Photos on Instagram are good. printing services sharing is better, and for that, a portable photo printer is ideal. Get out of the virtual with our selection of the best smartphone printers!
The surprising return of instant film photos, with the Fujifilm Instax range, reminds us of the pleasure of sharing real photos on paper with those close to them, rather than looking at them on a smartphone or computer screen. A portable photo printer lets you combine the two: the infinite, instant photo library on your smartphone and quick printing services that you can share with loved ones or display all over your home. According to the uses, there are essentially three types of portable printers.
The most affordable and common are the models using Zink (or Zero Ink) paper. This technology does not require ink, the pigments being integrated into the paper. Rather nice although quite limited in rendering quality, the Zink has the advantage of be sticker, which should delight your children. Fujifilm has also been able to create a range of printers for smartphones around its Instax. They are a little more expensive, but allow to obtain prints with a more convincing “vintage” rendering. Finally, there are much more advanced printers such as Canon’s Selphys, which use sublimation printing services.
Less portable and more complex to use, they are nevertheless recommended if you prioritize image quality. which use sublimation printing services. Less portable and more complex to use, they are nevertheless recommended if you prioritise image quality. which use sublimation printing. Less portable and more complex to use, they are nevertheless recommended if you prioritise image quality.
In the portable printer category, the Canon Selphy CP1300 is the heavyweight champion. Completely autonomous, it is in fact a real small printer intended for photos, which uses the technique of sublimation to generate its impressions and even incorporates a color screen for previews. This results in very good quality, but a fairly large printer compared to other laptops.
Like the Polaroid Lab, but more “low cost”, the Kiipix Tomy smartphone printer works wirelessly, without batteries and even without any connection! It is simply a “smartphone scanner”: you place your phone in the frame, displaying the photo you want to print, you push the screen brightness to the maximum, and the Tomy’s lens creates a photo print of your screen on Instax films for printing services. Ingenious, even if the result can be hazardous.
In addition to its Selphy range, Canon also offers a small portable printer in Zink format. The Zoemini, in its class, is arguably among the best with fairly good image quality despite the constraints of integrated ink technology. The look of the Zoemini is also very successful and compact, it is probably the best option if you are looking for a pocket printer based on this paper size.
The Polaroid Zip portable printer is in line with the many compact printers that use 2×3 sticker paper of the Zink type. The same emphasis on the simplicity and compact size of the printer, and the same limitations on the quality of the prints, which should not be expected to be more than a simple and effective way to stick your selfies everywhere.
Like the HP Sprocket, the Polaroid Mint portable printer uses Zink sticker paper. Its nice and colorful design combined with the possibility of creating stickers in seconds can make it a nice gift for your children. On the other hand, you should not be demanding on the quality of the photos taken and their realism.
The most recent of Fujifilm’s Instax Share printers has the main advantage of handling the Instax Square format, with dimensions close to the good old Polaroid. The result is photos with a very characteristic look, and a great way to share images from your smartphone with a “vintage” side. On the other hand, the printer itself is rather expensive, and the cost of photos can be quite high in the end.
The surprising return of instant film photos, with the Fujifilm Instax range, reminds us of the pleasure of sharing real photos on paper with those close to them, rather than looking at them on a smartphone or computer screen. A portable photo printer lets you combine the two: the infinite, instant photo library on your smartphone and quick prints that you can share with loved ones or display all over your home.
According to the uses, there are essentially three types of portable printers. The most affordable and common are the models using Zink (or Zero Ink) paper. This technology does not require ink, the pigments being integrated into the paper. Rather nice although quite limited in rendering quality, the Zink has the advantage of be sticker, which should delight your children. Fujifilm has also been able to create a range of printers for printing services.
our selection
- Canon Selphy CP1300
- Tomy kiipix
- Canon Zoemini
- Fujifilm Instax Share SP2
- HP Sprocket
- Kodak Smile
- Polaroid Zip
- Polaroid Mint
- Fujifilm Instax Share SP3
In the portable printer category, the Canon Selphy CP1300 is the heavyweight champion. Completely autonomous, it is in fact a real small printer intended for photos, which uses printing services the technique of sublimation to generate its impressions and even incorporates a color screen for previews. This results in very good quality, but a fairly large printer compared to other laptops.
- Rich in features
- Very good print quality
- Autonomous
- Color display
Like the Polaroid Lab, but more “low cost”, the Kiipix Tomy smartphone printer works wirelessly, without batteries and even without any connection! It is simply a “smartphone scanner”: you place your phone in the frame, displaying the photo you want to print, you push the screen brightness to the maximum, and the Tomy’s lens creates a photo print of your screen on Instax films. Ingenious, even if the result can be hazardous.
- A fun and economical concept
- Works with Instax films
The result depends on your screen
In addition to its range, Canon also offers a small portable printing services printer in format. The , in its class, is arguably among the best with fairly good image quality despite the constraints of integrated ink technology. The look of the is also very successful and compact, it is probably the best option if you are looking for a pocket printer based on this paper size.
- Compact and elegant
- Fairly good image quality
We know the Instax range of instant cameras, and the Instax Share SP2 portable photo printer allows you to use Instax technology (Instax Mini format) to print photos from your smartphone and take advantage of this nice format. Instax Share SP2 is particularly compact and easy to access through the dedicated application, and color rendering has improved significantly in the latest version.
The HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer offers a sleek, slim design for a printer that works with 5 x 7.6 cm ZINK sticker paper. The printer is easy to use, stand-alone and portable, but some users criticize the photos for colors
- Stylish design
- Fast and autonomous
- Easy to use
- Ideal for “sticker” use
In line with the many portable printing services printers using Zink paper, the Kodak Smile displays roughly the same qualities and flaws as its competitors. In the pluses, its design is colorful and simple, and the possibility of protecting the slot is a welcome detail. And the simplicity is there: with a Bluetooth smartphone, we print self-adhesive photos in a few seconds. On the other hand, it seems pointless to hope for a realistic rendering with Zink paper.
- A fun design
- Easy to use
- Nice to create stickers
The Polaroid Zip portable printer is in line with the many compact printers that use 2×3 sticker paper of the Zink type. The same emphasis on the simplicity and compact size of the printer, and the same limitations on the quality of the prints, which should not be expected to be more than a simple and effective way to stick your selfies everywhere.
- Colorful design
- Easy to use
- Stickers in seconds
How do I printing services from my smartphone?
Printing services to print from your smartphone, you can use the application provided with your portable photo printer. However, you can print any type of document if you have a printer with Wi-Fi connection, and compatible with iOS (AirPrint) and Android (Google Cloud Print). On Android, you need to make sure your print service is enabled. In the settings, go to Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then Printing. If you are using Android 8.0 or higher, you should see in the “Default Print Service” list. Select it and if it is activated (switch at the top right), you should see the list of your printers on the network.
