order to print on glossy paper. These steps are:
Step 1:
Select a type of glossy paper that is compatible with your printer. The paper type that works for laser printers might not work for inkjet printers. Using the wrong glossy paper can cause damage to the printer.
Step 2:
Clean the printer rollers and input the glossy paper into the printer one at a time.
Glossy papers are generally thicker compared to regular papers and often generate static electricity. This static electricity causes the glossy papers to stick together.
Therefore, you must never input more than one glossy paper into the printer at a time.
Step 3:
Once the printing process is complete, leave the glossy paper in the paper tray to dry completely and properly.
This is because the ink on glossy papers often smears due to excess movement before drying.
Allow the ink to dry properly and remove it from the paper tray before you input another glossy paper into the printer.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
1. Which Printer Is Best For Printing On Glossy Paper?
For printing on glossy paper, we generally recommend the use of inkjet or laser printers. Both of these printers are compatible with glossy paper and provide a great printing quality.
Inkjet printers provide a great printing quality and are quite affordable. On the other hand, laser printers provide an exceptional printing quality but are a bit expensive.
2. Can I Print On Glossy Paper With An Inkjet Printer?
Yes, you can easily print on glossy paper with an inkjet printer.
There are hundreds of inkjet printer models and brands available in the markets which are compatible with glossy paper. However, the glossy paper suitable for inkjet and laser printers might be different, and you have to purchase the right glossy paper.
3. Can HP Printer Use Glossy Paper?
Yes, HP printers can print on glossy paper. HP provided some of the top inkjet and laser printers in the market.
There are several printer models by HP that are 100 percent compatible with glossy paper and provide incredible printing quality of this paper type.
4. What Ink Can I Use On Glossy Paper?
Printing ink is basically divided into two types: pigment-based and dye-based.
Generally, printer experts recommend the use of dye-based printing ink for glossy papers.
The use of pigment-based printing ink is usually recommended for matte and regular paper types.
5. How Do You Print On Glossy Paper Without Smearing?
The trick to prevent your printing on glossy paper from smearing is to let it sit on the paper tray once it is printed. Do not put more than one glossy paper into the printer at the same time.
Let the first glossy paper dry completely, remove it carefully and then feed another paper into the system.
Conclusion
The printer models we have mentioned and reviewed above are some of the finest glossy paper printer options available in the market right now.
If you are searching for the best printer for glossy paper, we hope that this guide will be of help to you. Do not forget to carefully consider the buying guide before you make a final decision on your glossy printer.