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At 20.3 by 14.5 by 7.3 inches, our top pick is the smallest model we looked at, and it’s still one of the largest electronic items in Erin’s house. Producing a high-quality print, especially if you want to experiment with unusual paper stock and sizes, means ensuring your monitor is color calibrated, installing ICC profiles, and possessing the patience for lots of trial and error, which costs both time and money. If you’re not yet familiar with the art of printing, beware of a learning curve.If you’re a casual hobbyist and you only occasionally want to print family photos and a large landscape or two, you’ll save money, time, and effort by using a professional printing service instead.
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And then there are the paper costs and, of course, your time. At this writing, our top pick costs $800, and a full set of replacement inks runs $380. A photo printer will not save you money.
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