The best portable printers in 2024: make real prints of your shots for sharing while you’re in the moment

One of the best portable printers, the Instax Mini Link, on a table covered with food and instant photographs
(Image credit: Fujifilm)

Digital images tend to get lost in the tidal wave of social media. It can be hard enough tracking down specific photos that you’ve taken yourself, on your own phone. Creating a real, physical photo print makes for a whole different experience. You’re making a physical entity out of a snippet of history that you can share with family and friends, even if they’re brand new friends from the other side of the world, that you’ve just met on the beach on vacation. Then there are weddings, christenings and other big occasions, where it can be a thing of beauty to hand out prints of lovely shots right there and then.

The beauty of using the best portable printers, much like the best instant cameras, is that they enable you to give a permanent physical keepsake to a loved one or friend of a moment you shared together. Mini prints are priceless souvenirs that people will keep and treasure – and they're small enough to keep in a wallet or phone case, too.

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.