Photo printer reviews: How we test
Print quality
Look after them properly and prints are resistant to light
We take pictures of people, houses and test charts, and then use each model to print them directly from a digital camera, memory card and computer.
An expert panel examines the pictures closely to assess the quality of the colour, the detail and whether there are any imperfections.
Fade resistance
You don't want your pictures to fade at the first sign of sunshine.
So using a box containing an artificial light similar to natural daylight, we subject part of a picture from each printer to six weeks of direct light, while the other part is left in darkness.
We then see how much the picture has faded by comparing the amount of light reflected by the image kept in the dark with that reflected by the image from the light box.
Water resistance
We leave a print-out to dry for at least 24 hours and then spray it with several droplets of water.
The droplets are dabbed with a paper tissue, both with and without rubbing. This allows us to judge whether the ink will smear or run.