The best portable printer in 2022: turn your smartphone into an instant camera!

The best portable printers can turn your smartphone into an instant camera! Instead of sending digital images to your friends and family the boring way, you can turn them into permanent physical keepsakes as on-the-spot momentos or souvenirs.

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Portable printers are ideal for weddings, parties, social gatherings, evenings out, or any kind of event where you get your phone out to take pictures. Usually, you then have to text or email or WhatsApp them to your friends – if you remember – and somehow the moment is gone. But with a portable printer you can give people a permanent keepsake.

+Excellent print quality+Long-lasting prints+Extremely portable-Prints are relatively costly

Canon aims its sights squarely at Instagrammers with its latest flashy portable printer, the Selphy Square QX10, which produces a printed image in a 6.8cm x 6.8cm square format. (Yes, we know that Instagram doesn't make you upload photos in square format any more... we won't tell them if you don't). The prints, which come in a brand new XS-20L pack, are rated to last more than 100 years if stored responsibly, and come with a smudge-proof, water-protected coating. Not bad for something that's produced in as little 43 seconds! The QX10 is also small enough to fit in a handbag, making it perfect for travel and parties, and thanks to its pro-quality dye-sub technology, its prints will look really great.

Read more: Canon Selphy Square QX10 printer

Kodak's Mini 2 uses all-in-one dye sub paper and ink packs, and simple NFC or Bluetooth communicationPaper type: Kodak Cartridge Printer Paper & Dye sublimation cartridgeApprox paper cost: £34.99 / $38 for 50 sheets (about 70p / 76c per print)Print size: 5.33 x 8.63 cmConnectivity: NFC, BluetoothPrinter weight: 322gBattery: 1 x Lithium PolymerCompatibility: iOS/AndroidAvailable colors: Black, blue, pink, white or purple+ Fast connectivity with NFC + Excellent quality - All-in-one cartridges - App can be unreliable

The handy Kodak app for Android makes this printer a breeze to use (though some report it can be a little unreliable and prone to crashing). Make use of the Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities of this printer and enjoy printing in seconds, and it’s compatible with both iOS and Android via the Bluetooth connection. The prints the Mini 2 produces are first-rate, making use of Kodak’s all-in-one ink-and-paper cartridges for convenience and ease of use It uses 4Pass printing technology, also known as dye sublimation, to make its images, resulting in unmatched quality. The free app also provides access to loads of editing functionality, allowing you to tweak and filter your images to your satisfaction before hitting the print button.

Another Zink 3"x2" printer that offers both style and value. And yes, it is 'Mint' not 'Mini'Paper type: ZinkApprox paper cost: £12.99 / $12.99 for 30 sheets (about 43p / 43c per print)Print size: 2 x 3 in (5.08 x 7.62 cm)Connectivity: BluetoothPrinter weight: 162gBattery: 1 x lithium-IonCompatibility: iOS/AndroidAvailable colors: Black, blue, red, white or yellow+Cheap to buy and run+Choice of colors+Pre-print customization options-Frequently needs recharging

You’d expect a mini-printer from Polaroid to do the business well, and the Mint Pocket Printer doesn’t disappoint. Available in a range of stylish colours and portable enough to take everywhere, it uses Zink paper to produce colour-rich and detailed prints. It’s easy to load and use, and can be paired quickly and easily with a smartphone thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity.

The Mint Pocket Printer has a generous battery life, however it’s worth noting that the battery runs down quickly on standby (within a couple of weeks), so if you’re using the printer infrequently you’ll likely have to get in the habit of remembering to charge it before you use it. As long as this isn’t an issue, you’ll find this a wonderfully handy portable printer. Use the Polaroid Mint app to make stylish adjustments to your photos, and you’ll find the printer is not only useful but fun to use as well, as a Polaroid should be.

This Zink printer makes adequate rather than great prints, but it's cheap and fuss-freePaper type: Kodak ZinkApprox paper cost: £12.99 / $12.99 for 30 sheets (about 43p / 43c per print)Print size: 2 x 3 inch / 5.08 x 7.62cmImage size: 2 x 3 inch / 5.08 x 7.62cmConnectivity: Bluetooth, micro USBPrinter weight: 453g (without paper)Battery: Rechargeable batteryCompatibility: iOS/AndroidAvailable colors: White or black+Useful app connectivity+Very affordable-Zink quality is average-Micro USB port

Not to be confused with the Kodak Step camera, the Kodak Step printer is a quick and simple Zink printer for bringing smartphone shots into the real world. Connect your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth, and you can use the Kodak Step Prints app to do a quick edit of an image, or add borders and stickers. It's not the printer of the highest quality, but it is very simple and a lot of fun, with Zink paper meaning you don't need to worry about messy ink refills. It's a shame that it only charge via Micro USB, which (as anyone who owned an Android phone a few years ago can attest) is less robust than other connection types. But this capable printer is extremely well-priced, with low running costs, and is fantastic for anyone looking to print on a budget.

This instax printer is smart, simply and stylish, but the titchy 54 × 86mm prints are more for keepsakes than displayPaper type: Instax Mini FilmApprox paper cost: £14.05 / $15 for 20 sheets (about 70p / 75c per print)Print size:2.1 in × 3.4 in / 54 × 86mmImage size: 1.8 in × 2.4 in / 62x46mmConnectivity: BluetoothPrinter weight: 209gBattery: 1 x Lithium-IonCompatibility: iOS/AndroidAvailable colors: Dark Denim, Dusky Pink and Ash White+Prints in 12 seconds +High-quality, 320 dpi -More expensive per sheet -Small prints

The Instax Mini Link, and the special edition Instax Mini Link SE, makes printing pictures fun – and is a brilliant alternative to using an instant camera. It uses the same film the most popular Instax Mini cameras – but the advantage here is that by taking the pictures with your camera phone, you get more control over your results, and can just print our the edited highlights of your night out!

The app enables you to add borders, fun overlays, and even combine several shots into a montage. And not only can you print directly from your phone, you can also use the Mini Link SE app to print Instax photos from your Nintendo Switch!

The Instax Mini Link is about 20% lighter and 23% smaller than the previous Instax SP-2 – and is undoubtedly one of the most stylish looking portable printers around.Printing on Instax is a little more expensive than some other types of media, particularly as the image size is a pretty miniscule 62x46mm (1.8 in × 2.4 in).

It's actually a hybrid digital instant camera, but it can also print straight from your smartphoneType: Digital instant camera + instant printerSensor size: 4.9MPFilm type: instax MiniApproximate paper cost: £14.05 / $15 for 20 sheets (about 70p / 75c per print)Image size: 1.8 in × 2.4 in / 62x46mmPrint size:2.1 in × 3.4 in / 54 × 86mmLens: 28mm f/2Minimum shooting distance: 10cmFlash: Built-inSelf-timer: YesViewfinder: LCD screenCompatibility: iOS/AndroidColors available: Black/gold, white, or blush+Built-in instant camera, as well as instant printer+Standard Instax Mini film+45-image internal storage-Clunky app -App doesn't edit photos

The Fujifilm instax Mini LiPlay is not marketed specifically as a portable printer – so this one may be easy to miss. Instead it is one of a new breed of hybrid instant cameras – that offer the functionality of an instant camera, a digital camera, and a portable printer in the same device. Unlike standard instant cameras, you therefore have the choice of which pictures you actually print out – as you can look at them on the screen first. But just as usefully, this can be used to print pictures from your smartphone (just like other pocket printers). The camera has a modest 4.9 megapixel sensor - but it does allow you to store up to 45 images internally (or more with a microSD card).

• See other digital instant cameras

Another great Zink printer, and one that actually produces rather good print qualityPaper type: HP ZINK S2 photo paperApprox paper cost: £10 / $10 for 20 sheets (about 50p / 50c per print)Print size: 5.8 x 8.6 cmImage size: 2 x 3 inch / 5 x 7.6cm Connectivity: BluetoothPrinter weight: 204gBattery: 1 x Lithium-IonCompatibility: iOS/Android+Pocket-sized +Beautiful print quality +Prints from video-Slight crop of images

Providing a fantastic balance between portability and quality, the HP Sprocket Plus is a printer that’s small enough to take everywhere with you. It produces fantastically detailed prints on HP Zink S2 photo paper or HP Sprocket Plus Photo Paper, and it’s simplicity itself to set up. Simply load the paper in the back, pair the printer with your phone using the built-in Bluetooth, and you’re away.

The HP Sprocket app is easy to use and offers a multitude of cool features to make printing more fun – one of the most intriguing is “Embedded Experiences”, which lets you print a frame from a video and tag it with details of the people in it or the place it was taken. Once this is done, you can then scan the print with your phone and see it “come to life” in-app, with the video playing and the metadata displayed. It’s a cool little feature.

The prints themselves are gorgeously high-quality, with plenty of detail and rich colours. The vibrant memories you’ll make with this printer will look wonderful on display, and given that it’s the size of a mobile phone, you’ll have no trouble taking it everywhere with you.

This amazing hand-cranked instax printer uses real old-school tech. You'll either love it or think it's madPaper type: Instax Mini FilmApprox paper cost: £14.05 / $15 for 20 sheets (about 70p / 75c per print)Print size: 5.33 x 8.63 cmConnectivity: NoPrinter weight: 404gBattery: NoCompatibility: n/a+ Cheap asking price + No battery required -Requires maximum phone brightness-Uses more expensive film

There’s no charging the Kiipix Portable Mini Printer, nor any need to plug it in. Simply load it with Instax film, place your phone face down on the scanner (with the brightness cranked all the way up – trust us), using the reflective mirror to ensure it’s properly aligned, and then you can manually crank out the prints yourself.

Cheap and cheerful, the Kiipix printer also folds up for easy transportation. It’s cheap asking price makes it more attractive than some of the other printers on this list, though it’s worth noting that it requires the more expensive Instax film to run, meaning it could work out more expensive in the long run if you plan to make lots of prints (though to be fair you’d have to make a lot of prints before approaching the cost of something like the Sprocket Plus).

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