Top Portable Photo Printer Models for Average Retail User
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Loading ...Portable photo printers are becoming a popular way to being able to print off digital shots on the fly which can be useful for a wide-range of purposes and makes them more convenient to use than other types of printers if you tend to travel a lot with your camera. Here are some of the top picks.
Canon Pixma iP90
The Canon Pixma line of photo printers tends to rank very highly with users and with reviewers alike. This portable unit is no exception. Here are a few of the highlights.
• Has built-in Pictbridge and Infrared technology that gives it instant connectivity to other portable devices, including cell phones and PDAs, without the necessity of a computer.
• Weighs only four pounds which means it is light enough to travel – that’s less than many laptops on the market.
• Includes two options to help you conserve black ink and save money – one is similar to the lowest print setting available through most computers and the other forces the color ink to combine into black when that cartridge is empty
• Costs for printing are reasonable – 3 cents per page of b/w text and 11 cents per page for color plus the ink tanks are small enough for easy travel as well
Drawbacks: The $330 price tag is a bit expensive, especially since some features, such as Bluetooth connectivity, are optional when they are standard on some lower priced models.
HP Photosmart A626
Another one of the popular choices for portable photo printers is this wireless Hewlett Packard model which includes a number of features that are easy to like for people who enjoy printing photos.
• Can print photos very quickly – 39 to 78 seconds depending on the print quality selected
• Can print files directly from camera’s removable media but also from other portable devices, including cell phones and iPods.
• Comes with only one ink cartridge for more affordable supply restocking.
• The USB port means this portable printer can be used at home or on the go just as easily
• Includes a screen that can be used for viewing images before printing, as well as for adding graphic effects and for editing shots.
Drawbacks: This model does not come with Bluetooth capabilities. That’s an optional purchase. However, the under $140 price tag makes it a bit more reasonable than the Canon model.
Epson PictureMate Dash PM 260
As one of the most overlooked portable printers by critics, this particular Epson model and its predecessor have been hugely successful with consumers and the following features make it easy to see why.
• A 4 X 6 inch photo can be printed in as little as 37 seconds
• Printing technology known as Advanced MicroPiezo promises that prints will last up to 200 years in a family photo album
• Prints photos without a connection to any computer. You can print from removable media, directly from the digital camera, or from a USB flash drive
• Comes ready to print in a wide variety of layouts, including wallet size and even passport size shots
• Weights about 5 pounds which makes it a bit heavier than some portables but still easy to manage.
• A price of only $150 – about half the price of the canon and just slightly more than the HP version
Drawbacks: This model did lose some of the options available in the previous model, including the ability to add Disney borders to the photos, and an easy-to-use handle. However, the price was also about $30 higher. Both models are still available, however.
Bottom Line on Portable Printers
If you want to take your printer along for the ride, make sure you choose one that is going to deliver the speed and quality you want at a reasonable price. Be sure to shop around and compare all of your options.
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September 8th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
[...] means carrying a laptop and a mobile phone wherever we may go. Some even bring other gadgets like portable printers, digital cameras and other such devices that make work much [...]