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For a photos with a square aspect ratio printed at just bit larger than wallet size, it's hard to beat the Kodak Mini 3 Retro. The printer weighs just shy of a pound, measures 1 by 5 by 4 inches (HWD), and prints 3-by-3-inch photos using dye-sub technology and a four-pass ribbon, with the last pass laying down a clear projective coating. As is typical of dye sub printers, the picture quality is a clear step above what you'd expect from competing printers that use Zink technology. Kodak promises a long life for the prints, too, rating them at up to 100 years.
Most fully portable photo printers today offer wallet-size or slightly larger prints, so if you want a 4-by-6-inch picture size, which the Canon Selphy CP1500 offers, you have limited choices. Fortunately that doesn't mean you have to make compromises. The latest in the long-running Selphy line of portables, the CP1500 in particular delivers a solid feature set; drugstore-grade photo quality, courtesy of its dye sub technology; and a reasonably low running cost, at a bit above or below 30 cents per 4-by-6-inch photo. (The cost covers both the paper and required dye rolls.) Choosing the right category of portable printer for how you print is usually easy. (If you want to print photos from your phone on the go, for example, you'll probably start by looking for a compact photo printer.) But it's still worth knowing what those categories are before you begin shopping. The four main classes of portable printer are (1) all-purpose printers, (2) photo printers, (3) label printers, and (4) monochrome thermal printers.Printers for wallet-size photos are among the most portable printers today, and this Kodak model serves as a prime example of why. One big advantage it has over printers for larger photos is that keeping the photo size to 2 by 3 inches means the chassis can be trimmed down. The Step Instant measures all of 1 by 3 by 5 inches (HWD) and weighs just under a pound. As with much of its competition, it's designed as a phone and tablet accessory, offering Bluetooth and NFC as the only connection options, printing strictly from iOS and Android phones and tablets. This miniaturization marvel combines a scanner and full-color inkjet printer in a device that will fit in a travel bag. It also has a small display, an automatic document feed (ADF), Wi-Fi, and a rechargeable battery. Print creations directly from your phone using the free app - simply connect your phone via Bluetooth Collin is the B2B Hardware Editor for TechRadar Pro. He has been in journalism for years, with experience in small and large markets, including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet, and more. CONNECTIONS. Most all-purpose portable printers offer both Wi-Fi and USB for connections. Some support PictBridge, as well, for printing photos directly from cameras that support the spec. If you want to connect cable-free via Wi-Fi, make sure the printer supports Wi-Fi Direct. And if you might need to print straight from your phone or tablet, make sure the printer also supports mobile printing with your specific device. (Credit: PCMag)
The Canon Pixma TR150 Wireless Portable Printer is one of the most portable and most capable inkjet printers available. Just 4.5 pounds without its optional battery, or 5.1 pounds with it, it's smaller and lighter than its closest competition, if only by a small amount in most cases, and it delivers equal or better performance. You can connect the printer to computers and smartphones through USB or Bluetooth, but since there's no Wi-Fi connectivity, you can't use Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, and other connection that rely on Wi-Fi. If you need moderate or heavy-duty printing, you'll want a printer that's a little faster, and perhaps one that prints from a computer or mobile device. But for light-duty printing, the LW-PX300's wide choice of tapes and affordable price—alone or as part of the LW-PX300VP kit—can make it a compelling choice for small businesses and hobbyists. Quite simply, it will give you lots of label flexibility without having to spend a lot of money to get it. CONNECTIONS. Some portable photo printers offer a USB connection and can print from a computer. Most are designed primarily to print wirelessly from phones or tablets using manufacturer-supplied apps. Older models often include Wi-Fi Direct, and also PictBridge, to print from cameras that support it. But for printers that are designed to work with smartphones, Bluetooth is the most common connection method supported. (Credit: Zlata Ivleva)You'll want to assess the connectivity options. If you want a hassle-free printing experience, use a portable printer that offers wireless connectivity and support for protocols like Apple AirPrint. PRINT TECHNOLOGY. Virtually all portable photo printers use one of three technologies, and inkjet technology, notably, is no longer on the list. (Epson offers an inkjet for photos up to 5 by 7 inches, but it doesn't qualify as "fully portable" by our definition for this roundup, since it works only with AC power.) (Credit: Zlata Ivleva) HP has managed to shrink the inkjet printer to the size of a cigar box while adding a battery compartment. The result is a highly portable device that can turn out crisp color documents at a rate of 10 per minute in mono or 7 in color. COST PER LABEL. The cost per label for continuous rolls varies with the length of each label you print. If you want to compare running costs between competing models, divide the cost per roll by the number of inches in the roll, to get a comparable cost per inch. Be sure to do the calculation for the types and widths you plan to use.
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