The best portable photo printer turns your smartphone photos into tangible objects. And many of them are so compact that you can take them with you when you’re out.
There’s a whole range of sizes. We have mainly concentrated on portability and image quality. In the case of our top pick, you get an additional benefit. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay is a portable photo printer. But it’s also an instant camera that gives you flexibility, fun, and portability for both devices.
What Is the Best Portable Photo Printer?
We look in more detail at each of our choices later in this review. But first, here is a summary of our recommendations
- Combined printer and instant camera
- Built-in screen
- Prints directly from your phone
- Self-adhesive prints
- Easily pocketable printer
- Free app for endless creativity
- Rich or natural color modes
- Video print and QR code features
- Dye sublimation process for high-quality prints
- 300 dpi resolution
- Plugs into a wall socket
- Large 4 x 6-inch prints
- Self-adhesive prints
- 2.7-inch square prints
- Dye sublimation for high-quality prints
- Prints have a spill-resistant coating
- Augmented Reality Hyperphoto magic
- Worldwide shareable photo network
- Easily prints from social media
- Large 3 x 4.5" sticky photos
- High-quality 2 x 3" adhesive prints
- Vibrant photos in under 50 seconds
- Wireless printing via mobile app
- Rechargeable battery for on-the-go printing
- Zink technology for smudge-free prints
- Customize with filters, frames, and emojis
- Connect multiple devices for fun at parties
- Slim and portable design for on-the-go creativity
- Dye sublimation process for quality
- Prints should last 100 years
- Unique Four Pass process
- Very compact size
Choosing the Best Portable Photo Printer
Now let’s take an in-depth look at the best portable photo printers on the market.
1. Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay
| Brand |
Brand
Fujifilm
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
183 x 137 x 94 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
500 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Fujifilm Instax
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Not required
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Combined camera and printer
|
| Best For |
Best For
Anyone who wants the best of both worlds
|
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay is a minor stroke of genius. It is both an instant camera and a portable printer. There’s nothing simpler than an instant camera for snapping a memento of the occasion. But the lenses and sophistication often leave something to be desired.
With the Liplay, you can shoot using a sophisticated new iPhone 14. Then you use Bluetooth to connect it to the Liplay printer. In other words, this will print photos taken with a camera other than its built-in instant camera.
One additional benefit of this is that you don’t have to print every photo you take with the instant camera. You get to see it on the screen first.
Everything is simple and easy to use. The camera has a 4.9 MP sensor and built-in flash. The camera uses Fujifilm’s Instax Mini photo paper. The popularity of Instax cameras shows that the quality of the photos is exactly what users expect.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay is a neat and creative combination of two separate needs.
2. Fujifilm Instax Link Mini
| Brand |
Brand
Fujifilm
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
216 x 160 x 119 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
454 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Fujifilm Instax
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Not required
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Works via Bluetooth and phone app
|
| Best For |
Best For
Adding some extra features to the familiar Instax format
|
The Fujifilm Instax Link Mini brings the convenience of instant photos to your iPhone or Android. The Instax film format is popular with younger generations. And it’s a smart move bringing the instantaneous appeal to a wider audience.
The free app allows you to print from your phone. And you can add borders and even make montages. It’s easy to see how having one on the table on a night out with friends would add some fun. And it’ll give you fun memories from the night too.
Everything works easily and as you’d expect. The only word of caution is to make sure the battery is charged before heading out on your adventures. The Fujifilm Instax Link Mini brings easy instant printing to your smartphone.
3. HP Sprocket Studio Plus
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
138 x 216 x 99 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
1400 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Wall socket
|
| Paper |
Paper
HP specialty paper
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Dye sublimation cartridge
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
6 x 4-inch prints direct from your mobile phone
|
| Best For |
Best For
Dedicated printing of standard size prints
|
The HP Studio Sprocket Studio Plus is a step up from the Instax printers. It produces regular-sized 6 x 4-inch prints.
It also uses a dye sublimation process. This uses matching paper and cartridges, so you get all of your printing needs in one box. This process means that the prints are super sharp.
They are in a different league from conventional “instant” printers. And this is reflected in the printer’s size. It isn’t a go-anywhere instant machine like the Instax printer. And it needs to be plugged into an electrical socket. But it’s small enough to easily take to a friend’s house or your studio. It’s nowhere near the size of a standard all-in-one printer for your desk.
What it does do is provide high-quality prints quickly and simply from your phone. The free app makes the process simple. You can add stickers, frames, and filters from the app before printing. The HP Studio Sprocket Studio Plus and its 300 dpi prints allow you to show off the possibilities of your smartphone’s camera.
4. Canon SELPHY Square QX10 Portable Photo Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Canon
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
40 x 56 x 12 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
400 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Canon Proprietary
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Dye sublimation cartridge
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Peel-and-stick adhesive prints
|
| Best For |
Best For
Easily printing photos from your phone
|
The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 is another dye sublimation printer. This one produces prints smaller than the HP we just listed. The 2.7″ (6.9 cm) square photos are more like an old-fashioned Polaroid. They even have a white stripe at the bottom. You can write comments and dates here like you would caption any other photo!
The smaller size means that the 270 dpi still gives pleasingly sharp prints. It also means that the printer is small enough to take with you. One nice feature is that the prints have a peel-off backing, allowing them to be stuck to any smooth surface.
Part of the printing process applies surface protection that makes the prints resistant to spills. And Canon claims they will last 100 years. You connect your phone to the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 using the Canon app. This allows you to add effects and filters before printing.
5. Lifeprint Portable Photo Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Lifeprint
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
48 x 135 x 191 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
340 g
|
The unique selling point of the Lifeprint Hyperphoto Printer is its “Hyperphoto” capability. Using the Lifeprint app, you pair a photo with any media (such as video) on your phone. Then, when you point your phone at the image, the video leaps to life on your screen.
You also get a portable printer that uses Zink technology. This is an ink-free printing process. (Zink is short for “zero ink.”) The paper itself contains the chemicals for producing the photographic image.
The Lifeprint’s 3 x 4.5″ (7.6 x 11.4 cm) prints are larger than some others. But some users find the quality inconsistent. But you may have to risk that in exchange for the Hyperphoto capability.
6. Polaroid Hi-Print Pocket Photo Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Polaroid Originals
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
80 x 150 x 27 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
260 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Polaroid Hi-Print
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Dye sublimation
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Add frames and filters in-app, prints in less than a minute
|
| Best For |
Best For
Keeping in your bag to print out your memories wherever you are
|
The Polaroid Hi-Print is the most famous brand name in instant photography. You might think that with the arrival of superb phone cameras, instant prints would die. And Polaroid did indeed die, only to be resuscitated. And although Fujifilm dominates the market now, this is still a fantastic choice.
The Polaroid film you buy now uses newly developed chemicals and processes. The three colors are embedded on a ribbon in the paper cartridge. That means you’ll never run out of ink. But on the downside, this system produces a lot of waste.
The prints from the Polaroid Hi-Print are bright and detailed. The app allows you to easily add frames or filters. And the prints themselves have a peel-and-stick strip. It’s a simple and effective overall package for instant photo printing.
7. HP Sprocket Printer
| Brand |
Brand
HP
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
118 x 80 x 25 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
173 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Zink
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Zink
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Self-adhesive borderless printing
|
| Best For |
Best For
A tiny printer you can take anywhere
|
The HP Sprocket Printer is one of a range of instant printers from HP. This one is rechargeable and small enough to fit in your pocket. Like its siblings, it uses Zink technology. This is a type of dye sublimation printing, so the ink comes with a paper cartridge.
HP’s version of this method produces a 300-dpi print. That’s great, especially at the 2 x 3″ (5.1 x 7.6 cm) size. They are sharp and the colors are rich and deep. They are also self-adhesive, so you can quickly stick them to almost anything.
It’s easy to see why the HP Sprocket Printer is one of the most popular portable photo printers. You get impressive quality prints that take advantage of your phone’s capabilities.
8. Kodak Mini 2 HD Printer
| Brand |
Brand
Kodak
|
| Dimensions |
Dimensions
76 x 25 x 132 mm
|
| Weight |
Weight
317 g
|
| Power Supply |
Power Supply
Rechargeable battery (included)
|
| Paper |
Paper
Kodak system
|
| Ink System |
Ink System
Dye sublimation
|
| Key Features |
Key Features
Four-pass printing adds a protective layer to the photos
|
| Best For |
Best For
Instant photos that last a very long time
|
The Kodak Step creates 2.1 x 3.4″ (5.3 x 8.6 cm) photos that use a dye sublimation process. But Kodak has added a fourth pass of the print head that adds a protective layer to the print. This is to ensure that the print lasts longer. Kodak says they will last 100 years.
And the prints are worth preserving. You’d expect a photo from Kodak to be good quality, and this Kodak doesn’t disappoint. As with other printers in this review, you can add borders, stickers, and frames in the app.
This is another ultra-portable printer. And it’s not much bigger than your mobile phone. The Kodak Step should definitely be on your list of the best portable photo printers.
Buyer’s Guide—Best Portable Printer
What Are the Different Types of Ink?
We’re all familiar with inkjet and laser printers. Those technologies don’t transfer well to pocket-sized devices. So the choice is between photo paper that contains all the required elements to produce an image and dye sublimation.
Polaroid photos of old were of the first type. The image is exposed, initiating the chemical process as the photo is pressed between rollers. Zink (zero ink) papers have colored crystals embedded in the paper. These are activated by the exposure process.
Dye sublimation is a type of thermal printing. We are most familiar with thermal printers that print receipts. But dye sublimation is more sophisticated than that. With instant photos, the paper has three colors laid on it to form the image.
Because Zink paper is limited by the dot size, dye sublimation tends to produce finer detail. Although your phone has a better camera than a Polaroid of old, the quality of the print will depend on the printing system.
After all, medium format cameras often had a polaroid back option to check the lighting. But even a Hasselblad won’t produce a fine art print on Polaroid paper.
What About Print Size?
As you’ll see from this review, you have a wide range of sizes to choose from. And the manufacturer will often offer a number of sizes. So we have reviewed the HP Sprocket 2 x 3″ printer, but you can also get it as a 3.5 x 4.25″ printer. And you can buy a Canon Selphy printer that produces 6 x 4″ prints.
Conclusion: The Best Portable Photo Printer
These printers fit somewhere between the instant camera and the photo lab or home printer. Printing from your home printer involves many steps. And by definition, you don’t have it with you when you’re out and about. These printers, in the main, can be carried with you easily.
Our top pick is the Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay. It’s both a printer and an instant camera. And that’s why it comes out as our top choice.
