What are the Pros and Cons of Compact Photo Printers?
Photo printers are essential for every professional photographer, and they are a gift for photography enthusiasts. One of the all-time favorites of photographers and enthusiasts alike when it comes to on-the-go photo printing is the compact photo printer.
A printer that you can carry around anywhere you go is like a treasure for many. This kind of printer can answer your photo printing needs regardless if you’re out of the country, in the car, on the road, or at an event. But before you buy a compact photo printer, it’s best to know what you can expect in such a device, both good and bad.
The Advantages
Since compact photo printers are small in size, they are very handy. They are ideal for use anywhere you need them and anytime you want to use them. There are no limitations when it comes to the capability of this printer to provide you with concrete, professional-grade, 4’’ x 6’’ photos or smaller. They also have stylish appearances and optimized designs to make them much easier to carry around.
Compact photo printers also have direct photo printing features that you can use to print straight from removable storage media and digital imaging devices. These include PictBridge connectivity which is used for digital cameras and other USB-connectible imaging devices; USB connectivity for USB thumb drives; memory card slots for all types and sizes of memory cards; wireless Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phone, smart phone, laptop, and tablet PC connections; and wireless infrared connectivity for older models of mobile phones and smart phones. Having these features make compact photo printers easy to use without any computer intervention.
Finally, these devices offer ease of use through their LCD displays, fully functional control panels, and rechargeable batteries which all make compact photo printers perfect for limitless photo printing.
The Drawbacks
Probably the biggest drawback of compact photo printers is their limited capability of compatible media - they are only able to print photos in sizes up to 4’’ x 6’’. And since they are exclusively for photo printing purposes, you will not be able to use them for general document printing. Thus, photo printers can be considered as inflexible. Also, because of their small size, they can only be used for printing small photos. An 8’’ x 10’’ portrait or a 5’’ x 7’’ photo for a picture frame can’t be printed if you use this device.
The price of the printer is also considered as a disadvantage. These types of printers aren’t cheap at all, and they can even reach around $300 - even more than what standard inkjet printers cost. Although it seems fair because of the printing mechanism and engineering which the printer uses, many people wouldn’t prefer such a device if they don’t really need it.
Conclusion
Just like all products, compact photo printers have their own share of advantages and disadvantages, and by knowing these, you can easier identify if these are the ideal printers for you. Knowing what compact photo printers can and cannot provide for you will help you decide if these printers are really the devices that you need.