If you're going on a trip, you probably wouldn't consider taking your printer with you. However, portable photo printers are lightweight and often small enough to fit into your pocket.

Now you can instantly print memories with the use of a portable photo printer. Whether you need to print a photo directly from your smartphone, tablet, or PC, various portable photo printers suit every use and a range of budgets.

Here are the best portable photo printers.

Premium pick

1. Canon Pixma TR150

9.20 / 10
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The Canon Pixma TR150 boasts voice-activated printing and templates that you can store and reuse. It also features an optional rechargeable battery that makes this photo printer even more portable.The Canon Pixma TR150 delivers excellent photo and graphic resolutions, ideal for families that want to print their pictures or offices that want to display presentations.You can easily connect your printer wirelessly to your devices like a smartphone. What's more, you can print using voice controls on your smart home devices like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple's Siri. While the Canon Pixma TR150 is versatile, the printing is incredibly slow at around nine pages per minute for monochrome photos. For color prints, this slows down even further to 5.5 pages per minute. However, if you can wait, it'll be worthwhile in return for outstanding print quality.

Key Features
  • Wireless mobile printing
  • Print photos up to 8.5x11 inches
  • Removable rechargeable battery
Specifications
  • Brand: Canon
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Excellent print quality
  • Good mobile device support
  • Small and portable
Cons
  • Slow to print
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Canon Pixma TR150
Editors choice

2. Fujifilm Instax Mini Link

9.60 / 10
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The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link is a solid choice for small instant prints. You won't have to replace any ink as this photo printer uses actual instant film, similar to a Polaroid camera. A white border nicely frames each print. There's also the choice of special edition film available through Fujifilm. Photos are printed on glossy film, which adds to the vibrance and color, especially if you have a photo-friendly phone like the iPhone 11 Pro.You can only use one size of film, which is relatively small, so it limits your image formats. However, for on-the-go printing at an affordable cost, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link is great value for money.The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link is highly recommended for budding photographers who want to print photos in an instant, directly from an iOS or Android smartphone.

Key Features
  • Add filter and frames to your photos
  • Connect up to five smartphones
  • Print speed of around 12 seconds
Specifications
  • Brand: Fujifilm
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Easy setup
  • Available in multiple colors
  • Android and iOS support
Cons
  • Small image format
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Fujifilm Instax Mini Link
Best value

3. Lifeprint Ultra Slim

8.80 / 10
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The Lifeprint Ultra Slim is much more than just a snapshot printer. It offers hyper photo functionality by allowing you to print photos that turn into video clips via the camera on your smartphone.Regardless of your photos' quality, you can expect the Lifeprint Ultra Slim to print in around 30 seconds. Due to their small size, images tend to be of excellent quality but lack a little depth due to black ink's absence.You can get 10 sheets of Lifeprint Ultra Slim photo paper for around 80 cents per sheet, which is relatively expensive compared to other portable photo printers. However, coupled with how easy it is to use this printer and its increased portability, it does offer good value for money.

Key Features
  • 2x3-inch prints in full color
  • Full photo editing suite
  • Wirelessly print photos to Lifeprint devices
Specifications
  • Brand: Lifeprint
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Good print quality
  • Easy setup
  • Small and portable
Cons
  • High running costs
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Lifeprint Ultra Slim

The Canon Selphy CP1300 offers a low cost per print and plenty of connection choices to suit all the family. It boasts an LCD screen so you can edit and print your photos with ease.This photo printer features thermal dye sublimation, which means your photos will be instantly dry, lasting for up to 100 years. The photo paper is fed through the printer in four passes, printing on average one page per minute.If you're looking for a portable photo printer that delivers excellent print quality, the Canon Selphy CP1300 is a solid choice. If you plan to print many photos, it will cost you around $35 for a 108 glossy sheet paper and a triple color ink cassette bundle. That should last you quite some time, making it an affordable portable photo printer.

Key Features
  • Print wirelessly from smartphones, via USB, or from memory card
  • Tilting 3.2-inch LCD screen
  • Optional battery pack
Specifications
  • Brand: Canon
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Lightweight and portable
  • Multiple connection options
  • Good print quality
Cons
  • No mini-USB cable
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Canon Selphy CP1300

The Polaroid Lab allows you to print Polaroid photos straight from your smartphone. While there are Polaroid-like photo printers out there already like the Fujifilm Instax, there's nothing quite like holding an original Polaroid in your hand.Rather than using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, the Polaroid Lab uses an optical lens to transform images from your smartphone into reality. Not only does this make the Polaroid Lab extremely portable, but it also adds a sense of fun for all the family to enjoy.The Polaroid app is available for Android and iOS and allows you to print single or collage images. The photos print reasonably quickly. However, they can take around 15 minutes to dry. Image quality is good, but it's not the best, which is a sacrifice when making this quirky choice.Packs of Polaroid film aren't cheap, costing around $2 per image. Frustratingly, the Polaroid Lab doesn't include any Polaroid film, so you'll need to fork out for the photo printer and film before you can start printing.

Key Features
  • Converts digital photos to Polaroid prints
  • Add AR to your photos with the Polaroid Originals app
  • Connect your phone to the app and and print instantly
Specifications
  • Brand: Polaroid
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Polaroid-style photos
  • Easy-to-use app
  • Optical printing design
Cons
  • Doesn't include Polaroid film
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Polaroid Lab

The Canon IVY Mini can tile up to four images so you can print larger photos and collages. This is an excellent choice for keen social media users and individuals who love to print while on the go.Canon IVY Mini prints work out at around 50 cents each, which is reasonably affordable for this photo printer type. Depending on the kind of image, image size, and color depth, you can expect print speeds of around one page every 40 seconds.Although the Canon IVY Mini doesn't feature Wi-Fi support, nor can you plug it into a PC, it can connect to most Bluetooth devices. This means you can print directly from your smartphone, sharing the printer among friends and family.This photo printer is lightweight, compact, and easy to setup. It's perfect for on-the-fly prints, and you can even take it with you on holiday to print those perfect snaps for instant memories.

Key Features
  • Print 2x3-inch photos with peel-and-stick backing
  • Connect via Bluetooth
  • Print from social media sites like Instagram and Facebook
Specifications
  • Brand: Canon
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Easy setup
  • Reasonable running costs
  • Tiling feature
Cons
  • No Wi-Fi support
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Canon IVY Mini

The HP Sprocket Select is small enough that it can fit in your pocket. You can print photos from your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, directly from your online photo albums, or through your social media accounts.The print quality is very good, allowing you to print photos in just over a minute. While this isn't the fastest photo printer, it is incredibly portable and easy to transport. Setup is straightforward and only requires Bluetooth and the Sprocket Select app to get going.Although you won't have to purchase any replacement cartridges for this ink-free photo printer, photo paper costs around $12.99 for 20 sheets from HP, which can get costly.The HP Sprocket Select isn't designed as a desktop photo printer, so you can only print from a phone or tablet, which is a shame for the price. However, the convenience and lack of ink cartridges make this a good value option for families.

Key Features
  • Connect your smartphone via Bluetooth to print photos
  • Filter photos using hashtags to print from social media
  • Includes HP Zink photo paper
Specifications
  • Brand: HP
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Good print quality
  • No need for cartridges
  • Image editing via companion app
Cons
  • Can't print from a PC
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HP Sprocket Select

The Canon Selphy QX10 prints good quality photos, offering easy-to-use software for all the family. This portable printer connects wirelessly to your smartphone so you can print photos from your mobile devices.The printer uses adhesive backing photos to create collages of your favorite snaps or offer your special memories to stick on your wall. You can expect to pay around $15 for a pack of 20 photo sheets, which works out at 75 cents per photo.The Canon Selphy QX10 prints a photo every 43 seconds, faster than the HP Sprocket Select. Although this is a portable photo printer, it's not quite pocket-sized and a little heavy. It's transportable, but you may need to take a bag to carry the added weight.

Key Features
  • Choice of colors
  • Paper includes adhesive backing
  • Fast drying 2.7x2.7-inch photos
Specifications
  • Brand: Canon
  • Type: Photo Printer
  • Color Printing: Yes
  • Scanner: No
  • Document Feeder: No
  • Pages Per Minute: N/A
Pros
  • Easy to use
  • Competitive running costs
  • Good quality
Cons
  • Heavy
Buy This Product
Canon Selphy QX10

FAQ

Q: How Long Do Zink Prints Last?

Zero ink (Zink) prints can generally last up to 12 years if looked after well. Dyes are less UV-resistant, so they will fade over time. You can extend your Zink prints' life by placing them in a photo album to protect them.

Q: How Do Portable Photo Printers Work?

Portable photo printers can print directly from a smartphone, digital camera, SD card, or via your PC or Mac. Depending on the type of photo printer, they can support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a wired connection.

Q: Are Portable Photo Printers Repairable?

In most cases, you can fix issues with portable photo printers relatively quickly. Common problems often revolve around paper getting jammed, the photo tray being loose, or a cartridge that hasn't been fitted correctly.If your portable photo printer still doesn't work after primary diagnosis, you should contact the manufacturer who can troubleshoot the issue or offer a replacement if it is under warranty.