Best A3 Printers for Photos & Prints [2023]

Finding the best A3 printer isn’t too difficult. Many of the printers out there don’t have the ability to print A3, so this helps to narrow down the selection for us. There are still a few different options out there to choose from though, so knowing what else you need from an A3 printer is also important.

Depending on what you actually want from a printer, there are different things you should look out for. For example, if you need to do some double sided printing, then it’s best to get a duplex printer so you don’t have to do this manually. If you don’t even need to print in A3, then you could consider a normal ink printer instead, as they’re typically cheaper.

So whether you’re looking for a printer for the office, or you need something that you can use at home, we’ll look at the best options currently available.

Best A3 Printers for Photos & Prints

ProductImageDPIGet More Info
Brother MFC-J6530DWBrother MFC-J6530DW Colour Inkjet Printer - All-in-One, Wireless/USB 2.0/Network, Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax Machine, 2 Sided Printing, A3 Printer, Business Printer, Black4800x1200dpiCheck Price at Amazon
Epson WorkForce WF-7830Epson WorkForce WF-7830 All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer with Scanner, Copier, Fax, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct and ADF4800x2400dpiCheck Price at Amazon
HP Officejet 7110HP Officejet 7110 Wide Format ePrinter4800x1200dpiCheck Price at Amazon
HP OfficeJet Pro 7740HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 A3 Colour All-In-One Inkjet Printer (Wireless)4800x1200dpiCheck Price at Amazon
Canon PIXMA iX6850Canon PIXMA iX6850 Wireless Printer (Black) - Compact, high-performance A3+ printer for home office9600x2400dpiCheck Price at Amazon
Epson Expression Photo XP-970Epson Expression Photo XP-970 A3 Multifunction Wireless Inkjet Printer5760x1440dpiCheck Price at Amazon

Brother MFC-J6530DW

Brother MFC-J6530DW Colour Inkjet Printer - All-in-One, Wireless/USB 2.0/Network, Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax Machine, 2 Sided Printing, A3 Printer, Business Printer, Black

Ink Costs: Average | Sheet capacity: 250 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: Yes | DPI: 4800×1200 | Pages per minute: 22

If you’re looking for a very high print quality with good ppm speed, then check out this Brother printer. In terms of performance, it’s one of the top few options on the market that I’d recommend for both office and home use, too.

It’s very easy to get started with this printer, and its setup is much easier than with other brands. For printing in colour, it’s difficult to find a competitor to this model within its price range. The Brother MFC-J6530DW prints at a 4800x1200dpi, and produces some perfect photo prints.

As well as this, the ink costs are pretty reasonable, but make sure to stick with Brother ink and not any other type of cartridge. Brother are pretty well known for their fair ink prices, more so than any of the other major brands. Well, actually they’re best known for their laser printers that use toner cartridges, but this is one of their better alternatives.

Honestly, the only downside that I can see with this printer is that if you’re looking for a home printer, it’s pretty big. It weighs quite a lot and it’s quite a large size, too. It also comes with a fairly high price tag, but this is pretty typical when looking at A3 models that have a good print quality.

However for those looking for the best A3 printer, this is a small price to pay for this model, as it does everything else perfectly well. It really is a solid all-rounder. You can connect to it via Wi-Fi or ethernet port, which can help you to print at a fast rate, at a very high standard too.

Pros

Can do pretty much everything you need.
Low ink costs keep the outgoings low.
Has the ability to print double sided.

Cons

The printer is very large, and takes up a fair amount of space.
This printer can also be pretty noisy when being used.

Verdict: This is an awesome colour inkjet printer that has a whole lot to offer, and it is very easy to use. It’s an ideal home office printer – if you have the space for it, that is.


Epson WorkForce WF-7830

Epson WorkForce WF-7830 All-in-One Wireless Colour Printer with Scanner, Copier, Fax, Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct and ADF

Ink Costs: Above average | Sheet capacity: 50 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: Yes | DPI: 4800×2400 | Pages per minute: 25

Another solid office printer is this Epson Workforce Pro model, which has a decent printing rate of 25 pages each minute. However, this is monochrome only, and with colour printing, it’s a little slower at 12 ppm.

The model itself is pretty good, and the printing quality does separate it from the other printers listed. It’s a 4 in 1, so it can scan, copy and fax as well as print. Probably most impressive is the quality of the colours printed on both A3 and A4 paper – it has a 4800x2400dpi, so the detail in the print is great.

It is a pretty typical office printer, with an automatic document feeder and paper trays that you can use with it too. You can print easily with it wirelessly or via a wired connection, with Airprint and Google Cloud print being easy to set up.

The capability to print both sided (duplex) is another advantage of opting for a more expensive printer like this one. This is not just for A4 paper either, as it has a 50 sheet A3 paper tray that also allows you to print duplex on larger paper too.

As usual with Epson printers, the downside comes in the expense of the ink cartridges, which definitely add up over the course of your ownership. So if you have high volumes to print, then you’ll want to find a cheaper ink alternative than Epson cartridges, and potentially even look at a printer that uses ink tanks instead.

Pros

The quality of your prints will be amazing.
This is a good A3 printer scanner, and it can copy and fax too.
Works very well if you’re looking to print PDFs.

Cons

This printer is quite costly, especially for casual printers.
You can run through the small ink cartridges very easily.

Verdict: For those looking for a high end office printer, you may want to consider the Epson WorkForce WF-7720DTWF. The fast print speeds and overall high build quality make it stand out from the rest.


HP Officejet 7110

HP Officejet 7110 Wide Format ePrinter

Ink Costs: Above average | Sheet capacity: 75 sheets | Wifi Printing: No | Scanner: No | DPI: 4800×1200 | Pages per minute: 33

The majority of A3 printers are expensive – they’re intended for office use above everything else, as this is where they are most used. However, not all A3 printers have to destroy your bank balance.

If you’re looking for a cheaper model, then you might want to check out this Officejet 7710. It is a wide printer, which has been designed to handle A3 printing, although it’s also perfectly capable of printing at other sizes too.

This printer is made specifically for people who have lower printing needs than a large office printer, but still need to print in various sizes. If you make postcards or sell things online, then this is the demographic this printer is aimed at.

It has fairly reasonable, if a little expensive, printing costs. It has a high paper capacity, and it can print at 4800dpi, giving you the ability to print clear, detailed pages.

The main thing that makes this printer stand out from the rest is quite simply its price. Usually, A3 printers can cost in excess of £200 quite easily. So to find one for around half of that is definitely a rarity, and it makes this model a good deal.

So, if you don’t need the extras like Wifi and you’re not looking for an all-in-one scanner, then this printer might be the right one for you. But, as is with many inkjet printers, the costs can be pretty high.

Pros

Excellent value for what it costs.
Good for all different sizes of paper.
This printer can print a high resolution image, both in black and colour.

Cons

This printer has cost a fair amount in expenses if you’re going to print on a regular basis.
The printheads could be a better quality.

Verdict: This is a great printer if cost is the most important factor in your decision.


HP OfficeJet Pro 7740

HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 A3 Colour All-In-One Inkjet Printer (Wireless)

Ink Costs: Above average | Sheet capacity: 75 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: Yes | DPI: 1200 | Pages per minute: 22

Another option for HP is the Officejet 7740. If you’re looking for an all-in-one printer that can do it all, then it’s worth keeping this model in mind. It prints at a 22ppm rate, and it works via both USB and Wifi.

Now, bear in mind that this is an extremely heavy printer – it weighs around 20kg. So, it’s not going to be something that you can just set up in your makeshift office with little space to spare, as it takes up a whole lot of room. However, it does perform well and do pretty much everything you ask of it.

Something that this printer does do very well is give you the ability to print by using just your mobile. This can be more difficult with some other printers. But, it is very straightforward to connect to the HP OfficeJet Pro 7740 wirelessly when you need to.

The only downside I can think of about this model is that it’s quite expensive for an inkjet printer – you could purchase a laser printer for the same price. But if you’re looking for an A3 inkjet printer, then this is a good one.

Pros

Ideal if you want to print a lot, and often.
You can set this printer up quickly.
The printer is large, robust and very durable.

Cons

The software that this HP printer uses could be a little better.
Doesn’t work well with heavier paper.

Verdict: This is another good printer option if you’re looking for something with reasonable printing costs.


Canon PIXMA iX6850

Canon PIXMA iX6850 Wireless Printer (Black) - Compact, high-performance A3+ printer for home office

Ink Costs: Average | Sheet capacity: 150 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: No | DPI: 9600×2400 | Pages per minute: 14.5

Whilst this model has typically been marketed as a business printer, I happen to think that it suits the casual user very well too. It works very well at reproducing photos and colours, which is key for most people.

It weighs 7 kilograms, and it’s not too large to fit into a home office either. It’s one of the highest quality printers on this list by some distance in my opinion, and it’s also very simple to use.

One of the best things about this printer is that it is very easy for you to get it set up and working properly. You’ll easily be able to connect to it wirelessly or wired, whichever works best for you. You can also use the Pixma app quite easily as well, which allows you to print things directly from your phone.

Who will the Pixma suit? Well, its high printing quality will be perfect for those who need an A3 printer to print out posters and other high quality images. The Pixma range in general is pretty well known for producing some awesome photo printers.

It’s also a little cheaper than the other office printers, which are the majority of A3 printers. So if you need one for the home, then the Pixma iX6850 comes highly recommend and it’s a great A3 printer to have.

Pros

It stands out from the rest for its print quality.
Easy to use and simple wireless connectivity.
It is a well designed and quite attractive printer.

Cons

For best results you’ll want to use Canon’s photo paper, which can be expensive.
Not great for heavy amounts of printing.

Verdict: Undoubtedly one of the best A3 printers available if you’re trying to save cash. The PIXMA iX6850 is a great photo printer with a lot of connectivity options.


Epson Expression Photo XP-970

Epson Expression Photo XP-970 A3 Multifunction Wireless Inkjet Printer

Ink Costs: Average | Sheet capacity: 100 sheets | Wifi Printing: Yes | Scanner: Yes | DPI: 5760 | Pages per minute: 32

The Epson Expression Photo XP-970 is another worthy contender if you’re looking for an A3 photo printer. It’s capable of working both for images but also works well for documents too.

One thing that is impressive about the XP-970 is that is has a good print speed. This means that when you’re printing documents, you won’t have to wait long. It’s hard to find a fast printer with average running costs that prints A3 pages – especially one that doesn’t cost a fortune.

You can set this printer up easily with your wifi, or with Airprint or Google Cloud print if you prefer too. If you want, you can also connect to it directly with your SD card as well. This can prove useful if you have a ton of old photos that need printing.

It has two different print trays that you can use – one for standard document printing, and another for printing photos. It tends to work very well with photo paper, which is typical of the Expression line.

So overall, this is a pretty impressive printer all-round. The only thing to mention is that you do need to feed A3 sheets into the printer itself. It’s good for one off prints, but not if you’re going to be printing A3 regularly.

Pros

Delivers accurate colours.
Small and easy to fit into your home.
Well priced for a printer of this quality and A3 capabilities.

Cons

Not the most reliable printer on the market.
Black printing is fast but coloured is pretty slow.

Verdict: A great combination of document and photo printing ability make this model a safe choice.


Common Questions about A3 Printers

Can all printers print a3?

No, most definitely not! The majority of printers that are sold only work up to A4 size, and they won’t be capable of printing A3 pages. So, that’s why you need to purchase a larger printer that has the ability to do this, otherwise you’ll need to be find another way to print larger pages.

Can A3 printers print A4?

A3 printers can typically print more than just A3. They can also print smaller sizes like A4 and A5 too, so once you’ve invested in a larger printer, you’ll pretty much have all of the bases covered. As well as this, you will also be able to print onto other materials like card, and other sizes of paper, like envelopes.

What is A3+ sized paper?

You might see the sizes A3+ and even A4+ online sometimes. These are just a little bit larger than their respective sizes – for example, A3 paper is 11.7 inches wide and A3+ is 13 inches wide. So, there’s not much of a difference between them.

How big is an A3 sheet compared to A4?

An A3 sheet of paper is essentially just the same size as two A4 sheets of paper together. And in turn, an A2 piece of paper is just the same size as two pieces of A3 paper together.

What is A3 paper size used for?

A3 paper is commonly used for giving presentations, and in schools, it’s used for group work quite a lot. In terms of printing, it might be most commonly used for instructions and posters, as it gives a good readable size without being too big.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an A3 printer is usually going to be quite a lot more expensive than its smaller counterparts, and there’s much less choice on the market to choose from. Though laser printers may be tempting for their low costs, it’s almost always going to be a better choice to opt for an ink system.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you don’t need to print A3 pages regularly, then it might be worth opting for a cheaper home printer. You could just fulfil your temporary A3 printing needs elsewhere at a local library or printing shop, at larger devices tend to carry a heavy premium over a basic A4 printer.

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About Jon

Hey, I'm Jon. I'm an engineer by trade, so it makes sense that I'm obsessed with anything technology related! On the weekends, you can find me playing around with my computers or fixing something around the house. Feel free to leave a comment if you want to get in touch.

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