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Editorial note: This guide is based on current manufacturer specifications, retailer information and publicly available product documentation. We have not conducted hands-on laboratory testing of every printer listed. Always check that your chosen cardstock, photo paper or specialty craft media is compatible with your printer before use.
The best printer for crafting should be flexible enough to handle more than ordinary documents.
Crafters may want to print scrapbook pages one day, Cricut Print Then Cut projects the next, and then switch to invitations, photos, labels or handmade cards.
That means color quality matters, but so do paper size, media handling, ink costs and whether the printer can work with heavier or specialty paper.
We’ve compared five options ranging from an affordable refillable EcoTank to larger photo printers designed for premium creative work.
Best Printer for Crafting: Quick Picks
| Printer | Best for | Ink system |
| Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca | Best overall for crafting | 5-color cartridge system |
| Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 | Best premium for scrapbooking & photos | 6-color refillable system |
| Epson EcoTank ET-2800 | Best budget option | 4-color refillable system |
| Canon PIXMA G620 | Best for photo crafts | 6-color refillable dye ink |
| Canon PIXMA PRO-200S | Best for premium cards & creative prints | 8-color dye ink |
Quick verdict: For most crafters, we’d start with the Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca. Its support for 12 × 12-inch projects makes it especially useful for scrapbooking, cards and Cricut-style workflows.
If photo quality and larger creative printing matter more, the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the stronger premium option. Beginners who want to keep costs down should look at the Epson EcoTank ET-2800.
1. Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca – Best Overall Printer for Crafting
The Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca is the most craft-focused printer in this comparison.
One of its biggest advantages is support for creative projects up to 12 × 12 inches, which is particularly useful for scrapbook layouts and other square-format crafts.
It can also print larger documents up to 11 × 17 inches.
That gives it much more flexibility than a standard Letter-size home printer.
The TS9521Ca is an all-in-one model, so you also get scanning and copying.
For crafters who work with existing photos, drawings or printed material, having a scanner built into the same machine can be useful.
The printer uses five individual ink cartridges rather than a refillable tank system.
That means its running costs deserve consideration if you’re printing very frequently, but its media flexibility makes it our strongest all-round crafting choice.
Why we like it
- Supports 12 × 12-inch creative projects
- Can handle larger 11 × 17-inch documents
- Designed with crafting and scrapbooking in mind
- Print, scan and copy
- Automatic duplex printing
- Front and rear paper feeding
- Five individual ink cartridges
- Good fit for cards, invitations and Cricut projects
What to consider
The biggest drawback is the cartridge-based ink system.
If you regularly print full-color scrapbook pages or large quantities of creative material, refillable ink tanks may be more economical over time.
You should also check the thickness specifications of any heavy cardstock before using it.
Not every material sold for crafting is automatically suitable for every inkjet printer.
Check the Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca on Amazon
2. Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 – Best Premium Printer for Scrapbooking and Photos
The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 is the premium option we’d choose for crafters who care heavily about photo quality, color and larger creative projects.
It uses a six-color photo-oriented ink system rather than the basic four colors found in many everyday home printers.
That makes it much better suited to scrapbook photos, illustrated cards, digital artwork and projects containing gradients or detailed images.
The ET-8550 can print borderless output up to 13 × 19 inches.
That is particularly valuable if you want one printer that can handle ordinary craft work as well as larger photographs, artwork and scrapbook elements.
Another major advantage is the refillable EcoTank system.
Craft projects often use much more ink than ordinary text documents, so bottled ink can become attractive for people who print regularly.
Why we like it
- Six-color photo-oriented ink system
- Refillable ink tanks
- Up to 13 × 19-inch printing
- Borderless printing
- Strong photo and creative output
- Print, scan and copy
- Supports multiple paper feeds and specialty media
- Good option for serious crafters and small businesses
What to consider
The ET-8550 costs considerably more upfront than a basic home printer.
If you mostly print simple templates and occasional Cricut sheets, you may not benefit enough from its wider format and six-color system.
It makes more sense for someone who combines scrapbooking, photography, cards, artwork and other creative printing.
Check the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 on Amazon
3. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 – Best Budget Printer for Crafting
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the option we’d consider for beginners who want refillable ink without spending heavily on a premium photo printer.
It is a straightforward four-color home inkjet with refillable tanks, scanning, copying and wireless printing.
For basic Cricut Print Then Cut projects, planner inserts, labels, templates, simple cards and general paper crafts, that may be all you need.
The biggest attraction is the ink system.
Instead of replacing small cartridges, you refill the printer with bottles.
That can be useful for crafters because colorful designs and full-page graphics can use considerably more ink than text documents.
Why we like it
- Lower entry price than premium craft printers
- Refillable EcoTank bottles
- Color printing
- Print, scan and copy
- Wireless connectivity
- Supports photo and presentation media
- Good for beginner Cricut projects
- Suitable for everyday home use too
What to consider
The ET-2800 is not a specialist crafting or professional photo printer.
Its four-color system is more basic than the six-color ET-8550 and Canon G620 or the eight-color PRO-200S.
It also doesn’t provide the same larger-format flexibility as the premium models.
But for someone starting a crafting hobby, we’d rather begin with a sensible refillable printer and spend the remaining budget on paper, cutting tools and other materials.
Check the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 on Amazon
4. Canon PIXMA G620 – Best for Photo Crafts
The Canon PIXMA G620 is particularly interesting for crafters whose projects contain photographs or colorful illustrations.
It uses a six-color dye-based ink system, including additional red and gray inks.
That gives it a stronger photo focus than a typical four-color home inkjet.
The G620 also uses refillable MegaTank bottles.
That combination of six colors and refillable ink makes it attractive for scrapbook photos, memory books, photo cards, decorative prints and other image-heavy craft work.
It can also scan and copy, making it useful for digitizing old photographs or artwork before incorporating them into a project.
Why we like it
- Six-color dye-based ink system
- Refillable MegaTank bottles
- Strong photo output
- Print, scan and copy
- Wireless connectivity
- Good for scrapbook photos
- Useful for colorful greeting cards
- Lower ink-cost approach than multi-cartridge photo printers
What to consider
The G620 is focused more on photographs than oversized crafting.
If 12 × 12 scrapbook layouts or wide-format sheets are essential, the TS9521Ca or ET-8550 is a better fit.
For smaller photo-heavy projects, however, the G620 makes much more sense.
Check the Canon PIXMA G620 on Amazon
5. Canon PIXMA PRO-200S – Best for Premium Cards and Creative Prints
The Canon PIXMA PRO-200S is the specialist option for crafters who place print quality ahead of running cost.
It uses an eight-color dye ink system designed for high-quality photo and creative output.
That makes it particularly attractive for premium invitations, art cards, photographic projects and other work where color reproduction and smooth gradients matter.
The PRO-200S can print borderless media up to 13 × 19 inches.
That gives designers much more space for larger cards, art prints and creative layouts than a standard home printer.
Why we like it
- Eight-color dye ink system
- Strong color reproduction
- Up to 13 × 19-inch printing
- Borderless printing
- Designed for photo and creative media
- Good for premium cards and invitations
- Suitable for detailed artwork
- Wireless connectivity
What to consider
This is not the economical choice for everyday crafting.
The PRO-200S uses multiple individual cartridges, and it doesn’t include a scanner or copier.
Its value comes from print quality rather than being an inexpensive all-purpose crafting machine.
For someone selling premium cards, invitations or high-quality creative prints, that specialization may be worthwhile.
Check the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S on Amazon
Craft Printer Comparison
| Printer | Ink system | Creative size | Best for |
| Canon TS9521Ca | 5-color cartridges | Up to 12 × 12 craft projects / 11 × 17 documents | Overall crafting |
| Epson ET-8550 | 6-color refillable | Up to 13 × 19 in | Scrapbooking and photos |
| Epson ET-2800 | 4-color refillable | Letter-size everyday printing | Budget crafting |
| Canon G620 | 6-color refillable dye | Letter-size creative printing | Photo crafts |
| Canon PRO-200S | 8-color dye | Up to 13 × 19 in | Premium cards and creative prints |
What Type of Printer Is Best for Crafting?
For most home crafters, we’d choose a color inkjet printer.
Inkjet printers are well suited to photographs, illustrations, gradients, scrapbook elements, printable templates and other colorful creative work.
The more important question is what kind of crafting you actually do.
If your projects revolve around 12 × 12 scrapbook sheets, media size matters.
If you’re primarily creating photographs and memory books, image quality matters more.
If you print large volumes of colorful material, ink cost becomes increasingly important.
Best Printer for Cricut Projects
A printer and a Cricut perform different jobs.
In a typical Print Then Cut project, your inkjet prints the image and registration marks. The Cricut then detects those marks and cuts around the design.
For general Cricut crafting, we’d start with the Canon TS9521Ca.
Its craft-oriented design and flexible media sizes make it particularly useful for people whose printer is part of a wider creative setup.
The ET-2800 is the budget choice for someone just starting, while the ET-8550 is more appropriate for serious creators who want stronger photo output and larger printing.
Best Printer for Scrapbooking
Scrapbooking places slightly different demands on a printer.
You may be printing photographs, journal cards, decorative backgrounds, labels and larger page elements.
If you regularly use traditional 12 × 12-inch layouts, the Canon TS9521Ca has a clear advantage because it supports that craft format.
For photo-heavy scrapbooks, we’d lean toward the Epson ET-8550 or Canon G620 because of their more photo-oriented ink systems.
Best Photo Printer for Scrapbooking
For scrapbook photographs, we’d choose between the Epson ET-8550 and Canon G620.
The ET-8550 is the stronger choice when you also want larger creative formats and greater media flexibility.
The G620 is attractive if your projects are primarily smaller photos and you want a more affordable six-color refillable system.
Photo paper finish also matters.
Glossy paper can make colors look punchier, while matte and luster finishes may be easier to incorporate into scrapbook layouts without strong reflections.
Best Printer for Card Making
Card making is one area where paper handling matters as much as image quality.
We’d choose the Canon TS9521Ca for general home card making because it combines flexible paper sizes with scanning and copying.
If greeting cards are your main project, see our guide to the best printer for greeting cards for options focused on cardstock, photo cards, birthday cards and small-business card printing.
For premium invitations, photographic cards or products being sold commercially, the Canon PRO-200S provides a more specialized high-quality printing option.
Before loading heavy cardstock into any printer, check the manufacturer’s supported paper specifications.
Cardstock varies greatly in thickness, coating and stiffness, even when two packs have similar advertised weights.
If your main focus is wedding invitations, envelopes and matching stationery, see our guide to the best printers for invitations for options specifically suited to cardstock, DIY wedding cards and home stationery printing.
Best Printer for 12 × 12 Scrapbook Pages
The Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca is the obvious choice in this comparison for 12 × 12 crafting.
That square format is common in scrapbooking but unusual among ordinary home printers.
Having native support for larger square projects makes it easier to create page backgrounds, calendars and other craft layouts without splitting designs across multiple sheets.
Best Printer for Stickers and Crafts
Several printers in this guide can also work with compatible printable sticker paper.
However, sticker making has its own considerations, including printable vinyl, cutting machines, drying time and lamination.
For a deeper comparison focused specifically on that workflow, see our guide to the best printer for sticker making.
Keeping the two jobs separate is useful because the best general craft printer isn’t necessarily the best choice for someone producing hundreds of stickers for a business.
Crafting vs Art Printing
Crafting and art printing overlap, but they aren’t exactly the same.
A craft printer needs flexibility across cards, scrapbook pages, templates, photos and specialty projects.
An art printer places greater emphasis on color management, fine-art papers, larger prints and professional image reproduction.
If your main goal is selling illustrations, photographs or fine-art reproductions, see our guide to the best printer for art prints.
Can You Print on Cardstock With a Craft Printer?
Many inkjet printers can handle some forms of heavier paper, but cardstock is not a single standardized material.
Two sheets with similar weight ratings may behave differently because of thickness, stiffness and surface coating.
Before purchasing cardstock in bulk, check:
- Maximum supported media thickness
- Recommended paper feed
- Supported paper sizes
- Whether the material is designed for inkjet printing
- Whether the surface is coated or uncoated
A rear or straighter feed path can be useful for thicker materials because the paper may not need to bend as sharply through the printer.
Ink Tank vs Cartridge Printer for Crafting
Ink-tank printers
Tank printers such as the Epson ET-8550, ET-2800 and Canon G620 use refillable bottles.
They can be appealing to frequent crafters because creative projects often contain much more color coverage than standard office documents.
If you’re constantly printing scrapbook pages, templates or graphics, ink cost becomes increasingly important.
Cartridge printers
Cartridge printers can still make sense when print volume is lower or when the printer offers features you specifically need.
The Canon TS9521Ca is a good example: its 12 × 12-inch craft capability may be more important to a scrapbooker than having refillable tanks.
The Canon PRO-200S is another example where the main reason to buy it is premium print quality rather than low ink cost.
Do You Need Borderless Printing for Crafts?
Borderless printing can be useful, but it isn’t essential for every project.
It matters most when you want photographs, cards or decorative backgrounds to extend all the way to the edge of the paper.
For Cricut Print Then Cut projects, the software may need registration marks and margins, so borderless output isn’t necessarily useful there.
Think about your actual projects rather than treating borderless printing as a requirement for every crafter.
What to Look for in a Printer for Crafting
1. Paper size
Standard Letter-size output is enough for many projects.
Scrapbookers may benefit from 12 × 12-inch support, while artists and photographers may want 13 × 19-inch capability.
2. Media handling
Check how the printer feeds thicker and specialty paper.
Rear feeds can be particularly useful for media that is less flexible than ordinary copy paper.
3. Color quality
A basic four-color printer is fine for templates and simple graphics.
Photo crafts, illustrations and premium cards can benefit from printers with additional colors.
4. Ink cost
Large areas of color consume substantially more ink than ordinary documents.
If you print frequently, a refillable tank system may become more economical.
5. Scanner and copier
An all-in-one printer can be useful for crafters who want to digitize drawings, photographs, old cards or paper patterns.
Dedicated photo printers such as the PRO-200S may omit these functions because their focus is print quality.
6. Your cutting machine
If you use Cricut or another cutting machine, check the maximum Print Then Cut size supported by your software and machine.
Buying a very large printer doesn’t automatically mean your cutter can use the entire printed area.
7. Your actual craft projects
Don’t buy a printer solely because it has the highest specifications.
The best machine is the one that matches the paper sizes, media types and print volume you use most often.
Which Printer for Crafting Would We Choose?
For most home crafters, we’d choose the Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca.
Its 12 × 12-inch capability, all-in-one functions and craft-focused design make it the most versatile general option here.
For serious scrapbookers and photographers, we’d move up to the Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550.
For beginners, the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 offers a straightforward and more affordable way to get started with refillable ink.
The Canon PIXMA G620 is especially attractive for photo crafts and memory books.
And if you’re producing premium cards, invitations or detailed creative prints, the Canon PIXMA PRO-200S provides the strongest specialist print-quality option.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best printer for crafting?
For most crafters, we’d choose the Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca because it supports 12 × 12-inch projects and combines printing, scanning and copying. The Epson ET-8550 is a stronger premium choice for photo-heavy and larger creative work.
What is the best printer for Cricut projects?
The Canon TS9521Ca is our overall choice for Cricut and general crafting because of its flexible media sizes and craft-oriented design. Beginners may prefer the less expensive Epson ET-2800.
What is the best printer for scrapbooking?
The Canon TS9521Ca is particularly useful for traditional 12 × 12-inch scrapbook projects. The Epson ET-8550 is our preferred premium choice when photo quality and larger creative printing matter.
What is the best photo printer for scrapbooking?
The Epson ET-8550 is our overall photo-focused scrapbook choice because of its six-color ink system, refillable tanks and wide-format capability. The Canon G620 is a more affordable option for smaller photo projects.
What is the best printer for card making?
The Canon TS9521Ca is the most practical all-round choice for home card making. For premium invitations and high-quality creative prints, we’d consider the Canon PRO-200S.
Can a regular printer be used for crafting?
Yes. A normal color inkjet can handle many basic craft projects as long as the media is compatible. Dedicated craft-friendly printers become more useful when you need larger sizes, specialty paper, better photo quality or lower ink costs.
Can you print 12 × 12 scrapbook paper at home?
Yes, but you need a printer designed to accept 12 × 12-inch media. The Canon PIXMA TS9521Ca supports 12 × 12-inch creative projects and is the main recommendation in this guide for that format.
Is an EcoTank good for crafting?
Yes. EcoTank printers can be particularly attractive for frequent crafters because they use refillable ink bottles. The ET-2800 is suitable for basic crafting, while the ET-8550 is better for premium photos, larger projects and more demanding creative work.
Do I need a special printer for Cricut?
No. Cricut Print Then Cut works with suitable home printers, typically color inkjets. The important considerations are print quality, supported paper and how the printer fits the size limits of your Cricut workflow.