From a hardware perspective, the majority of the heavy lifting behind these print-tasks is being done by the print paper. Though when it comes to the hardware necessary to deliver quality color prints, Polaroid does not disappoint. In fact, color is almost synonymous with their brand. Images from your iPhone can be moved, rotated, and zoomed in/out before printing, although you don't get any other editing features. Meanwhile, the camera itself sports a 28mm f/2, has a 4.9MP sensor, and lets you store up to 45 images internally, or more if you add a microSD card. There's a built-in flash, and a self-timer, and you can shoot as close as 10cm from your subject. It uses Zink paper, which means you don't have to add ink, but on the downside this means the picture quality isn't the best," says Tom May in our review. "Still, if you just want to hand out mementos at a social event, it's still a good choice, and it would make a fun gift for kids too." Bluetooth also makes this printer incredibly easy to setup. The process is arguably easier than plugging in a cable. Once you run through the setup wizard, you’ll have prints streaming out in under one minute. Assuming you want to edit your prints, it might take a couple moments longer than that. This depends on the printer. The Instax Link series uses actual instant film (the same as you put in Instax film cameras) to produce an authentic instant print. This is a definite stylistic choice, giving you a low-detail, low-fidelity, analog quality that can't be achieved on traditional printers, but comes at a cost –as instant film is pretty pricey.

We have to say, if you are looking for a small portable printer to carry anywhere, the practical choice is the Polaroid Zip, as it performed well in every category. But if you want the best print quality possible, sacrificing slightly in size and cost per photo, then the clear winner is the Canon SELPHY Square QX10. Without a doubt, the Canon SELPHY Square QX10 has the best print quality of all the portable photo printers on this list. Cost Per Print RankingNever used a mini printer before, and are you a little nervous about technology generally? Don't worry: the handy Kodak app for Android makes this printer a breeze to use.By making use of the Near Field Communication (NFC) capabilities of this printer you can enjoy printing in seconds: it’s compatible with both iOS and Android via the Bluetooth connection. Since the technology is basically the same across all of these devices, you'd think the results would be similar, but we found a surprising amount of variation when we tested different cameras and printers. Below are our top recommendations for Zink-based cameras and printers. The Mint’s battery is recharged with a standard USB charging cable and USB port, and the Mint is built around a sizeable 900mAh lithium-polymer battery. It’s supposed to be able to print all about 40 sheets from a single charge, which is very nearly the entire film capacity of the device. Few people should find 40-prints to be limiting, especially given the slightly prohibitive cost of the photo paper. These printers operate wirelessly, using WiFi or Bluetooth technology –or, in the case of the Kiipix, using a mirror! What paper do these printers take? Some of these printers allow you to edit and add filters before printing. Some can even attach to your phone and print automatically. Consider if you want any extra features with your printer when choosing one. How We Selected

When it comes to software support, you’ll find the Polaroid Mint app is compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems. In other words, you don’t have to worry about Polaroid having compatibility conflicts with your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and so forth. Though you won’t find specific compatibility for Windows phones, work-around solutions are possible for more advanced users.Finally there are Zink printers that use zero-ink paper, embedded with color crystals, that offers the cheapest printing option –with often middling quality that's neither as good as a dye sub print, nor as intentionally lo-fi as an Instax print. Do portable printers need ink?