The best portable printers for 2024

A portable printer could appear to be an anachronism in a world the place you possibly can immediately share digital images and paperwork around the globe in seconds, however there’s nonetheless advantage in having a bodily copy. Sometimes a authorized doc requires a bodily signature, or a much less tech savvy member of the family wants an image out of your wedding ceremony. Inevitably these requests come on the most inopportune time, both while you’re touring, or don’t have a everlasting workplace in which you’ll be able to stash a full sized printer. The best portable printers will help you accommodate these requests, and plenty of are sufficiently small that you would be able to really take them on trip with you if needed.

How we selected the best portable printers

Our portable printer suggestions are primarily based on a mixture of hands-on testing and analysis. We evaluated printers on their general measurement and whether or not they had been designed for mixed-use (printing something) or a selected use case (printing images). You’ll have to just accept the constraints of portable printers—slower print speeds and restricted web page measurement assist chief amongst them—however these downsides are mitigated by how handy they’re to make use of. Our suggestions assist wi-fi printing (essential function for any printer so far as we’re involved), and there’s even a mannequin that may print and scan paperwork and images.

The best portable printers: Reviews & Recommendations

There’s nothing just like the tactile really feel of printed images, whether or not you want them for work, like enjoying human photobooth at a celebration, or simply need to share trip shoots rapidly. Prepared to print from areas each close to and much? These portable printers cowl a variety of use circumstances and value factors.

Best general: Canon PIXMA TR150

Specs

• Size: 7.3 x 12.7 x 2.6 inches
• Weight: 4.5 kilos
• Battery energy: Yes (Optionally)
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB

Pros

• Full-sized prints
• Can run on battery energy
• Durable design

Cons

If you want a fully-featured printer in a compact package deal, you received’t discover a higher possibility than Canon’s PIXMA TR150. The printer, which we’ve examined ourselves, checks all the appropriate packing containers: It can run on battery energy (a battery is bought individually), create full-sized prints, and is straightforward to arrange and use. Plus, the printer was so small we really packed it on a protracted journey overseas, the place it survived a visit inside a checked bag. While its small display screen is much less subtle than those we’re used to on full-sized printers, it was nonetheless completely serviceable. We might nonetheless use the bodily buttons subsequent to it to punch in our Wi-Fi password, and the show confirmed the state of our prints clearly.

When printing paperwork—each grayscale and shade—the TR150 was indistinguishable from any full-sized printer we’ve tried. When printing images, although, the TR150 struggled to seize the vivid colours from a scene. Plus, it runs on small ink cartridges as an alternative of ink tanks—which is regular for portable printers—so that you’ll have to interchange them with higher frequency. You’ll must make this tradeoff when utilizing a “full-sized” portable printer. If this limitation doesn’t hassle you, there’s no purpose to cross over the Canon TR150.

Best splurge: HP OfficeJet 250

Specs

• Size: 14.96 x 7.8 x 3.6 inches
• Weight: ‎6.51 kilos
• Battery energy: Yes
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, USB

Pros

• All-in-printer
• Print measurement legend
• Color contact display screen

Cons

• Not as portable as different suggestions

If you may get over its $400 price ticket, you received’t discover a extra feature-complete portable printer than HP’s OfficeJet 250. The portable printer is a very compact model of a full-sized mannequin from HP. It can create 8.5 x 11-inch prints, has a bigger shade contact display screen, and markers that help you match different-sized sheets of paper into it rapidly. The OfficeJet 250 can also be the one all-in-one portable printer we’re recommending, which suggests it may be used to scan and replica paperwork along with printing.

All of those options put the OfficeJet 250 in a league of its personal in comparison with different portable printers—you possibly can even use Amazon’s Alexa to provoke prints—however it’s additionally the biggest mannequin we’re recommending. It’s not a lot greater than Canon’s TR150, however nonetheless substantial. This printer could be best for a smaller residence workplace moderately than packing with you to maneuver from place to position. That stated, it could actually run on an inside battery if you happen to select to take it with you. If you’ve wished an all-in-one printer however have restricted desk area, HP’s OfficeJet 250 is value its excessive value.

Best for images: HP Sprocket Studio Plus

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Specs

• Size: 5.45 x 8.5 x 3.9 inches
• Weight: 3 kilos
• Battery energy: No
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi

Pros

• Impressive print high quality
• Clever compact design
• Fast prints

Cons

We selected HP’s Sprocket Studio Plus because the best portable photograph printer and stand by that suggestion right here. The Studio Plus’ design feels effectively thought out, particularly its print tray, which sits on high of the printer after which attaches to the entrance with a satisfying click on while you’re able to print. A trio of LEDs on its entrance facet point out whether or not it’s powered on, linked to Wi-Fi, and encountered an issue when printing. All three features are useful to see at a look.

Setting up and managing the printer requires HP’s Sprocket App, which is obtainable on iOS and Android. Once put in, it’ll discover and join your machine to the printer over Wi-Fi. You have the choice to offer the Sprocket app entry to your total photograph library or a number of your favourite pictures. Printing on the Sprocket Studio Plus is refreshingly simple. You’ll start by inserting the included photograph paper contained in the printer’s print tray and clicking it in entrance of the printer’s physique. Then, choose a photograph from the Sprocket app and hit print. The printer will come out a 4×6 in below a minute.

The Sprocket Studio Plus’ compact measurement is its greatest energy—It’s simple to take the photograph printer to a celebration and have individuals ship prints to it as mementos, however you can be restricted to 4×6 prints. That’s a standard measurement for images, and the Sprocket Studio Plus is straightforward to stash in a bag while you go on a visit, however you received’t have the choice to print an 8 x 10. That’s not a dealbreaker, and we are able to nonetheless extremely advocate choosing one up.

It’s additionally value noting that it is a dye sublimation printer, so the prints received’t smudge if you happen to decide them up as quickly as they’re finished. It doesn’t use conventional ink.

Best battery-powered: HP Sprocket Panorama

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Specs

• Size: 5.5 x 3.25 x 3.13 inches
• Weight: 1 pound
• Battery energy: Yes
• Connectivity: Bluetooth

Pros

• Solid shade replica
• Wide facet ratio
• Bluetooth connectivity

Cons

HP’s Sprocket Panorama has a lot of the options we appreciated about Studio Plus however in a considerably smaller type issue. Setting up the Sprocket Panorama requires downloading the HP Sprocket app, permitting you to pair the printer along with your iOS or Android machine over Bluetooth. Bluetooth means that you can print to the battery-powered Sprocket Panorama wherever, not simply when linked to a Wi-Fi community. This function is likely one of the important causes we’ve chosen Sprocket Panorama because the best battery-powered portable printer. The different purpose is that you would be able to match this printer in a small bag—and even cargo shorts pocket.

The huge tradeoff of selecting an ultra-portable printer is the scale of your prints. You’ll find yourself with a photograph that’s simply two inches large, which suggests you’ll see lots much less element in comparison with a bigger mains-powered printer. True to its identify, you possibly can print a photograph that’s 9 inches large. Though our images had been small, we had been happy with how effectively the Sprocket Panorama’s prints regarded, particularly the vibrancy of the colours, and there was no denying how cool it regarded for it to slowly come out of its entrance slot. It regarded like a tongue starting to stay out, and slicing the photograph with a bodily button on high of the printer was additionally enjoyable. The period of time it took to create a print trusted its measurement, however all of our prints took below a minute from begin to end.

If you are taking numerous panoramas, this portable printer’s greatest downside received’t matter a lot. One function the Sprocket Panorama shares with the bigger Studio Plus is using zero ink know-how, which suggests you possibly can deal with its prints instantly with out the chance of smudging.

Best price range: KODAK Step Wireless Mobile Photo Mini Color Printer

Specs

• Size: 3 x 5 x 1 inches
• Weight: .55 kilos
• Battery energy: Yes
• Connectivity: Bluetooth

Pros

• Ultra-portable
• Battery powered
• Bluetooth connectivity

Cons

If you’d like the liberty to print your images wherever however don’t need to spend greater than $70, Kodak’s Step is the appropriate portable printer for you. The pocket-friendly battery-powered printer connects to your smartphone by way of Bluetooth utilizing Kodak’s iOS or Android app and might spit out as much as 30 2- x 3-inch prints on a single cost. The Step makes use of the identical zero inc know-how as HP’s portable printers, which suggests you possibly can contact your prints instantly with out the chance of them getting ruined. Our solely criticism with this portable printer is that it must be recharged utilizing a MicroUSB cable moderately than USB-C. This means you’ll probably must carry a further wire with you, which could be a little annoying if you happen to’re taking it on trip. That doesn’t affect the Kodak Step’s efficiency, so it may be simply forgiven.

There are many elements to contemplate when deciding which portable printer is true for you. Below are the elements we thought-about most necessary when scripting this information:

Size

The phrase “portable” is finally subjective. Still, our largest suggestion is simply over a foot lengthy (that is needed for making full 8.5- x 11-inch prints), below eight inches deep, and below 4 inches tall. This is remarkably small for a totally featured all-in-one printer, which may simply be two to 3 occasions deeper and taller. Our smaller printer is below 5 inches deep, three inches large, and one inch tall, which is virtually pocket-friendly.

Weight

If you’re going to be taking your portable printer out of the home, weight is a crucial issue to bear in mind when selecting the best one for you. Our heaviest portable printer suggestion clocks in at six and a half kilos, whereas the lightest is simply over half a pound.

Battery energy

Some of our portable printers can run off a battery, that means they’re portable moderately than simply bodily small. This is a neat function, however you should bear in mind to maintain the battery charged for it to work. We’d advocate protecting an influence cable round, simply in case.

Connectivity choices

All of our portable printer suggestions assist wi-fi printing over both Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Many of the printers above will also be linked to a pc utilizing a USB cable if you happen to’d desire.

FAQs

Final ideas on the best portable printers

Portable printers have come a good distance over time, because of the miniaturization of technical elements, enhancements in battery know-how, and the rise of wi-fi tech equipment. You can simply get a mannequin that fits your printing wants, area necessities, and price range. Portable printers are so good we are able to even advocate changing an growing older full-sized mannequin with considered one of our higher-end suggestions for the sake of clearing off an enormous chunk of your desk.

Why belief us

Popular Science began writing about know-how greater than 150 years in the past. There was no such factor as “gadget writing” after we printed our first subject in 1872, but when there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for on a regular basis readers means we’d have been throughout it. Here within the current, PopSci is totally dedicated to serving to readers navigate the more and more intimidating array of units in the marketplace proper now.

Our writers and editors have mixed a long time of expertise masking and reviewing client electronics. We every have our personal obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video video games to cameras and past—however after we’re reviewing units outdoors of our instant wheelhouses, we do our best to hunt out reliable voices and opinions to assist information individuals to the very best suggestions. We know we don’t know all the pieces, however we’re excited to dwell by way of the evaluation paralysis that web purchasing can spur so readers don’t need to.