People have been printing since 3500 BC, when ancient people in modern-day Iran and Iraq used cylinder seals engraved with characters to roll an impression onto wet clay. Of course, modern printers showed up way later—1968 for the dot matrix printer and 1969 for the laser printer. Today, some printers are small enough to fit into a backpack or even a pocket. Those mini photo printers make it possible to print out photos on-the-go, but they’re also handy for things like contracts, invoices and reports.
The first consideration when it comes to handheld printers is portability. That means looking at both size and weight, with some of the smallest options clocking in at just 4.5 inches by 3 inches and under 6 ounces. That’s lighter than a hamster, you guys.
Nothing is worse than struggling to make a printer actually print (“PC load letter,” anybody?), so look for a mini printer that allows multiple app-enabled printing options. This means you can connect the printer to your phone or tablet then print directly from a USB connection or wirelessly from the memory card.
Don’t let their small size fool you. Some handheld printers use a process called dye sublimation thermal transfer to produce high quality photos that won’t bleed or fade. This leverages a 256-degree dye scale to produce 16.7 million colors. Whoa.
