Collin is the B2B Hardware Editor for TechRadar Pro. He has been in journalism for years, with experience in small and large markets, including Gearadical, DailyBeast, FutureNet, and more. You can connect the printer to computers and smartphones through USB or Bluetooth, but since there's no Wi-Fi connectivity, you can't use Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Mopria, and other connection that rely on Wi-Fi.

This miniaturization marvel combines a scanner and full-color inkjet printer in a device that will fit in a travel bag. It also has a small display, an automatic document feed (ADF), Wi-Fi, and a rechargeable battery. This printer uses "dye-sublimation" to transfer layers of color onto a medium. Although it’s a slower process than the technology used in standard inkjet printers, the results are better than what you'll get from regular printers. Start with an old-fashioned fax machine that prints on thermal paper (that is, without ink), throw out the parts that handle faxing, and what you're left with is a basic monochrome printing mechanism. Add your choice of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB connections, a battery, and a driver for your PC's operating system or an app for your mobile device, and you've got a portable, monochrome thermal printer. Portable photo printers are just what the name indicates: printers that are designed to work on battery power and are strictly for churning out snapshots. The key differentiator for these printers is the size of the prints.Thanks to their compact and lightweight designs, you can carry them around using batteries to power them, making them incredibly versatile devices.

Because the printheads are so similar between both types of thermal printers, the output quality is similar as well. The key practical difference between the two types is that you have to buy special paper for the more common thermal printers, but don't need ribbons, while you have to buy ribbons for the thermal wax transfer printers, but don't need special paper. Note that the ribbons retain what amounts to a negative image of anything you print, which means that if you're printing anything meant to be private, you need to be careful where you discard them. Because the label rolls are generally continuous, the time per label depends on the length, and the printers are rated in millimeters (mm) per second or inches per second (ips). Actual speed in our tests is usually slightly slower than the rating, but print time isn't the only factor to consider. This Brady labeler is a typical standalone, handheld label printer for IT and communications wiring. (Credit: Brady) HP has managed to shrink the inkjet printer to the size of a cigar box while adding a battery compartment. The result is a highly portable device that can turn out crisp color documents at a rate of 10 per minute in mono or 7 in color. You can power it from any live USB port, like the one in your car, and an optional rechargeable battery is available. It’s compatible with AirPrint and Google Cloud Print, making it easy to print from your mobile device.CONNECTIONS. Some portable photo printers offer a USB connection and can print from a computer. Most are designed primarily to print wirelessly from phones or tablets using manufacturer-supplied apps. Older models often include Wi-Fi Direct, and also PictBridge, to print from cameras that support it. But for printers that are designed to work with smartphones, Bluetooth is the most common connection method supported. (Credit: Zlata Ivleva) Printers for wallet-size photos are among the most portable printers today, and this Kodak model serves as a prime example of why. One big advantage it has over printers for larger photos is that keeping the photo size to 2 by 3 inches means the chassis can be trimmed down. The Step Instant measures all of 1 by 3 by 5 inches (HWD) and weighs just under a pound. As with much of its competition, it's designed as a phone and tablet accessory, offering Bluetooth and NFC as the only connection options, printing strictly from iOS and Android phones and tablets. If you need moderate or heavy-duty printing, you'll want a printer that's a little faster, and perhaps one that prints from a computer or mobile device. But for light-duty printing, the LW-PX300's wide choice of tapes and affordable price—alone or as part of the LW-PX300VP kit—can make it a compelling choice for small businesses and hobbyists. Quite simply, it will give you lots of label flexibility without having to spend a lot of money to get it. Most fully portable photo printers today offer wallet-size or slightly larger prints, so if you want a 4-by-6-inch picture size, which the Canon Selphy CP1500 offers, you have limited choices. Fortunately that doesn't mean you have to make compromises. The latest in the long-running Selphy line of portables, the CP1500 in particular delivers a solid feature set; drugstore-grade photo quality, courtesy of its dye sub technology; and a reasonably low running cost, at a bit above or below 30 cents per 4-by-6-inch photo. (The cost covers both the paper and required dye rolls.) PRINT TECHNOLOGY. Virtually all portable photo printers use one of three technologies, and inkjet technology, notably, is no longer on the list. (Epson offers an inkjet for photos up to 5 by 7 inches, but it doesn't qualify as "fully portable" by our definition for this roundup, since it works only with AC power.) (Credit: Zlata Ivleva)

The Canon Pixma TR150 Wireless Portable Printer is one of the most portable and most capable inkjet printers available. Just 4.5 pounds without its optional battery, or 5.1 pounds with it, it's smaller and lighter than its closest competition, if only by a small amount in most cases, and it delivers equal or better performance. COST PER LABEL. The cost per label for continuous rolls varies with the length of each label you print. If you want to compare running costs between competing models, divide the cost per roll by the number of inches in the roll, to get a comparable cost per inch. Be sure to do the calculation for the types and widths you plan to use. This small and stylish inkjet requires a power point as there’s no battery option, but it’s the perfect portable printer in all other respects. Weighing just 6.5kg, it fits easily in a bag, and the ‘X’ edition here includes a fabric cover to protect it in transit. It also acts as a mat to catch your printed paper. It's decidedly not for anyone who needs color output, but the PJ883 is great for traveling salespeople or contractors who need to generate documents, bills, or agreements on the spot. Brother also offers lesser, lower-cost models for folks who don't need to pay the premium for the PJ883's plethora of connection types. (Sometimes, just a USB will do.)Most label printers in the paper or office category are meant to sit on a desk. They're small enough to carry easily, but with rare exceptions aren't designed to work on battery power, so not fully portable. On the other hand, printers for plastic, or industrial-type, labeling come in both portable and AC-power only models. Here's what you need to know about them.

At first blush, the thought of a fully portable printer, designed to run on battery power, may seem like a total oxymoron: Carry your Canon? Haul your HP? Truth is, only a few current portable printers can serve as the kind of all-purpose printing tool you might picture when you think of a typical desktop printer. But like most tech today, printers have seen some serious diversification and specialization. Now, you can find a wealth of portable printers that aren't all-purpose but do a single thing well. This is essentially a regular mains-powered color inkjet printer but reduced in size and functionality to fit into a briefcase. No Ethernet port or scanner bed exists, but that flat top is perfect for scanning documents using your smartphone and Canon’s iOS/Android companion app. At the same time, the inclusion of both Bluetooth and AirPrint makes it easy to connect wirelessly.What differentiates this model from most portable printers is the addition of MFi (Made For iPhone), making it easier to sync with Mac and iOS devices over Bluetooth. With a battery that lasts for 100 prints and no ink limitations, you really can print from anywhere with this rugged and highly portable device. For a photos with a square aspect ratio printed at just bit larger than wallet size, it's hard to beat the Kodak Mini 3 Retro. The printer weighs just shy of a pound, measures 1 by 5 by 4 inches (HWD), and prints 3-by-3-inch photos using dye-sub technology and a four-pass ribbon, with the last pass laying down a clear projective coating. As is typical of dye sub printers, the picture quality is a clear step above what you'd expect from competing printers that use Zink technology. Kodak promises a long life for the prints, too, rating them at up to 100 years. You can connect devices you want to print from, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. For example, this makes them ideal for printing photos from your phone. And, while portable printers are smaller than normal printers, that doesn't mean they aren't able to provide the same level of print quality. As we mentioned earlier, many portable printers are designed for printing photographs, so as you'd imagine, they offer excellent print quality, especially when used with photo paper.