8 Best Portable Photo Printers in 2023

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.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Portable Photo Printer

Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay

Fujifilm Instax Mini Smartphone Printer

HP Sprocket Studio Plus WiFi Printer

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

Our Top Pick

Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay

Combined printer and instant camera
Built-in screen
Prints directly from your phone
Self-adhesive prints

Best Instax Printer

Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Printer

Easily pocketable printer
Free app for endless creativity
Rich or natural color modes
Video print and QR code features

Best 4 x 6 Printer

HP Sprocket Studio Plus WiFi Printer

Dye sublimation process for high-quality prints
300 dpi resolution
Plugs into a wall socket
Large 4 x 6-inch prints

Best Square Format Printer

Canon SELPHY Square QX10 Portable Photo Printer

Self-adhesive prints
2.7-inch square prints
Dye sublimation for high-quality prints
Prints have a spill-resistant coating

Best Budget Option

Lifeprint Portable Photo Printer

Augmented Reality Hyperphoto magic
Worldwide shareable photo network
Easily prints from social media
Large 3 x 4.5" sticky photos

Best Mini Prints Option

Polaroid Hi-Print Pocket Photo Printer

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

Best HP Printer

HP Sprocket 3 x 4 Instant Photo Printer

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

Best KODAK Printer

Kodak Mini 2 HD Wireless Portable Photo Printer

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.

Our Top 3 Choices for The Best Portable Photo Printer

Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay

Fujifilm Instax Mini Smartphone Printer

HP Sprocket Studio Plus WiFi Printer

What Is the Best Portable Photo Printer?

Choosing the Best Portable Photo Printer

1. Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay

1. Fujifilm Instax Mini Liplay

2. Fujifilm Instax Link Mini

2. Fujifilm Instax Link Mini

3. HP Sprocket Studio Plus

3. HP Sprocket Studio Plus

4. Canon SELPHY Square QX10 Portable Photo Printer

4. Canon SELPHY Square QX10 Portable Photo Printer

5. Lifeprint Portable Photo Printer

5. Lifeprint Portable Photo Printer

6. Polaroid Hi-Print Pocket Photo Printer

6. Polaroid Hi-Print Pocket Photo Printer

7. HP Sprocket Printer

7. HP Sprocket Printer

8. Kodak Mini 2 HD Printer

8. Kodak Mini 2 HD Printer

Buyer’s Guide—Best Portable Printer

What Are the Different Types of Ink?

What About Print Size?

Conclusion: The Best Portable Photo Printer

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