Intorduction
Printers have become essential for most individuals, and unlike before, when you could mostly find them on business premises, you can today come across printers almost anywhere. Finding the right printer is extremely important as the ideal printer can be considered as an investment. Today people are not only printing letter sized prints as large prints have become extremely popular and more frequent. Large prints have moved from being an architect and artist domain. Today every other person is looking to print out poster-size media, spreadsheets client drawings, product designs, blueprints and even wall art, which is why wide format 11 X 17 printers have become essential. We conducted an extensive research of the various printers available in the market, including their features and specifications and created a comprehensive list of only the best of the best. Take a look at some of the best handpicked 11 X 17 printers below that you can consider purchasing if you are on the need for one.
Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II Inkjet Photo Printer
Intro
Canon is a very familiar name in the printing industry, and the capabilities of the Canon PIXMA Pro9000 come as no surprise. The printer is capable of achieving 13 x 19-inch sized prints without it affecting the quality of the print. Utilizing Canon’s Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) print head technology in conjunction with the Chromalife100 and dye-based ink printing system users achieve top tier pictures/output with a maximum resolution of 4800 X1200 dpi. The Canon has a wide color gamut, and the Chromalife ensures that your prints come with a glossy finish should you so wish it. Our favorite feature of the printer has to be the printer’s ambient light correction feature, and the auto photo fix features that respectively ensure the color of your prints is optimized regardless of the lighting conditions and they are categorized into different settings for better exposure and lighting.
Pros
- The printer has front and rear paper feed trays so you can use different sized media depending on which paper feeder best suites them.
- The printer is ideal for beginners, as its setup is effortless and straightforward.
- In comparison to some of its competitors, the Canon PIXMA Pro9000 is quiet.
- The printing speeds are not too shabby
- Upon purchase, you receive a warranty from the manufacturer.
Cons
- The printer does not include wireless connectivity options.
- Users may experience difficulties when they attempt to shut down the printer’s color management option as the OSX drivers do not allow it.
Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Ink Jet Printer
Intro
Boasting considerably more resolution than its competitors, the Stylus Photo R1800 Inkjet printer is another wide format printer that has a maximum resolution of 5760 x1440 dpi capable of printing top-notch glossy or matte finish prints on several media including CD and DVDs. This printer has remarkable printing speeds that vary between 42 seconds to 1 minute 51 seconds depending on the print size. Both Mac and Windows operating system users can use the printer. With an 8-colored individual ink system working alongside Epson’s signature Ultrachrome high-gloss ink and minute droplet sizes from the printer’s print head, users can achieve well detailed and almost lifelike prints. Other add-on features that can be found in the printer include USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces.
Pros
- The individual ink systems mean that users can refill the cartridges individually as the ink runs out.
- The cartridges are quite big, which reduces the number of refills one has to make as the ink does not run out quickly.
- The picture quality is awe-inspiring and unmatched.
- The installation and setup of the printer are exceptionally forthright.
Cons
- The printer is very bulky and occupies a large footprint.
- The ink of the Stylus Photo R1800 is expensive
- Feeding large paper into the printer can be a menace.
HP OfficeJet Pro 7720
Intro
While it may not brag numerous features, the HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 is a great all in one printer that is perfect for home and small to medium-sized office use. Some of the features that this printer is equipped with include 4x inkjet cartridges, maximum resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi on the print quality, 250 sheets capacity paper tray, and several connectivity options. The downside of this printer is its inconsistency as the amount of black ink applied varies between documents. This printer works better for mixed color documents and photos rather than monochromatic documents where the discrepancy is more visible.
Pros
- It has several connectivity options, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB, and HP wireless direct.
- The 22 pages per minute printing speeds of the Pro 7720 are really great, and it is capable of handling large document volumes.
- The printer’s touchscreen display is very responsive.
- It is affordable.
Cons
- The running costs of the HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 are relatively high.
- The graphics and output quality are somewhat subpar and not the best that we have seen.
- The printer is very noisy and is occasionally erratic, primarily when used over extended periods of time.
Epson Artisan 1430 Wide-Format Inkjet Printer
Intro
The artisan 1430 is one printer that does not disappoint and lives up to Epson’s “imagination meets innovation” mantra. Capable of printing images up to 13 x 19 inches the Artisan 1430 delivers exceptional ultra HD prints. The printer utilizes the 6-color Claria Hi-Definition Ink, a droplet size of 1.5 picoliters in combination with advanced color and lighting correction features. This ensures that you can achieve prints with an optimized resolution of up to 5760 x 1440. The Advanced MicroPiezo print head technology ensures accurate ink placement for beautiful prints. The prints produced on the printer are smudge, scratch, water, and fade resistant. While the printing speeds could use some improvement, they are not too bad if you are not working with large volumes. Other bells and whistles available on the printer include Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port, Wi-Fi connectivity as well as Epson’s wireless printing option on the mobile app.
Pros
- Apart from paper, users can print on CD and DVDs as well as other mediums.
- Can easily be set up and installed.
- It works best if you are using a USB based setup
- The MicroPiezo print head technology ensures there is no ink wastage.
Cons
- The printer’s ink is expensive.
- Despite being compact, the artisan is relatively big and bulky.
Brother MFC-J6930DW
Intro
The Brother MFC-J6930DW is an all in one printer that is durable, sturdy, and boasts remarkable print quality without compromising on speed. We like this printer because it can be used for various tasks and is capable of handling varying media sizes. The prints can reach a maximum resolution of up to 4,800 x 1,200 dpi. Some of the printers specs that make it one of the best 11 X17 printers for your business include printing speed of up to 22 ppm for mono prints and 20 ppm for color print, automatic document feeder, Wired Network, and Wireless connectivity namely Hi-Speed USB 2.0, (LAN), Wi-Fi Direct and NFC. While the print quality may not be as sharp as that of its competitors, the Brother MFC- j6930DW is a great 11 x 17 printer from Brother.
Pros
- It does a great job if your main printing focus is achieving a large print volume.
- The printer has competitively fast printing speeds.
- It’s equipped with not one but three paper input sources.
- It has a single pass auto duplexing automatic document feeder (ADF).
Cons
- The printer’s graphic is not one of the best we have seen.
- The output tray of the Brother MFC- j6930DW is not enclosed, which means paper can easily fall out of the printer.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you found our best 11 x 17 printer list to be helpful as you try and decide which printer you should opt for. when deciding on which printer to purchase you should let your intent and purpose act as your guide for picking out the perfect printer. Once you are confident of your purpose, other vital elements that you must consider are the printer’s resolution, speed, print quality, price, connectivity options, and media handling. All these vary among the different printers in the market, and it all boils down on what you’re willing to compromise on versus what you cannot compromise on as must-have features that you need in the printer. For us, the Canon PIXMA Pro 100 is the ultimate winner as far as our product list goes. A good printer is an investment as while it may cause a dent in your bank account you will certainly get value for your money. As they say cheap is expensive, and while you may opt for an affordable printer, it could eventually cost you more in terms of ink toners and refills as well as the durability. While we may not know the exact specifications of your business, our list offers you several options that you can consider and will hopefully solve your challenges and meet your needs.