The Best Portable iPhone Photo Printers in 2023

10 Jun 2022, by Lydia Kah-Pavlou, min. read

Portable iPhone printers have become more and more popular over the years since iPhone cameras have become more powerful and started to replace the need for traditional cameras. For many people, having a physical copy of a photo is much better than just a digital copy, especially for those who are sentimental and like to keep memories of important events around their house.

While iPhone cameras are great, it can often be tricky to get those photos off your phone or social media and as a physical copy. Printing them from a standard printer often isn’t great quality, or will blow up your image to be way too big, so this is where mini iPhone printers come in.

With a mini printer, you can easily print out all of your photos straight from your phone or social media and mini iPhone printers are small and lightweight and easy for carrying while you’re travelling. This means that wherever you are you can easily capture and print your memories with ease.

Types of portable printers for iPhones

There are three types of printing technologies, so when you’re looking at printers for iPhones you’ll want to check which one you’re buying.

These are:

Zink photo paper — these printers are pretty standard and won’t have the best quality ever, but will do the job that you need and they’re the cheapest to buy.

Dye sublimation — this is a better quality type of printer over Zink printers and uses heat to transfer the dye to the printing paper ensuring better quality and longer-lasting photos.

Instant film — much like a camera would, mini iPhone printers that use instant film will print your photos onto instant film.

Best portable printers for iPhones 2023

1. Instax Mini Link Printer in Dusky Pink — Skinnydip, £109.99

The Instax Mini Link Printer by Fujifilm is the ideal printer for your phone. If you’re a fan of Instax Mini polaroid cameras, you’ll know that you can use the retro style cameras to print out instant polaroids. But what if you’ve already got photos you’ve taken on your phone that you love and wish were polaroids, or you don’t like the idea of having to carry a camera around with you? Well, that’s why the Instax Mini Link Printer was born.

There are loads of customisation options, giving you the option to sketch and draw on your photos, collage print, frame print and print out your photos or stills from your videos in 12 seconds. You’ll also be able to print 100 photos on a single charge, so it’s a great travel companion.

This is a really fun printer allowing you to completely customise your photos with overlays, text and filters before printing them out into tiny polaroid style images and it’s the perfect alternative to a Fujifilm polaroid camera.

Specifications:

Paper type: Instax Mini Film
Approx paper cost: £14.05 for 20 sheets (70p per print)
Print size: 2.1 x 3.4 inch / 54 x 86 mm
Image size: 1.8 x 2.4 inch / 62 x 46 mm
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Weight: 209g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: Dusky Pink, Dark Denim or Ash White

Pros

It prints quickly, photos are printed in 12 seconds
You can customise and edit your photos with text and filters
Perfect alternative to popular Fujifilm polaroid cameras
Long battery life, allowing you to print up to 100 prints on one charge

Cons

Photos are quite small
More expensive to buy film

Get a student discount at Skinnydip

2. CANON Imprimante Selphy Square QX10 — Amazon, from £139.99

The CANON Selphy Square QX10 is an easy way to print out perfectly square images. Using Dye-Sublimination technology you’ll get vibrant and rich high-quality images with the colours deeply embedded, with details that will last for up to 100 years. Your prints will be dry as soon as they’re printed, and ready to hang up and display straight away.

This is a compact printer that’s easy to carry around with you, and it is battery operated and charged via USB, giving you up to 20 prints from a single charge. If you want to edit your photos before they’re printed, you can text, filters and overlays via the SELPHY Photo Layout app, to really personalise your images.

Best of all, the wifi connectivity means that you can take it anywhere and there are four colours to choose from, to best reflect your personality.

Specifications:

Paper type: Canon sticker paper (dye sub)
Approx paper cost: £14.99 for 20 sheets (75p per print)
Print size: 2.8 x 3.3 inch / 7.2 x 8.5cm
Image size: 2.7 x 2.7 inch / 6.8 x 6.8cm
Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi
Weight: 445g
Battery: Rechargeable Canon battery
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: White, Black, Pink or Mint

Pros

4 colours to choose from
Can edit your photos before they’re printed
Photos will last for up to 100 years without fading
Small and lightweight

Cons

Can only print up to 20 prints per single charge, which isn’t as impressive as other mini iPhone printers
More expensive than other mini iPhone printers on this list

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

3. Kodak P210R Mini 2 Retro Instant Photo Printer — Amazon, £119.99

The KODAK Mini 2 Retro is an iPhone printer that’s both affordable and easy to use. If you want retro-style prints, you’ll be able to transform your iPhone photos straight into both borderless and bordered photos to keep forever. Your photos will be printed with a laminating process preventing fingerprints and making them water-resistant for long-lasting quality, and the compact printer size is perfect for travelling.

You can download the KODAK Photo Printer app to your phone to add features like filters and frames, from funny filters to presets to make landscapes more aesthetically pleasing. The laminated prints promise to last up to 100 years with vibrant image quality for retro and affordable printing.

Specifications:

Paper type: Inkjet KODAK cartridge (Zink)
Approx paper cost: £12.99 for 20 sheets (64p per print)
Print size: 2.1 x 3.4 inch
Image size: 4 x 6 inch
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Weight: 700g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: White, Black or Yellow

Pros

Photos last for up to 100 years
Photos can be edited before printing
Can print bordered and borderless photos

Cons

Some reviews mention that the image quality could be better

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

4. Polaroid 9046 — Amazon, £89.99

The Polaroid 9046 is a simple mini iPhone printer that uses Dye-Sublimination technology to create high quality and vibrant photos in under 50 seconds. This is a really small mini iPhone printer, that will print wirelessly via Bluetooth when connected to the Polaroid Hi-Print Mobile App.

The images will be 2×3 business card size prints, and you’ll be able to edit your images with frames, filters and text before you print them out, including retro-style filters that you’d associate with traditional polaroid cameras.

Specifications:

Paper type: Polaroid Premium Zink Paper
Approx paper cost: £12.99 for 20 sheets (64p per print)
Print size: 2 x 3 inch
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Weight: 260g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: White

Pros

Cheap and affordable
Photo editing and customisation options

Cons

Photo paper not included

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

5. Lifeprint Ultra Slim Printer — Amazon, £98

The Lifeprint Ultra Slim Printer will make your photos come to life, printing Augmented Reality Hyperphotos with vibrant and long-lasting colour. The Lifeprint Ultra Slim differs from other mini iPhone printers, as it’s the world’s first shareable photo printer, meaning that you can easily connect with your friends and share photos directly to their Lifeprint printers, regardless of distance.

Another benefit is how easy it is to print photos straight from social media, with Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Apple Live Photos and GIFs all easily printed out. You can also edit your photos in the full photo editing suite, by adding text, memes, filters and stickers and will be able to print 40 photos from a single charge.

Specifications:

Paper type: Zink paper
Approx paper cost: £19.95 for 30 sheets (66p per print)
Print size: 2 x 3 inch
Connectivity: USB, Bluetooth
Weight: 247g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: White

Pros

Small, portable and lightweight
Shareable photo printer, you can connect and send photos to your friends easily

Cons

Printing paper is quite expensive

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

6. KODAK PM 210 — Amazon, £129.99

The easy print technology makes the KODAK mini iPhone printer a great option for printing out all of your photos super quickly. You can connect to iPhone, iPad or Android devices to print and the dye transfer method ensures that your photos will stay bright and vibrant for up to 10 years.

The KODAK app will also allow you to edit your photos with filters and borders, easily allowing you to print out your photos or video stills. This is a small and lightweight mini printer and an all-around great option for travelling and printing out your memories quickly.

Specifications:

Paper type: KODAK Zink cartridge
Approx paper cost: £16.56 for 20 sheets (82p per print)
Print size: 2.1 x 3.4 inch
Connectivity: Wifi
Weight: 238g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: Black, White or Gold

Pros

You can edit your photos via the KODAK app
Vibrant photos lasting up to 10 years

Cons

Cartridges don’t last long
Printing paper is expensive

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

7. HP Sprocket Portable Photo Printer — Amazon, £89.99

The HP Sprocket Portable iPhone printer is an affordable option that has a whole range of fun features to print and personalise your photos. You’ll be able to print up to 35 prints on a single charge, and if you download the HP Sprocket App you can create customised snapshots using filters, borders, stickers and emojis to customise your photos.

Another benefit of the HP Sprocket is that when you upload photos to social media if you hashtag them you’ll easily be able to find and print them and the printing paper is sticky, meaning if you choose to peel off the back you can easily decorate your notebooks, laptop or bedroom.

You can also easily invite your friends and family to connect to the printer, and personalised LED lights will let you know who it is that’s printing.

Specifications:

Paper type: HP Zink photo paper
Approx paper cost: £10 for 20 sheets (50p per print)
Print size: 5.8 x 8.6 inch
Image size: 2 x 3 inch
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Weight: 204g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: Lunar Pearl, Black Noir, Blush Pink, Lilac

Pros

Easy to share the printer and connect with friends
Can customise photos
Sticky back photos

Cons

Crops your images slightly

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

8. Polaroid Mint Pocket Printer — Amazon, £119.99

The Polaroid Mint Pocket Printer uses innovative zero ink technology to print your photos, and the Zink cartridges combine paper and ink all in one. You’ll be able to access expert photo editing tools, from adjusting the contrast or brightness to adding stickers and filters.

You can also doodle or scribble on your photos, or add colourful borders to create something different for decorating your room or pinboard.

The photos you print have a sticky back if you choose to peel off the adhesive, making them ideal for sticking to notebooks or your laptop. You’ll also get up to 50 prints from a single charge and can choose from 5 vibrant printer colours, promising vibrant and long-lasting prints.

Specifications:

Paper type: Zink Polaroid Paper
Approx paper cost: £12.99 for 30 sheets (43p per print)
Print size: 2 x 3 inch
Connectivity: Bluetooth
Weight: 162g
Battery: 1 x Lithium-ion
Compatibility: iOS/Android
Available colours: White, Black, Yellow, Blue, Red

Pros

Sticky back photos
Good customisation tools

Cons

More expensive than other mini iPhone printers
Battery life could be better

Get a student discount at Amazon Prime

How to print 2 x 3 photo from iPhone

If you’re using a mini iPhone printer, you should be able to print a 2 x 3 photo from the external app that is associated with your printer. However, you can also do it directly from the Photos app on your iPhone. Simply, find the photo you want to print and click share and then print, to select the printer you want to print from.

Printing from your iPhone using a standard printer won’t allow you to print 2 x 3 photos, so you’ll need your mini printer to be able to do this hassle-free.

Can you print good quality photos from iPhone?

Yes! iPhones have amazing cameras and the camera quality can definitely be captured via printing. This all depends on what printer you’re using as well as the printer paper and the size you’re printing in, but investing in a good quality mini iPhone printer can help to ensure this.

Are mini printers worth it?

This depends on how much you think you’d use a mini iPhone printer if you had one. If you like to print photos and have a physical copy, like to scrapbook or want to decorate your bedroom, mini iPhone printers can be a great idea. As phone cameras have pretty much replaced the need for traditional cameras, many people do miss the aspect of being able to get your camera photos developed or printed, but if you do like to have a physical copy it’s definitely worth investing in a mini printer to take with you while you’re out and about.