Portable Computer Printers

If you travel frequently and need to have a printer on a regular basis, you can always purchase a portable printer.  They weigh 2 -5 lbs.  and usually have a battery.  Some have a car charger for even more convenience.  Some manufacturers are adding capability to print from a cell phone wirelessly.  The prices are higher than a normal printer, but if you need something to print on the road, these will work. 

Most mobile printers use color inkjet format.  They are just large enough to use a standard 8.5 in wide piece of paper.  Print speeds vary but are rated less than 10 ppm.  Resolution varies by manufacturer.  The paper capacity varies from a 2-50 sheets depending on the model and the type, size and thickness of the paper.  Inkjets print on standard paper. 

It’s a good idea to see a print demonstration before purchasing the printer.  Most retail stores have a model that is set up to do this.  The demo pages will have text in different sizes, make sure the smallest are legible, and don’t bleed together.  Medium font should not have fuzzy edges.  Largest fonts should be filled with solid black.  Inkjet printers will usually bleed ever so slightly on the paper fibers. If the edges are jagged can it be a print head problem or color mis-registration? 

The demo will also print geometric shapes.  Check the inside areas to make sure the color is even.  If a color goes from dark to light, make sure the transitions are smooth.  Printers that use heavy ink make the image too bright.  Some printers skimp on ink, and the image is washed out.  You want a natural looking image between both of these.  Look out for banding, which could mean there is a clogged nozzle. 

When you purchase a printer you should consider the ink and paper expenses that will become an ongoing expense.  A printer may be a good deal, but the ink could cost a significant amount.  You may save money in the long run by buying a more quality, expensive printer that will run more economically.  You can use compatible refill kits for the ink; however they may not be reliable or have good print quality. 

Extensive printer testing has proved that better quality paper will print better quality reports.  If you purchase the paper recommended by your printer manufacturer, you will have the best printout available.  This is especially true when printing photographs. 

Most mobile portable printers attach to your computer using a USB cord.  Find out if the cable is included when you purchase the printer.  Many times that is an extra that will add to the purchase price. 

There are only a few companies who offer mobile printers in today’s market.  Canon was the first on the market several years ago.  It is the size of an aluminum foil box.  They are a bit bigger and heavier, but still able to be transported easily.   Two older models are still available, but newly released models are the better choice.  Ink cartridges for this printer are long lasting and consistent.  It has a very simple setup, with plug and play connection as well as Bluetooth. 

The paper feeds need to be manually adjusted after you’ve transported the printer.  Using Canon manufactured ink and paper are required to have the best print results.  It doesn’t have a large paper capacity.  Photo quality is ok for snapshots but doesn’t match a regular color inkjet quality.  Cheaper Canon models tend to have heavy ink use.

HP has a mobile printer, but it is heavier and larger than the Canon.  Reviewers have been very impressed with how well it handles.  The paper holding tray can hold up to 45 sheets of paper.  It has an adaptor to handle smaller items such as envelopes.  It has a battery and charges quickly, but don’t leave home without the cord.  When using the battery it will accept a print job via infrared.  It also has the capability of using an included parallel port cable or USB cord.  Most PDAs have infrared ports, so you can also print from a Palm or Pocket PC and quality is equal.  

This HP has a CF card slot in the back so you can put a memory card in and print pictures.  It has been said it has surprisingly good picture quality.  Canon and Olympus have portable printers specifically made for color photo printing.  They aren’t designed to print on paper, so they aren’t a good idea if you are looking for an all-purpose printer. 

Pentax has a model that prints in color and b/w.  Its print quality is on par with other mobile printers.  It has a built in USB but also connects with Bluetooth or Infrared.  It has an optional car charger that is fairly pricey.  Photo quality print is not as good as other mobile printers.  It also requires manual installation and not plug n play like others.  It doesn’t have a slot for memory cards. 

Pentax and Brother have small printers that use thermal paper, like the old fax machines.  They don’t accept regular paper.  These are fairly cost prohibitive since

Thermal paper is more expensive, and often has to be purchased from the manufacturer.  The same would be for the toner. 

There are smaller and mobile digital photo printers that are specifically for printing from a memory card without the use of a computer.  You can carry it along and pass out photos of a family event while it is happening!  These have sophisticated software to provide bright, clear, sharp and colorful.  Some have software to do image editing.  These mobile printers use dye transfer technology instead of inkjet to have sharp and vivid pictures that are over coated to resist fading and fingerprints.  Some newer photo printers have PictBridge.  This allows printing direct from any brand of camera, to any brand of printer.   The average cost of a picture using a dye transfer printer will be .65-.85 each per 4 x 6 inch picture.