A3 printers are essential tools for those who require larger format printing, offering numerous benefits for both professional and personal use. Whether you need high-quality prints for presentations, graphic designs, or detailed architectural plans, choosing the right A3 printer can make a significant difference. This article will help you navigate the best options available in 2024, focusing on quality, efficiency, and affordability.
Why Choose an A3 Printer?
A3 printers can print on larger paper, up to 11.7 x 16.5″ which is ideal for posters, plans and more. Benefits Include:
- Enhanced Detail: Larger print sizes allow for finer details
- Versatility: A3 printers are ideal for graphic design, architecture and engineering plans
- Cost-Effective: Reduce the need for outsourcing larger prints
How To Choose An A3 Printer?
When selecting an A3 printer, consider the following:
- Print Quality: Look for high resolution and colour accuracy, especially when printing photos and graphics.
- Speed & Efficiency: Important for high-volume tasks and last-minute prints
- Cost Of Ownership: Remember the initial costs and running costs, more inks can mean higher running costs.
- Connectivity Options: All printers include USB connectivity, but do you need wireless or network too?
- Additional Features: Don’t forget duplex printing/scanning, borderless print, mobile print, and the size of which you will be scanning.
Best Cheap A3 Printer
Canon PIXMA iX6850
Specifications:
- Print Only
- USB, Network & Wireless Connectivity
- 150 Sheet Paper Tray
- Print Up To 300gsm
- 9600 x 2400 DPI
Reasons To Buy:
- Easy To Use
- Great Print Quality
Reasons To Avoid:
- No Scanning
- No Duplex
The Canon PIXMA iX6850 is a versatile and efficient A3 wireless printer, ideal for both home and small business use. It delivers exceptional print quality with a maximum resolution of 9600 x 2400 dpi, making it perfect for high-quality photos and documents. Its five individual ink cartridges ensure vibrant colours and cost-effective replacements.
However, it lacks an automatic 2-sided print feature, which could be a drawback for some users.
Best A3 Printer For Photos
Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-300
Specifications:
- Print Only
- USB, Network & Wireless Connectivity
- 50 Sheet Paper Tray
- Print Up To 380gsm
- 4800 x 2400 DPI
- 9 Pigment Inks
Reasons To Buy:
- The Best Print Quality
- Excellent Colour Accuracy
- Print On a Range Of Media Up to 380gsm
- Advanced photo Printing Software
Reasons To Avoid
- Slow Print Speed
The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 is the best A3 printer for photos, delivering stunning, professional-quality prints with vibrant colours and deep blacks. It features a 9-ink system, plus a Chroma Optimizer, to get the best out of your colours and tones. The printer offers reliable performance, intuitive controls, and the ability to print banners up to 990mm long. However, it’s pricey and large, making it ideal for serious photographers and artists who need exceptional print quality.
Best A3 Colour Laser Printer
Xerox VersaLink C7130DN
Specifications:
- Print, Scan & Copy
- USB, Network & NFC Connectivity
- 250 Sheet Paper Tray & 100 Sheet Bypass Tray
- Print Up To 256gsm
- 1200 x 2400 DPI
Reasons To Buy:
- Fast A3 Printing
- Top Graphic Print Quality
- Built For High-Volume Printing
Reasons To Avoid
- Massive Size
- Very Expensive To Purchase
The Xerox VersaLink C7130DN is a high-performance multifunction printer ideal for medium to large offices. It offers fast print speeds, excellent colour output, and robust security features. With a customizable 7-inch touchscreen, it enhances workflow efficiency. It supports mobile and cloud printing, and its scalable paper capacity is a plus. However, it’s relatively expensive and large, making it best suited for environments with heavy print demands.
Best A3 All-In-One Printer
Brother MFC-J6959DW
Specifications:
- Print, Scan & Copy
- USB, Network & Wireless Connectivity
- 1 x 250 & 1 x 500 Sheet Paper Tray
- Print Rolls Up to 2700mm Long
- Automatic Cutter
- Auto 2-Sided A3 Print, Scan & Copy
Reasons To Buy:
- Desktop Sized Roll Printer
- Auto Double-Sided A3 Print, Scan & Copy
- Perfect for Marketing Materials
Reasons To Avoid
- Need To Choose Between Sheet or Roll Paper in Second Tray
If you’re in the market for an A3 that does it all, the Brother MFC-J6959DW is the best all-in-one A3 printer. Featuring single and double-sided print, scan & copy, what sets this printer apart is the ability to print on rolls of paper up to 297mm wide.
Best A3 Home Printer
Canon PIXMA TS9550a
Specifications:
- Print, Scan & Copy
- USB, Network & WiFi Connectivity
- 100 Sheet Paper Tray
- Print Up To 300gsm
- 4800 x 1200 DPI
- Auto 2-Sided Printing
Reasons To Buy:
- Small Size
- CD/DVD Printing Supported
- Ideal For Crafting
Reasons To Avoid:
- No A3 Scanning
- No Duplex Scanning
The Canon PIXMA TS9550a is a versatile all-in-one inkjet printer that’s ideal for both crafting and home-office setups. Its built with an A4-sized design but supports A3 printing, making it a standout for creative projects. The print quality is sharp, with vibrant colours, and supports paper up to 300gsm. The intuitive touchscreen interface enhances usability, and wireless connectivity is easy to set up.
Best A3 InkTank Printer
Epson EcoTank ET-15000
Specifications:
- Print, Scan, Copy & Fax
- USB, Network & WiFi Connectivity
- 250 Sheet Paper Tray
- 4800 x 1200 DPI
- Auto 2-Sided Printing
Reasons To Buy:
- Unbeatable Running Cost
- Document Quality is Great
Reasons To Avoid:
- No A3 Scanning
- No Duplex Scanning
The Epson EcoTank ET-15000 is a cheap-to-run, wide-format printer ideal that doesn’t compensate with print quality. Ideal for home offices and small businesses. It offers impressive print quality up to A3 size with bright colours and sharp text. What makes this printer stand out, is the refillable ink tanks, which significantly reduce running costs and last much longer compared to ink cartridges. The printer is user-friendly with robust wireless connectivity. It’s a great choice for those looking to save on ink without sacrificing print and scan quality.
Best A3 Printer For Small Business
Epson EcoTank ET-16650
Specifications:
- Print, Scan, Copy & Fax
- USB, Network & WiFi Connectivity
- 2 x 250 Sheet Paper Tray
- 4800 x 2400 DPI
- Auto 2-Sided Print, Scan & Copy
Reasons To Buy:
- Very Low Running Costs
- Auto 2-Sided Print, Scan & Copy at A3
- Excellent Print Quality
Reasons To Avoid:
- Expensive Upfront Cost
Our best A3 printer for a small business is the Epson EcoTank ET-16650. This is a high-performance, wide-format printer tailored for office use. It excels with its fast print speeds, superb print quality, and ability to handle up to A3+ size documents. The refillable ink tank system drastically cuts down on ink costs, making it an economical choice for high-volume printing. The printer also features versatile paper handling, robust wireless connectivity, and an easy-to-use touchscreen. It’s ideal for businesses needing reliable, cost-efficient printing.
Best A3 Printer For Working From Home
Brother MFC-J6540DW
Specifications:
- Print, Scan, Copy & Fax
- USB, Network & WiFi Connectivity
- 250 Sheet Paper Tray
- 1200 x 4800 DPI
- Auto 2-Sided Print
Reasons To Buy:
- High Speed
- Easy To Use
- Available On Subscription
Reasons To Avoid:
- Can Get Expensive To Run
- No Auto 2-Sided Scan
The Brother J6540DW is the best A3 printer for those working from home. Excelling with both performance and functionality, thanks to rapid print speeds of up to 28 a4 pages per minute, double-sided printing in both A3 and A4 and a 50-sheet A3 ADF.
Best A3 Printer For 300gsm Cardstock
Canon PIXMA iP8750
Specifications:
- Print Only
- USB & WiFi Connectivity
- 150 Sheet Paper Tray
- 9600 x 2400 DPI
- Borderless Printing
- CD/DVD printing
- Print Up To 300gsm
Reasons To Buy:
- Fantastic Print Quality
- Easy To Use
- Perfect For Arts & Crafts
Reasons To Avoid:
- No Scanner
The Canon PiXMA iP8750 is our top choice for crafting and card printing. This A3+ inkjet printer delivers great colour accuracy and detail, even on 300gsm cardstock, thanks to its 6-ink system. It supports wireless printing, making it versatile and convenient. While it cannot scan, and may seem slow for document printing, it’s a top printer for A3 photos or cards.
Read our Great Printers For Printing On Card post
Verdict
Finding the best A3 printer will vary depending on your needs, without a doubt, the Canon PIXMA iX6850 is our most popular model thanks to its affordability and 300gsm card support. However, this may not meet the needs of those in busy offices printing plans and lots of marketing material, for this, we would recommend the Xerox VersaLink C7030DN.
Want to see our top printer picks for 2024? Read our “Best Printers 2024” blog post.
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