Inkjet. Arguably the most popular type of photo printing device, an inkjet printer sprays tiny amounts of dye-based or pigmented ink through a series of nozzles onto the paper. Today, photo quality inkjets may have a resolution as high as 2880 dpi, which translates into sharp, pattern-free prints. Many also offer six different colors of ink (seven colors are now emerging on the market), which can enhance the smoothness of color transitions in the print.

Dye-sublimation. A carefully-controlled heating element transfers small, variable-size dots of pigment from a three or four-color ribbon to the paper. Dye-sub prints are known for their smooth color transitions in particular.

Fujifilm PG-series. Fujifilm’s PG3500 and PG4000-II printers use a special dye-transfer process; the resulting prints have a look and feel that closely mimics traditional photographic color prints, with excellent sharpness. Both PG-series printers include a calibration system that enables them to produce consistent output.