Credit:
Reviewed / Mike Yawney
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Credit:
Reviewed / Mike Yawney
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This compact portable photo printer makes it easy to print on the go with above-average image quality. Read More
A portable printer with exceptional print quality. Heavy, but durable. Paper and ink are loaded separately so you'll need to buy both. Read More
This printer’s rugged design makes it road-trip-ready. Easy to print multiple copies. The Ink and paper cartridge combo can be tricky to install. Read More
The perfect printer for those who like to have fun with their photography. Classic Polaroid-style photos give it a nostalgic feel. Read More
This printer offers fast prints with the ability to turn photos into videos through its app. Unfortunately, print quality isn't great. Read More
Our smartphones have quickly become our “go-to” device to capture memories, but many of us rarely print those “Kodak moments” to share with family and friends. Here lies the beauty of portable photo printers. They'll create instant photos from your phone on the go!
Unlike a desktop or mobile printer, these devices are small enough to stuff in a coat pocket or purse, require very little setup, and make it possible to print out hi-quality, physical copies of photos taken with your smartphone, anywhere you go. It's almost like carrying around an old-school instant camera with you, everywhere you go.
After spending extensive time researching and testing six different portable photo printers, our top pick is Polaroid Hi-Print (available at Amazon for $89.89). It creates crisp, colorful prints and comes with an easy-to-use app that makes using it a joy.
Here are the best portable photo printers we tested ranked, in order:
The Polaroid Hi-Print's crisp colorful photos and easy-to-use smartphone app won us over.
We spent weeks researching and testing the portable photo printers featured in this guide.
My name is Mike Yawney. I have been reviewing tech products for over 15 years, with most of that time spent in front of the camera, talking tech, and reviewing everything from smartphones to video games on one of Canada's most popular national morning television programs. When I’m not standing in front of the bright lights, you can find me trying to find a nice quiet spot to talk tech on the radio. I also post video reviews and how-to guides to my personal YouTube channel.
I always have their latest smartphone in hand, a new laptop on my desk, and a game installed on my console, ready to review.
In the time since we first wrote this guide, a lot has changed in the world of portable photo printers. According to Hewlett Packard, their well-reviewed HP Sprocket Photo Printer (available at Amazon), which was included in our original roundup, will be phased out.
Also, the Polaroid Zip (available at Amazon), once a popular choice among mobile photographers, is being put out to pasture, as well. The Zip printers are still available, but their price is exorbitant, compared to Polaroid’s more recent hardware offerings. With this, along with the other printers in our previous roundup having been discontinued, this guide focuses on all the latest products.
And then there's the Canon Selphy 1300CP. In the original version of this guide, published in 2018, it scored quite well. In the time since then, it's been replaced by a refreshed model ( available at Amazon)—although you can still find the original, too. However, we felt that both versions of the 1300 series stretch the limits of the definition of portable, so we opted to exclude them from our current test group.
In order to see how easy each of the products in our test group were to set up and whether or not they were compatible with iOS and Android devices, we connected them to a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and an iPhone 12 Pro Max.
We then used both smartphones to snap a large variety of photos to test with our lineup of portable printers. On the Galaxy S21 Ultra, we relied on photos taken with the 108MP wide-angle camera, along with the 10MP telephoto lens. On the iPhone 12 Pro Max, we tested shots taken with the phone’s 12MP camera system. Once the shooting was complete, we selected an image from each of the following groups:
Next, using each printer’s companion app, we applied an image filter to our photos. We then printed the altered photo, in order to see how the images compared.
Finally. In addition to assessing print quality, we looked at how easy each of the printers were to set up, their overall useability, companion app functionality, battery life, durability, and the overall user experience.
There are a few factors you should consider.
Print Methods: The devices we tested a variety of different printing techniques. Three of the printers used dye sublimation, which uses heat to transfer ink from film sheets to photo paper. This process takes time, as each sheet of photo paper must pass through the printer 4 times to lay down each layer of color before a final print is revealed. One printer used Zink technology where paper embedded with dye crystals, which change color, once heat is applied. Finally, the Fujifilm Instax uses the classic “Polaroid” technique: developer fluid is stored within the edges of the photo paper. Once a photo leaves the printer, the developer fluid saturates the photo and begins to produce an image.
Consumables: You should consider the way the printer actually prints your photos. Do you want a simple two-in-one style cartridge with paper and ink together like the Polaroid Hi-Print, Kodak Mini 3 Retro and Victure use? Maybe the simplicity, convenience and speed that Zink provides is more important to you than the quality of the photos that can be printed. If you’re feeling nostalgic, seeing a photo slowly develop in front of your eyes, with classic Polaroid-style film, might be more to your liking. Taking the time to think about how, where and what you expect from a photo printer, before buying one will help to ensure your satisfaction. You should know that no matter which system you choose, photo paper is not cheap. Single prints can set you back anywhere between 50 cents and one dollar. So, it’s important that you shop around for your refill ink and paper. There are deals to be found online, and you can save money if you buy in bulk, purchasing multiple packs at the same time.
Photo Format: Portable photo printers, typically, tend to print a single size of photo: 3 x 3, 2.7 x 2.7 and 2 x 3-inch prints. While the larger 3x3 sizes work well for portraits and selfies, the wider 2x3 format is more appropriate for landscape photography. If what you want to print isn’t well sized to the paper in your printer, keep in mind you can always crop your photos using apps on your smartphone, including the companion app for your photo printer.
Battery Life: None of the printers we tested offered exceptional battery life, with most proving capable of printing between eight and 12 photos before needing to be recharged. If you want to print additional photos on the go, you will need to carry a charging cable and power brick, or [external battery pack]( with you.
Exceptional print quality
Durable
Large, heavy design
Requires Wifi
Paper and ink installed separately
Easy to print multiple copies
Issues installing ink and paper cartridge
Lacks variety of filters and stickers
App must remain open to print
Many options to edit photos
Unique developing process
Takes time to develop photo
None that we could find
Poor customer service
Instructions conflict with product operation
Unable to print photos
Mike Yawney
Contributor
For more than 20 years Mike Yawney has shared his love of technology across television, radio and print publications.
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