Portable Photo Printers
every phone photo printer we track, one row each. sort by print size to find the one that makes the print you actually want, or by weight to see which ones really ride in a pocket. the print tech column is the one to read first: it decides how the photos look and what you keep buying.
 Canon IVY 2 Mini Photo Printer | 6.9 The most liked ZINK sticker printer, thanks to an easy app with collage and tiling tricks, though ZINK color still runs grainy and tinted next to dye-sub. | ZINK | 51×76 mm (2×3 in) | 313 dpi Canon states 313 × 512 dpi. | 181 g 6.4 oz per US retailer listings; Canon's own pages we could reach list no weight. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canon SELPHY CP1500 Compact Photo Printer | 9.0 The best prints in this field: lab-grade overcoated 4x6s at a low running cost, with Wi-Fi, an SD slot and USB-C. Only the optional battery costs extra. | Dye-sublimation | 100×148 mm (4×6 in) | 300 dpi | 850 g Printer only, per Canon's spec sheet. | Runs on the included AC adapter; Canon sells an optional NB-CP2LI battery pack separately. | |
 Canon SELPHY QX20 Compact Photo Printer | 7.2 Sharp, overcoated dye-sub prints and a sturdy battery body, held back by a small image, Wi-Fi Direct only and one of the highest costs per print here. | Dye-sublimation | 72×85 mm (2.8×3.3 in) Square sticker sheet; the printed image is about 68×68 mm. Also takes 54×85 mm card-size sticker sheets. | 287 dpi | 455 g | Wi-Fi Direct only, no router mode and no Bluetooth. | |
 Fujifilm Instax Link WIDE 2 Smartphone Printer | 8.3 The biggest instant-film print you can make from a phone, with an easy app and USB-C. Wide film is pricey and early units showed occasional stray lines. | Instax film | 108×86 mm (4.3×3.4 in) Instax Wide film sheet; the image area is 62×99 mm. | 318 dpi | 357 g Without film pack, per Fujifilm. | ||
 Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 Smartphone Printer | 8.6 Real instant-film prints with the glossy look ZINK can't match, a polished app and about 100 prints per charge. The film is the expensive part. | Instax film | 54×86 mm (2.1×3.4 in) Instax Mini film sheet; the image area is 62×46 mm. | 318 dpi | 210 g Without film pack, per Fujifilm. | ||
 Fujifilm Instax Mini Link+ Smartphone Printer | 7.8 The same lovely Mini prints as the Link 3 with extra app modes like Design Print and batch printing, for noticeably more money and a heavier body. | Instax film | 54×86 mm (2.1×3.4 in) Instax Mini film sheet; the image area is 62×46 mm. | 318 dpi | 240 g Without film pack, per Fujifilm. | ||
 Fujifilm Instax Square Link Smartphone Printer | 7.6 The only dedicated square instant-film printer, with fast 12-second prints and a capable app, priced between Mini and Wide on both body and film. | Instax film | 72×86 mm (2.8×3.4 in) Instax Square film sheet; the image area is 62×62 mm. | 318 dpi | 236 g Without film pack, per Fujifilm. | ||
 HP Sprocket 3x4 Instant Photo Printer | 6.0 The largest sticky-back ZINK print you can carry, but bigger prints make ZINK's soft color more obvious, and it manages about one print a minute. | ZINK | 89×108 mm (3.5×4.25 in) | 287 dpi HP states 287 × 505 dpi. | 358 g | ||
 HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer (2nd Edition) | 6.3 A huge, happy owner base and a fun app, but it is a 2018 design whose colors Tom's Guide found inconsistent, on paper that costs more than it should. | ZINK | 51×76 mm (2×3 in) | 313 dpi HP states 313 × 400 dpi. | 172 g | ||
 HP Sprocket Select Portable Instant Photo Printer (2.3x3.4) | 5.9 A slightly bigger ZINK sticker print than the 2x3 crowd, but still ZINK's muted color, micro-USB charging and almost no independent reviews to lean on. | ZINK | 58×86 mm (2.3×3.4 in) | 321 dpi HP states 321 × 600 dpi. | 181 g | ||
 HP Sprocket Studio Plus 4x6 Photo Printer | 6.8 Drugstore-quality 4x6 dye-sub prints and a good app, but it is mains-only, bulky, and reviewers flag shaky color on light-toned photos. | Dye-sublimation | 102×152 mm (4×6 in) | 300 dpi | 1,150 g | AC adapter only, per HP's manual. | Pairs over Bluetooth, prints over Wi-Fi (home network or the printer's own hotspot). |
 Kodak Dock & Wi-Fi Portable 4x6 Instant Photo Printer | 5.4 Real 4x6 dye-sub from a 2017 design whose Wi-Fi pairing owners call confusing and flaky, now listed as discontinued at some retailers. | Dye-sublimation | 100×148 mm (4×6 in) | 300 dpi | 760 g Per the Amazon listing; Kodak's manual gives no weight. | Runs on a 24 V DC adapter. | |
 Kodak Dock Plus 4x6 Instant Photo Printer | 7.3 Laminated 4x6 prints for less than any other 4x6 here, but it needs a wall socket, and paper jams and early failures turn up in owner reviews. | Dye-sub (4Pass) | 100×148 mm (4×6 in) | 300 dpi | 760 g | Mains powered; doubles as a phone charging dock. | Bluetooth and a USB-C dock connector. |
 Kodak Mini 2 Retro Portable Photo Printer | 8.1 Laminated dye-sub prints for little more than ZINK money, which is why Digital Camera World called it big on value. Slow, about a minute a print. | Dye-sub (4Pass) | 54×86 mm (2.1×3.4 in) | 300 dpi | 245 g Per Digital Camera World's spec box; the Amazon listing says 255 g. | ||
 Kodak Mini 3 Retro Portable Photo Printer | 6.7 The cheapest way to get square, laminated dye-sub prints, but owners report battery drain and overheating, and no testing outlet has reviewed it. | Dye-sub (4Pass) | 76×76 mm (3×3 in) | 291 dpi Stated as 291 × 300 dpi in the distributor spec table. | 340 g | ||
 Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer | 6.6 A reliable, cheap-to-run ZINK sticker printer that Tech Advisor gave its Editor's Choice, though the color trails dye-sub and it still charges over micro-USB. | ZINK | 51×76 mm (2×3 in) | 313 dpi Stated as 313 × 400 dpi. | 186 g | Bluetooth and NFC. | |
 Kodak Step Slim Instant Mobile Photo Printer | 5.8 Thin enough for a back pocket and fine for handing out party stickers, but Digital Camera World called its ZINK quality not amazing, and it prints from phones only. | ZINK | 51×76 mm (2×3 in) | 300 dpi | 240 g Per the Amazon listing; Digital Camera World's spec box gives 8.4 oz. | ||
 Polaroid Hi·Print 2x3 Pocket Photo Printer (Gen 2) | 7.9 Genuinely pocketable dye-sub with color Digital Camera World put close to Canon's SELPHY, at the cost of a small print and about 20 prints per charge. | Dye-sublimation | 54×86 mm (2.1×3.4 in) | 291 dpi Per B&H's spec listing; Polaroid's own page gives no dpi. | 255 g Without cartridge, per Polaroid. |
How the AI score works, and who wrote it
A language model rated these, not a test lab. Every score from 1 to 10 is an AI assessment of how good the product is against the other 18 in this comparison, formed from the specifications we verified plus the published lab reviews and owner reception found while researching each one. Nobody at Slopsheets listened to, wore or plugged in any of it.
It weighs the things a spec table cannot show: how a product is actually reviewed, how well the software works, build quality, and what you get for the money. That is deliberate. An earlier version of this column was pure arithmetic on the table and it ranked a bundle of cheap boxes above a class-leading single unit, because counting hardware is not the same as judging it.
Treat it as an informed starting point and read the sourced comparison, not as a verdict. The score is relative to this comparison only, so it means nothing across categories, and it carries no price, star rating or review count. Every specification behind it is sourced and checked; the score on top of them is opinion.
Frequently asked questions
What actually matters when choosing a portable photo printer?
The print technology and the print size, in that order. Dye-sublimation gives the most photo-like prints, Instax film gives the instant-film look, and ZINK gives cheap sticky-back prints. Size then decides whether the prints suit a frame (4x6) or a wallet (card size and 2x3).
Why does a ZINK printer claim a higher dpi than a dye-sub printer?
ZINK printers quote two figures, like 313 × 512 dpi, and the bigger one is only one axis. The sheet lists the lower figure. Dye-sub at 300 dpi still looks smoother, because it lays down continuous tone instead of activating color crystals in the paper.
Which photo printers can run without a wall socket?
Fourteen of the 18 in this sheet have a built-in battery. The four that need mains power are all 4x6 printers: the Canon SELPHY CP1500 (an optional battery is sold separately), the HP Sprocket Studio Plus, and the Kodak Dock Plus and Dock & Wi-Fi.
Is the print size the same as the picture size?
Not for Instax. The sheet lists the full film sheet, and the white border takes a big share of it: Fujifilm lists a 62 × 46 mm image on a Mini sheet. Dye-sub and ZINK printers can print borderless, so the paper size is close to the picture size.
Do I need Wi-Fi on a photo printer?
Rarely. Bluetooth pairing is simpler for a phone, and 14 of the 18 printers here use it. Wi-Fi earns its place on the Canon SELPHY CP1500, which can also print from an SD card or over USB-C without a phone.