The 7 Best Portable Photo Printers for Every Budget
Photo sharing may seem restricted to social media, but printable photos still exist. If you’ve been shopping around for a portable photo printer that will bring your favorite memories into the palm of your hand, we collected a list of some of the best, and most affordable options to buy, based on customer reviews. For additional shopping guides see our picks for the best digital cameras under $200 and must-have camera accessories. Below, find a list of portable photo printers from Kodak, Polaroid, Canon, and other brands.
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Kodak Step Photo Printer
Price: $69.99
In the market for a mini printer that doesn’t cost much? The Kodak Step Photo Printer is a solid choice given the price. It connects to iOS and Android smartphones, as well as tablets and other devices with Bluetooth or NFC (near-field communication). Print pics instantly, and transform selfies, portraits, and other images into physical photos with this tiny gadget. One thing to note: Samsung Galaxy users may have connectivity issues, so please keep that in mind if you own one.
Writes user Marie Fields, “What’s great about this printer is that is so light and small you can take it anywhere you need. On the road, on a [train ride], wherever you feel like printing. Also, it has a long battery life so you don’t always have to be connected to power to get the job done.“
Polaroid Hi-Print 2×3 Photo Printer
Price: $99.99 $90.04
This Polaroid pocket photo printer transforms photos, screenshots, and other images in your camera roll into high quality 2”×3″ self-adhesive prints. Connect to the Polaroid Hi·Print mobile app to further customize your content with frames, text, emoticons, and more.
Writes user Michael Vannucci, “The pictures do take longer to print than I expected, but you get to see the whole layered process, which is really cool. They look great when they’re finished — as sharp as the digital photos they were made from. Being able to print out photo stickers of any picture is such a great idea. I’ll be putting stickers everywhere. The printer itself is small enough to fit in a backpack pocket and charges really quickly. I’ve only printed out a few photos so far, but it’s still fully charged, it holds a charge well. I’m pretty impressed with it so far!”
HP Sproket Studio Photo Printer
Price: $129
Another awesome little printer, the HP Sprocket Studio Photo Printer turns memorable moments into beautiful, frame-worthy color prints. Download the free HP Sprocket app for easy-to-use photo templates, to print water-resistant 4”x6” images from your smartphone and social media quickly, and to customize your snaps with frames, emojis, stickers and more. Simply plug in HP Sprocket Studio Photo Printer and instantly start printing with the included ink cartridge and 10 sheets of 4″x6″ glossy photo paper. Go cordless or connect the power bank to charge your device and print photos from anywhere.
Writes user Candie, “This little printer is so good. It’s the perfect size and it prints beautiful pictures. If you want to print your own beautiful picture you have to buy this. It’s wonderful.”
Canon SELPHY Square Wireless Photo Printer
Price: $149.99 $129.99
Canon’s SELPHY Square Wireless Photo Printer offers a user-friendly interface and compact, lightweight design for ultimate portability. This mini photo printer is equipped with dye-sublimation technology to deliver quality, quick-drying 2.7” x 2.7” prints (with peel-off adhesive backing). The Canon SELPHY Square QX10 compact photo printer has a built-in battery for cordless, hassle-free printing, and it’s available in white, black, pink, and green. Connect to the SELPHY Photo Layout 2.0 app to add effects, filters, and stickers to your photos. If you’re looking for a cheaper option from the same brand, try the Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer.
Writes one user, “I love this photo printer! It has many useful features that allow me to easily edit and print my pictures basically wherever I go. Since it comes with a rechargeable battery, it can be brought and charged wherever. The quality of the pictures is excellent! While the colors are slightly different, I love how great the pictures look and the size is so cute! I would say that this photo printer is best for personal use. It is perfect for crafts, to decorate living spaces, or simply just to have those memories in physical photographs. It was also a very cool experience to see the photos being made.”
Fuji Film Instax Mini Link Photo Printer Bundle
Price: $199.95
The INSTAX Mini Link Smartphone Printer from Fuji Film is an updated version of the INSTAX SHARE SP-2 Smartphone Printer. It offers a sleek and light body design, with a revamped app, fun social features, and Bluetooth capability. In order to use the photo printer, download the free Instax Mini Link app, which customizes your photos with close to 30 fun and colorful frames. You can also create collages, split prints, and print photos from videos. The app features the standard Print Mode and Fun Mode, which allows users to connect up to five smartphones.
Writes user Nat, “LOVE THIS! Best gift ever for anyone! Love how you can just upload ANY picture from your camera roll, which means you don’t always have to carry a polaroid with you and worry about taking care of it and dropping it. Just as simple [as] enjoying your time and whatever pictures you have, you can later upload with frame, filters and add doodles. LOVE IT!”
Sharper Image Portable Photo Printer
Price: $159.99
This Portable Photo Printer works like a charm, according to numerous reviews. It’s cordless, compact, and works directly with your mobile device (iPhones, iPads and Androids including Samsung Galaxy devices) to print wallet-sized photos in seconds. Similar to the other printers listed, you’ll have to download the free app to crop, edit, apply filters, and make photo collages. The package includes one color ribbon, and 10 photo papers.
Writes one user, “This is a cool little gadget that prints photos right from your phone, even without wi-fi. I looked at several phone printers before selecting this one. I like it a lot. The photos are amazing quality — better than those old polaroid instant photos. Really fun to bring to a party or event. The refill paper is expensive, though, and can only be purchased through Sharper Image.”
Hammacher Schlemmer Smartphone Printer
Price: $179.95
The user-friendly Smartphone Printer from Hammacher Schlemmer is slightly larger than some of the other pocket-sized printers. This device produces waterproof, fade-resistant, and fingerprint-proof 4” x 6” (300 dpi-resolution) photographs in less than a minute (with help from a free app). Inside the box, you’ll get a printer with a paper tray, ink ribbon cartridge, and 40 sheets of photo paper. The photo printer is about 6” long, and it’s compatible with iOS (6.0 and up) and Android (4.0 and later).
Writes one user, “I purchased this printer for my parents in their mid 60s, they really enjoy printing out pictures of the grandchildren. Set up was simple, they figured it all out on their own. One of their favorite gifts and telling friends how handy it is to have.”
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