Best photo printer for iPhone 2023: print your memories in style
Mobile phones can capture all of life’s precious moments, it has never been easier to make and share memories. However, digital photos don’t hold the same charm that printed photos do, and that’s where the best photo printer for iPhone comes into play. The best printer will bring your favorite memories to life, and best of all, there are endless choices out there.
Whether you want to create frame-worthy family portraits, stunning vacation prints, or personalized gifts for your friends, you’ll find the right photo printer for you. Below, we take you on a trip through the best photo printers for iPhone on the market, exploring their features, pros, and cons. If you want to start your iPhone photography journey, follow along!
Products at a Glance
How we choose the best photo printer for iPhone
When choosing a photo printer for iPhone, customers usually prioritize portability because they need to print photos right after taking them. They also look for premium photo quality, user-friendliness, and a budget-friendly price.
To choose the best iPhone photo printer, we looked for models that combine all of the above features. We also prioritized printers with innovative editing apps that let you enhance your photos with filters and doodles and create collages.
In our list, you’ll find different printers that fit every budget and satisfy every need!
Best photo printer for iPhone 2023: print your memories in style
- Compact and lightweight
- Excellent editing application
- Protective case available
- Available in three colors
- The package doesn’t include film
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 is an impressive photo printer on all grounds. It’s lightweight, at only 0.46 pounds, and compact enough to fit into your pocket while outside. As a bonus, it boasts a minimalistic elegant design and comes in three colors, soft pink, clay white, and space blue.
The printer connects to your iPhone through Bluetooth, and you can start printing photos from it seconds after it’s connected. To give you photo editing features, Fujifilm provides an app called Instax Mini Link that you can download on your mobile. Once downloaded, you can use it to resize, crop, apply filters, or doodle your photos.
For more convenience, a protective case is available for the Instax printer, but you have to pay extra for it. It’s useful if you often go hiking or on outdoor adventures with your printer and fear it might fall or get scratched.
Compared to other photo printers, the Fujifilm comes with a reasonable price tag. The package includes the printer, a USB cable for charging, and a one-year limited warranty that you can use if your product has any manufacturing defects.
The only setback we associate with this printer is that it doesn’t come with film. Instead, you have to buy it separately for extra money. It’s also only compatible with Instax Mini Instant Film, which is 2 x 3 inches.
- Three photo finishes are available
- Optional battery included
- Long-lasting, premium-quality photos
- Innovative companion app
- Heavy for its class
With the Canon Selphy CP1500 photo printer, you can print vivid glossy photos from anywhere in the world. It’s one of the most versatile printers we’ve come across with its three photo finishing options, which are glossy, semi-gloss, and satin.
The printer has compact dimensions and a sturdy battery to boost its portability. It features a battery that can print up to 54 photos per single charge.
The Canon printer connects to your iPhone through WiFi, AirPrint, or a simple USB cable, and it comes with a companion app to make your life easier. Using the Selphy Photo Layout app, you can edit, crop, or resize your photos before printing. In addition to the app, the printer has a display where you can view and edit your photos without using your phone.
Besides all the above, the standout feature of this printer is that it utilizes a dry-sublimation printing method, which ensures the photos come out dry and water-resistant. This method extends photos’ lifespans and ensures the memories you hold dear remain alive for a long time.
Still, the Canon Selphy doesn’t come without cons. Compared to other photo printers, it’s a bit heavy and bulky to fit into your pocket. But if you’re carrying a handbag, it’ll be your best friend on your upcoming trip!
- Excellent editing options
- Ready-to-stick prints
- Water-resistant and smudge-proof photos
- Premium-quality, vivid prints
- Some colors come out darker than they are
The Polaroid ZIP photo printer proves ideal for creative folks, as it provides superb editing features through its companion app. Not only can you crop and rotate any photo, but you can also adjust its brightness, temperature, contrast, blurriness, and more. It’s like having a mobile version of Photoshop in your hands!
The printer uses an innovative Zero-Ink (ZINK) printing technology that produces impressively vivid prints. You’ll feel as though you can reach inside the photo. As a bonus, the prints are resistant to water damage, tears, and smudges.
You can connect the Polaroid printer to your iPhone through Bluetooth with no internet needed. Once connected, you can print up to 25 photos per single battery charge. After that, you’ll need to charge the battery again.
As a bonus, Polaroid photos come with sticky backs, so right after you print your favorite memory, you can stick it on your laptop, wall, fridge, or any surface you want. More so, the printer is compact, lightweight, and boasts an elegant design.
The only issue we encountered with this printer is that some colors come out darker than they’re supposed to be. However, it isn’t a deal-breaker, as you can fix it by editing the photo before printing.
- Augmented reality feature
- High-quality, tear-resistant prints
- Excellent portability
- Sticky prints
- The companion app is a bit outdated
- Pricier than many other competent options
The Lifeprint 3 x 4.5 photo printer gives competitors a run for their money with its superb augmented reality feature. It lets you print live photos with ease. Then, when you want to bring the moment to life, all you need to do is open your iPhone’s camera and point it to your photo, and voilà! The elements inside will start moving as though it’s a photo in The Daily Prophet.
The printer can connect to your phone through WiFi or Bluetooth, and once connected, you can print in a few seconds. The resulting prints feature sticky backs and are high-quality enough to last many years with you without tearing.
For better portability, the Lifeprint printer features a battery that can produce up to 25 prints before dying. This way, you won’t have to carry the charger everywhere. Also, it boasts a compact and lightweight design that can fit inside most handbags and backpacks.
Like most iPhone photo printers, this printer comes with a companion app where you can view and edit your photos before printing. While it isn’t as advanced as other options, it’s still decent enough for on-the-go editing.
Unfortunately, since life isn’t all pink, the Lifeprint 3 x 4.5 printer comes with a hefty price tag that might not suit every budget out there.
- Affordable and feature-packed
- Compact and lightweight
- Fast printing speed
- Free companion app
- Printed photos are small
If you’re on a limited budget, you’ll love what the Kodak Step photo printer has to offer in exchange for its reasonable price. The printer can connect to your iPhone through Bluetooth. As a bonus, it’s also compatible with Android, so the entire family can use it even if they don’t all have iPhones.
The Kodak printer comes with a free companion app that you can use to edit your photos, create collages, add stickers, and more. After you finish, the printer will give you your photo in less than 60 seconds.
Best of all, it utilizes Zero-Ink technology that delivers premium-quality photos with remarkable resistance to water damage and smudges. Kodak paper also has a protective coating that boosts its durability. However, the printer doesn’t print any photos larger than 2 x 3 inches, which might be too small for some people.
Since the printer weighs less than a pound and has compact dimensions, you can fit it in your bag or even your pocket and take it on any outdoor adventure you want. It also features a rechargeable battery that can last for up to 25 prints per charge.
To appeal to all tastes, the Kodak printer comes in four colors: white, black, pink, and blue. You can either buy it on its own or get a bundle that includes printing paper, which is more cost-efficient.
Most efficient photo printer for iPhone: Canon IVY
While the Canon IVY isn’t the most affordable printer on our list, it comes with budget-friendly running costs that can help you save money in the long run. It utilizes Zero-Ink technology for printing, giving you high-quality prints on small photos and decent-quality prints on large photos.
The printer connects to your iPhone through Bluetooth and comes with a companion app called Canon Mini Print. Through it, you can view and customize your photos before printing. It includes a drawing tool, a collage maker, and colorful filters to make your photos even more memorable.
One of the Canon printer’s best features is its sleek design and compact size. You can fit it in your pocket or your bag easily while outside the house. It produces 2 x 3-inch photos, which breeds better color quality but might be too small for some people.
The printer is available alone and in packages that include printing paper, which is more money-saving than buying it on its own. There are bundles that include 20, 50, and 100 sheets, and you’re free to choose according to your use.
The only setback that the Canon IVY has is its color inaccuracy. Some colors turn out darker than usual, which is expected with zero-ink printing but still worth mentioning.
Best iPhone photo printer: features and considerations
To buy the right photo printer for you, there are a few features you should consider before making the purchase. Here’s a brief roundup of them.
Portability
Being able to print photos from your iPhone while on the go is a luxury that lets you create unforgettable memories. That’s why it’s important to prioritize portability while choosing a mobile photo printer. You don’t want to get a printer only to find later on that it isn’t convenient to carry around.
While most of the models on the market are portable, some are heavier and bulkier than others, which doesn’t appeal to all people.
Battery Life
Since iPhone photo printers are meant to be used on outdoor adventures and vacation trips, they should come with decent batteries that don’t need to be charged every few prints. The reasonable range that you should look for is a battery that can print from 25 to 50 photos per charge. Any less than this number, and you’ll have to use your charger more than is convenient.
Print Speed
iPhone photo printers aren’t known for their superb printing speed, but it’s still an important feature to consider. You don’t want to wait for a few minutes for a single photo to come out. Ideally, you should get a printer with a speed of around 1 ppm for maximum convenience.
Print Quality
People print photos from iPhones to keep a dear memory cherished forever, so the resulting print should be high-quality enough to last many years without fading or tearing. For the best results, you should prioritize a printer with photos that are resistant to water, smudging, and tears.
Some brands, like Kodak, manufacture photos with a protective coating to boost their resistance, which extends their lifespans. Features like this one contribute to overall better print quality, so you should look for them while shopping for your printer.
Blank Photos Cost
Most iPhone photo printers don’t come with blank photos, so you’ll need to buy them separately. On top of that, most brands manufacture their printers so that they only print on their photos, not other brands.
Now, this feature can make or break your shopping deal because some brands are more expensive than others. As a result, having to buy from them each time your photos run out might be inconvenient. Meanwhile, some brands manufacture reasonably-priced blank photos, which is better for your bank account in the long run.
Photo Size
iPhone printers often produce photos from 2 x 3 inches to 3 x 4.5 inches, with a few exceptions that print larger photos. While these are all reasonable numbers for memory printing, some people prefer larger photos with more vivid details. If you relate, you’ll need to keep this feature in mind while shopping for a printer.
That said, it’s important to note that if your iPhone isn’t new and features a low megapixel count, large photos might turn out a bit fuzzy. So, consider the model of your iPhone before deciding on the photo size you need.
Is zero-ink or dye-sublimation printing better?
Zero-ink printing depends on chemical-treated paper that shows colors when heated, while dye-sublimation printing includes passing ink on paper multiple times till it’s printed.
Dye-sublimation produces higher-quality prints, while zero-ink is more affordable, so it depends on your personal preference.
What resolution should I look for while shopping for an iPhone photo printer?
Most iPhone photo printers come with 280-320 dpi resolution. Ideally, you should look for a printer with 300 dpi or more for high-quality pictures.
Are all photo printers compatible with both iOS and Android?
No, not all of them. Some portable printers are only compatible with Android and can’t connect to iPhones, so you need to check this point before making your purchase.
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for a reliable photo printer for the iPhone, here’s our verdict regarding the top picks on the market. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 currently stands as the best printer on the market because it combines affordability, superb performance, and innovative editing features.
The Canon Selphy CP1500 comes a close second with premium printing quality, especially on glossy paper. However, it’s less portable than the Fujifilm because it’s slightly heavier and bulkier.
Finally, the Kodak Step is a decent choice if you want to save a few bucks and enjoy reliable and fast printing.