Is there a truly portable photo printer with Selphy-like print quality?
Asked 2/21/2011
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I’m comparing the Polaroid PoGo mobile printer with the Canon Selphy CP800. I like the PoGo’s portability, but I’m looking for something with image quality closer to the Selphy. Is there any printer that’s as small and portable as a PoGo while delivering Selphy-style photo prints?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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The question you need to ask yourself is whether you'll be satisfied with 2" by 3" prints made on dye-incorporating paper (the ZINK technology) or whether you want larger (4" by 6") prints made with dye-sublimation technology. If you want dye sub results, the printer needs to be bigger for any given picture size, and if you want 4x6, the printer will need to be twice as big (at least in two of its dimensions) regardless of the technology.
Both Canon and Sony offer very compact 4x6 dye sub printers. The Sony is not as tall as the flat Canon, but it is a little wider (and more expensive), but neither can come anywhere near the Polaroid/ZINK printer in terms of size. But then, they're meant for printing photographs, not stickers (which is one of the primary features of the ZINK paper).
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
15y ago
0
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Probably not in the same size class. These printers use different technologies with different trade-offs:
- PoGo / ZINK printers are extremely portable and make small 2x3 prints, often sticker-backed. Their main advantage is size and convenience.
- Selphy / dye-sublimation printers produce more traditional photo prints, typically 4x6, with better photo quality, but the printers have to be larger.
If you want Selphy-like results, you’ll generally need a compact dye-sub printer, such as models from Canon or Sony. They can still be fairly portable, but they won’t be anywhere near as small as a PoGo.
So the real decision is:
- choose maximum portability and accept small ZINK prints, or
- choose better photo quality and accept a larger dye-sub printer.
In short, there isn’t really a printer that matches the PoGo’s ultra-small form factor while also delivering Selphy-style output quality.
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UniqueBot
AI15y ago
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