In the age of smartphones and social networks, many have lost the pleasure of holding a printed photo. But framed photos or photos in an album still have their charm. Instead of going to a professional to have your pictures developed, it's time to discover photo printing with portable photo printers, efficient devices that can work anywhere. Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, choose what you need!
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Our selection
"The HP Sprocket is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized prints. A great alternative for printing photos from a smartphone or tablet."
"If you're looking for a good portable photo printer to make prints from your smartphone, dare the Kodak Step. It's not a thunderbolt, but it…"
"Canon's Selphy is a benchmark for photo printing. It increases the size of the setup screen over its predecessor, while maintaining print quality, cost and…"
"The Fujifilm Instax Link prints any photo on your phone's camera roll using real instant film instead of paper and ink. Fuji may be about…"
The HP Sprocket is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized prints. A great alternative for printing photos from a smartphone or tablet.
88 £ on AmazonThe HP Sprocket Select is very compact. It has a sleek and attractive design, with a small loop that allows you to attach it to a keychain or similar accessory. Because it's thin and light, you can easily slip it into your bag and instantly print photos from anywhere. This printer is powered by a free rechargeable battery, which prints about 30 photos per charge.
Note that this is a wireless printer, but connectivity is limited to Bluetooth. The Sprocket uses Zink, short for Zero Ink, a special type of paper that incorporates its own "ink" into the paper in the form of clear dye crystals. Zink paper is only available in a limited range of sizes, and the HP Sprocket Select uses 2.3 x 3.4 inch sheets exclusively.
If you're looking for a good portable photo printer to make prints from your smartphone, dare the Kodak Step. It's not a thunderbolt, but it will live up to expectations.
63,99 £ on AmazonThe Kodak Step portable photo printer is simply brilliant, both in design and performance. And the price tag only adds to its appeal. Users can connect to the device only via Bluetooth and print 5 x 7 cm photos directly from their smartphone. In addition, Zink technology and a rechargeable battery make this device easy to use with low maintenance costs.
The printed photos are waterproof, with a sticky, peel-off back. You can add filters or text overlays to them using the Kodak Smile app, which also offers an augmented reality feature via smartphone to create animated videos from your still images. The image quality is excellent. The zinc paper produces vivid colors and sharp images with great contrast, too much so at times.
Canon's Selphy is a benchmark for photo printing. It increases the size of the setup screen over its predecessor, while maintaining print quality, cost and connectivity.
103 £ on BoulangerCompact, the new Canon Selphy has an SD card slot and a port for a USB stick. You can connect the photo printer to a computer via Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct or USB since it has a mini-USB Type-B port. The printing technology used by this Canon printer is dye sublimation. This offers a crisp and clear rendering of photo prints.
The color quality is impressive for a printer of this size and price. Black and white images have a quality well above average. Note that the ink dries instantly and that the prints are durable. Of course, you should not expect supersonic speed. For example, for a postcard size print, it will take an average of 47 seconds.
The Fujifilm Instax Link prints any photo on your phone's camera roll using real instant film instead of paper and ink. Fuji may be about to revolutionize the genre.
87,20 £ on AmazonAny specific needs?
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| TOP OF THE LINE | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
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| OUR SELECTION |
HP Sprocket Select
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Kodak Step
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Canon Selphy
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Fujifilm Instax Link
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The HP Sprocket is an inkless pocket printer that produces wallet-sized prints. A great alternative for printing photos from a smartphone or tablet.
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If you're looking for a good portable photo printer to make prints from your smartphone, dare the Kodak Step. It's not a thunderbolt, but it will live up to expectations.
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Canon's Selphy is a benchmark for photo printing. It increases the size of the setup screen over its predecessor, while maintaining print quality, cost and connectivity.
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The Fujifilm Instax Link prints any photo on your phone's camera roll using real instant film instead of paper and ink. Fuji may be about to revolutionize the genre.
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Excellent print quality
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Photos with vivid colors and sharp images
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The reference for printing photos
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Colorful, crisp prints via an uncommon process
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Easy to use
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25 prints per full battery charge
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USB, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity
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Easy-to-pair Bluetooth
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Image adjustment feature
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Free KODAK SMILE companion app
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Print from SD card and USB flash drive
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Supports Android and iOS
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Photo printers, and portable models in particular, use different printing methods. There are those that use dye sublimation, a technique in which heat is used to transfer ink to the photo paper. This process takes time, as each sheet of photo paper must pass through the printer four times to apply each layer of color before a final print is revealed.
There are also portable photo printers that use Zink technology where the paper is embedded with dye crystals, which change color, once heat is applied. Finally, there are also portable photo printers that use the classic technique known as Polaroid. This technique works on the principle of liquid developer stored in the edges of the photo paper. Once the information is transmitted to the printer, the developing fluid saturates the photo and begins to produce an image.
Takingthe time to think about what you want from a portable photo printer before you buy one will help ensure your satisfaction. No matter what technology you choose, photo paper is not cheap. Single prints can cost you anywhere from 50 cents to 1 euro. So it's important that you buy your ink and refill paper. There are deals online and you can save money if you buy in bulk, buying multiple packs at once.
Portable photo printers generally tend to print one size of photo: 3x3, 2.7x2.7, and 2x3 inch prints. While the larger 3x3 sizes work well for portraits and selfies, the larger 2x3 size is more appropriate for landscape photography. If what you want to print is not sized well for your photo printer's paper, keep in mind that you can always crop your photos using software or apps from your smartphone, including your photo printer's companion app.
Ingeneral, none of the portable photo printers currently on the market offer exceptional battery life. Most prove capable of printing between eight and 12 photos before needing to be recharged. If you want to print additional photos while on the go, you'll need to carry a charging cable and a power supply or external battery with you.
Aportable photo printer will be used by people on the go. This means that technical support will rarely be available in case a problem occurs. Changing batteries, loading cartridges, and clearing cartridge jams are some of the functions that the user may have to perform on the spot, away from the usual technical support staff. In this sense, a good portable photo printer should be easy to use in the sense that the person using it should be able to perform the above tasks easily, without having to rely on technical support personnel.
There are several good reasons why you should get a good portable photo printer. The first reason is that you will enjoy outstanding image quality. Indeed, portable photo printers are specialized in printing photos. They are generally designed to give a better quality rendering than a multipurpose printer. The photo printers allow to realize quality pictures with rich and intense colors, for the satisfaction of the users. They are distinguished by a multitude of color shades and contrast, for an exceptionally good rendering.
The advanced technology used by portable photo printers is a real asset. Indeed, photo printers use the latest and most advanced technologies to satisfy an increasingly demanding clientele. Inkjet printers are characterized by nozzles that eject droplets of ink onto the paper for a perfect result, while the dye-sublimation printer reproduces the image by superimposing colors, then protected by a protective varnish. These advanced technologies make it possible to produce images of exceptional quality.
Finally, it should be noted that portable photo printers are also appreciated for their ease of use. In most cases, all you have to do is plug in the device, connect it to the source and start printing by simply pressing a button.
Portable photo printers enjoy a very high availability and low start-up costs. In fact, most people use photo printers on a daily basis, especially since they are available in different price ranges. Compared to instant cameras, portable photo printers are faster and can print more than one page. However, although portable photo printers are faster, they take time to heat up the ink or color crystals.
A fun and inexpensive camera with a unique look, an instant camera is one of your best options. Smartphones may have revolutionized the way we take and share photos, but instant cameras bring charm and appeal to photos. The instant camera is still easy to use, versatile and ultra-compact. However, the cost per photo is high.
A portable photo printer is ideal if you want to print your own photos at home. However, if you're looking for a travel printer, you're better off with an instant camera.
Pay attention to connectivity
Different printers use different connectivity methods. Some require physical contact or a docking station with your phone, while the best portable photo printers use a Bluetooth or WiFi connection.
Search for additional features
Thesedays, images aren't just images. Some portable photo printers incorporate a new technology that allows you to attach an augmented reality video to your printed images. This video becomes active when viewed using the associated apps. Other printers let you easily edit photos, apply filters, and insert emoticons or text.
Consider the style of photo paper
Thepaper you print on is another important consideration. Sure, many options achieve the vintage Polaroid image look, but some printers create "normal" images without a grainy retro filter. Other options use paper with a sticky back that can be adhered to walls, books or other flat surfaces. Finally, you'll want to consider the cost of printer paper, as the price varies considerably from brand to brand.
Portable photo printers vary in size
One of the biggest questions you need to answer is what size printer you want to take with you. Some devices are really pocket-sized, while others are a bit larger. In fact, there are models that are inherently portable but more like compact desktop printers.
Print speed can matter in some situations
Most portable photo printers have print speeds that range from 1 ppm to 6 ppm. If you plan to print a lot of photos, the longer print times will slow down your workflow. It won't matter much if you only plan to print photos occasionally for fun.
The best portable photo printer depends on your needs and budget. Read our buying guideto learn more.
Inouropinion, the best photo printer brandsare: Canon, Fujifilm, Kodak, HP and Epson.
Most portable photo printers use rechargeable batteries, which charge via USB. However, the downside is that the battery life is not great. Other models use wall connections, increasing their power, but they are usually not as portable. So there is a trade-off.
Most printers also support Android and iOS devices, but not all. So think about the devices you want to use with the printer and check for compatibility before making a purchase.
Most printers have a companion app, where you import and edit photos before printing. Some offer only basic editing features, such as cropping or adjusting brightness or color. Others have more advanced features like filters, text, emoticons, to give you more customization.
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