Print and frame
You do not need a print shop or a studio. A photo printer, a stack of photo paper, and a small supply of frames are enough. Here is what has worked well and what you can expect to spend.
We do not sell equipment or earn anything from these recommendations. The links lead to product searches on a price comparison site and on Amazon. Of course, you can buy anywhere, including from a local retailer. Prices are estimates as of September 2026.
The printer
The printer, ink, and paper need to work together, so here are three complete combinations rather than a long list. We evaluated them not as photo printers in general, but for your day-to-day needs: one to three pictures a week, each ready by a fixed date.
A4 on a small budget
- Printer
- Canon PIXMA G550 (without scanner) or G650 (with scanner) Compare prices · Amazon
- Ink
- Six GI-53 refill bottles, about $15 each; one set lasts for years at your print volume Compare prices · Amazon
- Paper
- Canon Photo Paper Pro Luster, satin finish, 260 g/m², A4 Compare prices · Amazon
Advantages
- Lowest financial risk: if the service does not catch on at your funeral home, your investment has been small.
- Little stock needed: just six consumables. When a family needs a picture for a funeral, there is no time to reorder supplies.
- Scanner in the G650: you can digitize the old printed photo the family brings in yourself.
- Pays for itself quickly: the printer pays for itself after just a few funerals.
What you should know
- A4 only: this is on the small side for a picture on an easel beside the casket.
- Slight color cast in black and white: black-and-white portraits are particularly common for memorial pictures.
- Dye-based ink: suitable behind glass, but on a sunny wall it fades sooner than pigment ink.
A good fit if you want to offer A4 memorial pictures and see how families respond before investing further.
A4 and A3, low running costs
- Printer
- Epson EcoTank ET-8550, borderless printing up to A3 Compare prices · Amazon
- Ink
- Six 114-series ink bottles, 70 ml each; according to Epson, one set prints around 2,300 photos Compare prices · Amazon
- Paper
- Epson Premium Semigloss, 251 g/m², in A4 and A3 Compare prices · Amazon
Advantages
- A3 is visible from a distance: a suitable size for the funeral chapel. You can also offer an A4 version for the family to take home.
- Large ink bottles: buy once and go a long time without needing replacements.
- Two rear paper feeds: thick photo paper passes straight through and does not curl in the frame.
- Built-in scanner and copier: the printer is useful for more than just memorial pictures.
What you should know
- Dye rather than pigment: for a picture that will hang in the family home for decades, the third package offers greater longevity.
- Only one gray ink: it helps with black-and-white printing but does not replace a dedicated grayscale ink system.
- Needs space: A3 printers are large, and space in the consultation room is often limited.
A good fit if you want to offer both sizes and expect regular orders.
A4 and A3+, museum quality
- Printer
- Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-310, borderless printing up to A3+ Compare prices · Amazon
- Ink
- Ten LUCIA PRO II pigment inks in 14.4 ml cartridges, including several shades of gray and a Chromatic Optimizer Compare prices · Amazon
- Paper
- Canon Photo Paper Pro Platinum, or baryta and fine art papers such as Hahnemühle Photo Rag Compare prices · Amazon
Advantages
- Several shades of gray: neutral black-and-white portraits with rich tones. These are hallmarks of a well-printed memorial picture.
- Pigment ink: with the right paper, Canon specifies up to 200 years of color stability. The picture can remain with the family for generations after the funeral service.
- Baryta and fine art papers: these have a different feel from photo paper when you hand the picture to the family.
- Quality you can show: a sample print helps demonstrate the quality during a consultation.
What you should know
- Ten small cartridges: 14.4 ml each, all of which need to be kept in stock. An empty cartridge the day before the funeral service can delay your work.
- Highest cost per picture: small pigment ink cartridges cost several times as much as refill bottles. At three pictures a week, the difference adds up over a year.
- No scanner: this is a print-only device.
- Largest printer: also the heaviest of the three, so plan where you will place it.
A good fit if you sell the picture as a lasting keepsake and want the highest print quality of these three options in-house.
All three printers have a rear paper feed. This matters because it provides a straight path for heavy photo paper, keeping it from curling in the frame.
The paper
- Paper weight of 230 to 260 g/m². Thinner paper curls in the frame.
- Satin or matte, not glossy. Glossy paper adds another reflective surface behind the glass, and funeral chapels have candles and spotlights.
- Use paper from your printer manufacturer or paper with a color profile for your printer. This saves you from having to adjust skin tones.
- About $0.30 to $0.60 per A4 sheet and $0.80 to $1.50 per A3 sheet. Fine art papers cost considerably more.
The frames
Keep two sizes in stock; that is all you need to start. A mat gives an A4 picture a more refined appearance in a larger frame and costs less than a larger print.
- For A4 pictures: a 30 × 40 cm frame with a mat opening for 21 × 29.7 cm.
- For A3 pictures: a 40 × 50 cm frame with a mat, or an A3 frame without one.
- Anti-reflective glass costs only a little more and makes the biggest difference during a viewing.
- Simple wooden frames in black, white, or a natural finish suit almost any funeral decor. Nielsen is an established choice at specialty retailers; IKEA RÖDALM is a lower-cost option starting at about $16.
- An easel for the funeral chapel costs about $60 and is a one-time purchase, not a cost for each picture.
An option to get started: upsimples A4 picture frames in a natural finish, pack of 3. Compare prices · Amazon
What each picture costs you
Example for a framed A4 picture, excluding your time:
| Design through memorial-photo.com | $9 before tax |
| A4 photo paper | about $0.50 |
| Ink | a few cents |
| Frame with mat | $5 to $15 |
About $15 to $25 in total.
At these costs, the printer pays for itself after just a few funerals. At one to three pictures a week, ink costs for the two refillable-tank packages are negligible, so size and quality are the deciding factors. Only with the pigment printer is ink a cost you should factor in.
For larger sizes or special materials
Print your everyday orders yourself in A4 or A3. For less common sizes and materials, you can order through our shop rapidcollage.com: the same picture on canvas, aluminum Dibond, acrylic glass, or as a poster, in sizes well beyond A2 and up to two meters along one edge. Priority express delivery is available on request when the funeral service is approaching.
Photos from our own production for rapidcollage.com.
Questions about equipment?
Write to us. We are happy to help you choose what makes sense for your funeral home, even if you have not registered.
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