Are you someone who loves capturing moments on your smartphone? Like many, your phone is probably overflowing with photos of everyday life, special occasions, and everything in between. But how often do those digital memories make it into the real world? For those of us who cherish tangible keepsakes, especially for memory keeping like journaling, a mini photo printer that connects directly to your phone can be a game-changer. I was definitely intrigued by the idea of instantly printing photos for my journal without the hassle of uploading, resizing, or complicated processes. The promise of speedy, wallet-sized 2×3 inch photos was exactly what I was looking for.
The market is full of cute, portable mini-printers, and with a bit of gift money in hand, I decided to dive in and try one out.
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I chose the Canon Ivy Mini Photo Printer in rose gold (it also comes in mint green and slate gray). Its pocket-friendly size, almost like a smartphone, its portability, and the fun factor were immediately appealing. The 2×3 inch photos with peel-and-stick backing seemed perfect for my needs.
Canon Ivy Mini Photo Printer box and printer in rose gold
Effortless Setup and Essential Supplies
Setting up the Canon Ivy Mini Printer is incredibly straightforward. While I briefly watched an online setup video, it’s so intuitive that you likely won’t need it. Simply charge the printer, download the Canon Mini Print app on your smartphone, load the Zink photo paper, and you’re ready to start printing.
The printer connects to your phone via Bluetooth, allowing for wireless printing wherever you are. This makes it a truly mobile photo printing solution.
The Canon Ivy Mini Printer includes a starter pack of 10 sheets of Zink photo paper. However, I recommend purchasing a 20-sheet pack alongside the printer to ensure you have enough paper to begin with. Bundles that include paper and a protective case are also available. However, I opted to choose a different case separately to match my personal style (more on that below).
The Perks of the Canon Ivy Mini Printer
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Ultra-Portable and Adorable: This printer is genuinely tiny – even smaller than my smartphone! Its compact size, combined with its cute design and portability, makes it a joy to use. Most importantly, it delivers on its promise: printing small, Bluetooth-enabled photos perfect for journals. Imagine the fun at parties and family gatherings! You could instantly give guests a photo memory or add personalized touches to thank-you notes, create unique gift tags, or even DIY photo ornaments and cards.
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Convenient Peel & Stick Photos: The peel-and-stick backing on the photo paper is a game-changer for crafters and journal enthusiasts. Photos can be effortlessly applied directly into journals, scrapbooks, cards, and more, saving time and mess.
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Inkless Printing = No Refills: The Canon Ivy Mini Printer utilizes Zink photo paper technology, eliminating the need for ink cartridges. The color technology is embedded within the paper itself. This inkless design is incredibly convenient and hassle-free.
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Ideal 2×3 Inch Photo Size: The 2×3 inch prints are perfectly sized for journal entries and various craft projects. The peel-and-stick backing further enhances the speed and ease of use for quick projects.
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Fun and Functional App Editing: The Canon Mini Print app offers user-friendly editing tools, allowing you to add text, borders, and playful effects to your photos before printing. For example, I added a white border to the peony photo shown below using the app. The app provides creative control and customization options beyond just basic borders.
Collage of five photos printed with Canon Ivy Mini Printer showcasing various subjects and a white border effect
Above photos: Recent gifts, my daughter in her new home, a spring peony, my husband and classmates at a reunion, and my daughter with her husband.
Points to Consider
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Print Quality Limitations: It’s important to have realistic expectations about print quality. A mini printer like the Canon Ivy won’t produce the same level of detail and color accuracy as a full-sized inkjet or professional lab print. If you require high-fidelity, detailed, and color-perfect prints, this type of printer may not be ideal as your primary photo solution. However, for its intended purpose as a fun, on-the-go, mini photo printer, the quality is perfectly adequate.
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Slight Cropping and Color Variation: Printed photos will be subtly cropped and slightly darker compared to the image displayed on your phone screen. It’s advisable to slightly brighten photos within the app before printing to compensate for this. This simple adjustment is easy to do within the Canon Mini Print app.
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Smartphone-Centric Design: The Canon Ivy Mini Printer is designed exclusively for use with smartphones and is not compatible with desktop or laptop computers. However, this is in line with its intended purpose as a mobile, on-the-go printing solution for smartphone photos.
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Cost Per Print: Each print costs approximately 50 cents, which is typical for mini photo printers in this category. For occasional use in journaling and small projects, the cost is reasonable. If you plan to print very large quantities of photos regularly, this might not be the most economical primary photo printing method.
The Perfect Protective Case
While a case isn’t included with the standard Canon Ivy Mini Printer (unless you purchase a bundle), I highly recommend investing in one to protect your device and accessories. I opted for the Fintie Carrying Case, which I purchased separately.
Fintie carrying case for Canon Ivy Mini Printer with a Van Gogh design
The Fintie case is sturdy, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. It securely holds the printer, photo paper, charging cord, and other small accessories. It’s available in various attractive designs; I chose the Van Gogh design (availability may vary).
For those interested in a combined camera and printer, Canon also offers the Canon Ivy Cliq and Cliq +. While I haven’t personally tested these models, they have received positive feedback.
Overall, I am thoroughly enjoying my Canon Ivy Mini Printer and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a fun, portable way to print photos for journals, notes, parties, crafts, and more. It’s a fantastic gadget for bringing your smartphone memories to life in a tangible and delightful way.
Canon Ivy Mini Printer in rose gold printing a photo
Linking to: (Link list omitted for brevity as per instructions)
