The Best Portable Printers
Smartphones have made it incredibly easy to take high-resolution photos anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, though, the vast majority of those photos never hop out of our screens and onto physical photos we can hold and cherish. The convenience is something to behold, but there's no denying that we've lost something by not printing out our photos anymore. Luckily enough for us, we can buy portable photo printers to help solve this problem. Portable photo printers connect to your smartphone and laptop and print out your beloved digital photos in seconds. To help you choose the right fit for you, we've compiled this comprehensive list of our favorites.
What to Look For
In our research, we found that the best portable printers are user-friendly, compatible with most smartphones, and produce high-quality images. Fujifilm’s Instax portable photo printer is a great choice because it lets you customize your photos with creative filters and digital frames. If you’re new to portable printing, consider Kodak’s Step budget-friendly portable photo printer. It offers high-quality pictures at a low price point. Read on to learn more about our favorite picks.
Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Portable Photo Printer
Pocket printing
With Fujifilm’s Instax portable photo printer, that endless sea of digital photos buried deep in your phone can start to see the light of day. Instax provides you with a reliable and convenient way to print high-resolution photos on the go, anytime. Just connect your smartphone to the Instax via Bluetooth, hit “print,” and watch your photography come to life within 12 seconds. Fujifilm even allows for customization with gorgeous filters and playful frames that you can add to your pictures before printing. Instax even allows you to print multiple pictures together with a tasteful collage feature. We highly recommend this portable photo printer for anyone looking for a simple way to turn some of their digital photos into prints.
Pros:
- We loved that this efficient portable printer allows you to preview pictures before printing them, giving you some control over picture quality.
- You can easily import pictures to your camera and use the app to print as many copies as you need. We found it a convenient way to share copies of pictures with our friends.
Cons:
- The battery runs out faster than we’d like.
Kodak Step Wireless Portable Photo Printer
High quality, low cost
One of the most frustrating and expensive things about printers is the constant need to refill ink cartridges. Luckily, with Kodak’s Step portable photo printer, that need is eliminated. With Kodak’s proprietary Zink (zero ink) printing technology, you can save buckets of money with a photo printer that doesn’t require pricy ink cartridge replacements. Zink works through a complex and innovative process of embedding heated color crystals into the photo paper, achieving vivid and lifelike representations of your photography. Not only is this printer unique and convenient, but it’s also highly affordable. Anyone tired of spending a fortune on ink cartridges should definitely consider grabbing one of these portable photo printers from Kodak.
Pros:
- The camera’s unique and money-saving Zink technology replaces the need for ink cartridges, making it quick and easy to use.
- This is a great way to print out physical photos without purchasing a color printer.
- Since the camera doesn’t use ink, you don’t have to worry about your pictures smudging.
Cons:
- Zink technology is still in its infancy, so ink photo printers may produce higher resolution photos.
HP Sprocket Studio Portable Photo Printer
Printing made easy
If you’re in the market for a portable photo printer that can rival the works of professional photo developers, you’ve come to the right place. HP’s Sprocket Studio portable photo printer produces brilliantly defined, high-resolution photos right from your smartphone or laptop. Just connect to HP’s Sprocket mobile app via Bluetooth, send the photos over, and receive your gorgeous, glossy photos in mere seconds. The Sprocket app provides multiple options for customization, including built-in templates for greeting cards, collages, stickers, and more. These photos are so high-quality and durable that they’ll keep their glossy sheen for up to 100 years. If you want to leave some beautiful photos behind for posterity, the HP Sprocket Studio can help you create a legacy worth remembering.
Pros:
- We loved that this camera produces gorgeous, high-quality HD photos, and it prints true to size.
- It was effortless to download the app, and once it’s on your phone, it’s ready to print pictures. The app also provides multiple options for customization so that you can customize your photos before printing.
Cons:
- The photos can sometimes appear warmer (more red and orange) than they look on your phone.
Canon Ivy Portable Photo Printer
Photos come to life
Canon is one of the most renowned and respected names in the printing and photography industry, and this Ivy portable photo printer is a perfect reminder as to why that is. Many portable photo printers produce beautiful photos, but they aren’t exactly the most compact devices. Canon’s Ivy, on the other hand, can comfortably fit right in the pocket of your jeans. Albeit, the photos are obviously very small (2″ by 3″), but they’re the perfect size for wallet and sticker prints. The Canon Ivy is compatible with all smartphones and laptops via Canon’s printing app. Connect wirelessly via Bluetooth and receive your lovely little photos in seconds.
Pros:
- This portable printer is fun to use and produces high-quality photos quickly.
- We loved that the printer doesn’t need ink, so all you need to do is buy paper and go.
- Set-up is fast and easy. All you have to do is add the printer to the Canon Mini Print app on your phone using Bluetooth, and you’re ready to print.
Cons:
- It’s rather expensive for a printer that produces such small photos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of photo paper can I use with my portable photo printer?
You’ll have to check the product listing or user manual to find out which photo paper options are compatible with your printer of choice. All of the printers we featured for this piece include several sheets of glossy photo paper to get you started. Glossy photo paper is the most common choice for portable photo printers, but you can use any kind of photo paper with your printer as long as it’s the correct size. Other notable types of photo paper include matte, industrial, and canvas.
Do I need a smartphone to use my portable photo printer?
While most people connect their portable photo printers to their smartphones, you can just as easily connect your laptop or desktop computer to them for printing. Just connect your device to the printer via Bluetooth and receive your photos in seconds. The process works the same way as it does with conventional home printers.
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