The Best Portable Photo Printers 2022

Photo printers have come a long way in the digital era. Printers have been a fundamental part of everyday tools and technology we use. From being bulky to being the size of a mobile phone, the best portable photo printers have transformed how we perceive and use photo printing.

Choosing the best portable photo printers enables people to print photos, documents, passes, etc., without staying wired with a printer physically. Thanks to their handy and lightweight designs, one can carry them around simply by keeping batteries to power them, making them incredibly convenient devices.

Indeed, there are many ways to operate portable photo printers. But, the most common ones still include using it with a WiFi connection, Bluetooth, or hardwire via a network. These simple ways of using the best portable printers easily allow you to set them up at parties where everyone can print their favorite moments through their smartphones. In addition, you can add text, borders, filters, emojis, and more with the app to customize or edit images for your friends.

But, as they say, nothing in this world comes free. Some of you may find a few printing packs expensive. At the same time, those who frequently use printers may find them to be reasonable. Of course, what distinguishes photo packs from the best portable photo printers is their handy size and convenience.

Digital photos may appear to be even more convenient and trendy. However, printing photos and keeping the prints with you are among the most romantic practices that will never go out of style. The best portable photo printers allow your retro soul to stay old-fashioned in this advanced world.

So, before we jump to the list of the best portable photo printers, let us look at the technologies that essentially categorize the devices. These are the three fundamental printing technologies when it comes to the best portable printer:

• Zink photo paper- It’s the cheapest substitute for zero-ink. The quality isn’t excellent, but they can be a suitable option as they’re damage-resistant.
• Dye-sublimation- Also called ‘dye-sub,’ this printing technology employs heat to move dye to the printing material. Comparatively, Dye-sublimation’s print quality is better than Zink printers.
• Instant film- Some portable printers work with the same film as instant cameras. However, it is worth noting that the formats here are often small, and the costs can ramp up quickly.

List of The Best Portable Photo Printer

Below, we’ve shortlisted the best portable printers available in 2022, covering all three types of printing technologies. We explain the unique features of each portable printer and provide you with the information vital for choosing the most suitable portable printer for you. So, without further delay, let’s look at the best portable photo printers.

1. Canon SELPHY Square QX10

As Instagram brings the square photo frames back into the game, we can satisfactorily say that the Selphy Square QX10 is the best portable photo printer introduced under format. It creates 2.7×2.7 inch (6.8cm x 6.8cm) prints promising to last more than 100 years! But, wait, that may only happen if you properly store your printed material. Prints or pictures of this potable printer are said to be smudge-proof and come with a water-protected coating, too. That sounds great for a print that takes 43 seconds to be created! Furthermore, being as small as something that can get easily fit in a handbag, Canon SELPHY Square QX10 is extremely travel-friendly. So, next time you go to a party, you can get this printer and flaunt its pro-quality dye-sub technology.

2. Kodak Mini 2

This is the right choice for you if you are non-tech-savvy or don’t know how to use a portable photo printer. As Kodak Mini 2 comes with its own Android app, the convenience of using this printer doubles.

You can enjoy super fast printing by utilizing this portable photo printer’s Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities. As it operates with a Bluetooth connection, this one of the best portable photo printers is compatible with Android and iOS. The high-quality print release uses Kodak’s all-in-one ink-and-paper cartridges for convenient and effortless printing. In addition to this, it uses 4Pass printing technology, also called dye sublimation, to produce first-rate printed images. The product comes with a free app that offers access of multiple access to editing features, enabling you to alter and filter your pictures according to your satisfaction before you finally take out the print.

3. Polaroid Mint Pocket Printer

This is among those top portable photo printers that are highly reliable. Polaroid Mint Pocket Printer comes with a broad range of vivid colors and is extremely convenient to be carried around. Easy to load and use, it functions with Zink paper to create vivid, detailed prints. In addition, one can smoothly connect it with a smartphone’s Bluetooth without facing glitches.

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Ranking among the best portable photo printers, Mint Pocket Printer has excellent battery life. However, noteworthy that the battery runs out quickly on standby. Thus, if you print with it, you have to use it by charging it often. As long as this is not a problem, you may find the device a convenient and handy portable printer. It even allows you to make stylish adjustments to your pictures, making the portable printer not only easy to use but also fun to use.

4. Kodak Step Instant Printer

Kodak Step Instant Printer is one of the best portable photo printers to give your digital camera shots efficient physicality. Connected through Bluetooth, this printer is again compatible with Android and iOS. Kodak Step Prints app allows you to edit the images and add borders or stickers quickly. Though the prints don’t come with the finest quality through Zink paper, the printing process remains inexpensive and fun, making you carefree about messy ink refills. Unfortunately, the only charging possible for this device is with Micro USB, which is less reliable than other charging methods. However, with lesser running expenses, Kodak Step Instant Printer is fairly priced and great for someone looking for a portable printer within a tight budget.

5. Fujifilm Instax Mini Link

First things first, as the name suggests, Instax Mini Link produces cute tiny pictures. So, if you like collecting tiny things, this might be the best portable photo printer for you. Yes, it doesn’t miss being a fun and fantastic alternative to taking digital photos.

Instax Mini Link functions with the same film used by most of the Instax Mini cameras. However, the big benefit of using this particular printer is that it provides improved control towards clicking the picture or selfie through the phone. You can either print the images as they are or print their edit them before printing in their original form.

Moreover, the Instax Mini Link app allows you to add borders, emojis, fun overlays, and even merge several shots to create a montage. Apart from directly producing prints using your phone, you can also use the Mini Link SE app for the portable printing of Instax photos.

The Instax Mini Link is nearly 20% lighter and 23% smaller than its previous version. Though it’s slightly expensive compared to other portable printers, it’s all worth it with the stylish looks and quality you get.

6. Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay

The Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay doesn’t exactly fall into the category of portable printers, so this one may be easy to miss. But, we’ve still kept it under the list of the best portable photo printers because it’s one of the new breeds of hybrid instant cameras offering the functionality of an instant digital camera and a portable printer, all in one device.

Thus, unlike usual instant cameras, you can choose which images you want to print out by looking at them on the screen first. However, a lot like other pocket instant printers, you can use this to print pictures through a smartphone. The camera has a decent 4.9-megapixel sensor. On the other hand, the storage doesn’t allow to keep more than 45 pictures internally.

7. HP Sprocket Plus

Striking the right balance between portability and quality, the HP Sprocket Plus is one of the best portable photo printers to be taken around easily. It creates highly detailed prints either on HP Sprocket Plus Photo Paper or HP Zink S2 photo paper. All you have to do is simply load the paper in the back, connect the printer with your phone with the help of built-in Bluetooth, and there you are!

The printer is linked with a user-friendly app that offers multiple fun features to make printing one of the most intriguing or “Embedded Experiences,” enabling you to print frames from a video and tag it with particulars of the people or of the place where you took the picture. After this, you can scan the print through your phone and see it appear in the app with the video and metadata. The prints come through beautifully with multiple vivid and rich details. They give your memories a lasting and vibrant impression you can keep and travel around with.

8. Kiipix Portable Smartphone Picture Printer

There is no need to charge or plugin when you print with Kiipix Portable Smartphone Picture Printer. This best portable photo printer is the most hassle-free. The reason behind this is that only loading the device with Instax film, placing your phone face below on the scanner, using the reflective mirror to secure proper alignment, and then manually cranking out the prints is required. While this may sound tricky, printing with this device is quite simple.

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With features like the device easily folding up for transportation, Kiipix Portable Mini Printer is inexpensive and fun. Though its greatest plus point is the low price, making it more attractive than other printers, it’s worth noting that the Instax film required to run the device is quite expensive, ultimately making the use of this portable printer costlier. Thus, buying the device is not expensive, but using it could become.

9. Polaroid Hi·Print 2×3

Despite its slightly thick design, we have considered this printer in our list of the best portable photo printers. The reason is plain and simple, along with coming with a built-in reusable battery, this printer gets easily connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. In addition, the printer’s app helps you create 2×3-inch photo prints of your smartphone’s shots. The result will not disappoint you with the speed, style, and high picture quality delivered because of dye-sublimation technology.

Therefore, there are all three essential features of the best portable photo printer in this device. It is fast, compact, and delivers high-quality photos. Moreover, the high quality is also delivered also because the paper passes through the printer four times before the final print gets ready. The app lets you see all the steps on your smartphone when the process takes place.

10. Fujifilm Instax Link Wide

This is like an upgraded version of Fujifilm’s original Instax Mini Link. This portable photo printer can serve to be an excellent smartphone printer for casual use. It provides fun customization features with templates and emojis in the app. In addition to this, it also offers QR code features, although the image quality may fall short of impressing you. Thus, if you like to be creative for fun, you may give Fujifilm Instax Link Wide a shot, as this is not a sound choice for someone looking for professional photo printing.

The Takeaway

While the choice of the best portable printer may vary as per different printing requirements of people, you should not compromise on the compactness and picture quality of a portable printer which is the very essence of this device. Before investing in a portable printer, ask yourself a few questions, such as what size of pictures you will need, how often you will need it, what connectivity options are available, etc. Choose the best portable photo printer for you once you’re sorted with the answers