Pros & Cons
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- Dye-sub technology delivers high-quality, long-lasting prints
- Supports borders, rounded borders, and three-sided borderless printing
- Prints on both square (2.7-by-2.7-inch) and card-size (2.1-by-3.3-inch) media
- Prints from Android and iOS devices via Wi-Fi
- Easy-to-use app
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- Prints' peel-off backing can be frustrating to remove
- Fully borderless printing not supported
Canon Selphy QX20 Specs
| Color or Monochrome | 4-pass color |
| Connection Type | Wireless |
| Cost Per Page (Color) | 68.3 or 76 cents |
| Cost Per Page (Monochrome) | 68.3 or 75 cents |
| Maximum Scan Area | N/A |
| Maximum Standard Paper Size | Wallet-size |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Maximum) | Not rated |
| Monthly Duty Cycle (Recommended) | Not rated |
| Number of Ink Cartridges/Tanks | 1 |
| Number of Ink Colors | 3 |
| Printer Input Capacity | 10 |
| Printing Technology | Dye Sub |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Color) | 1 print per 40 seconds |
| Rated Speed at Default Settings (Mono) | 1 print per 40 seconds |
| Scanner Optical Resolution | N/A |
| Scanner Type | N/A |
| Standalone Copier and Fax | N/A |
| Type | Printer Only |
Seeking a smartphone-companion photo printer and don't want to be stuck with just rectangular business-card size or square Instagram-style prints? The Canon Selphy QX20 ($149.99) is what you're looking for. Unlike most competing models, which offer just one format or the other, the QX20 can handle either one. And it offers plenty of other reasons to pick it. At the top of the list is its high-quality, long-lasting output, thanks to its dye-sub technology, along with Canon's notably easy-to-use print and editing app. It's our newest Editors' Choice pick for small-format photo printers, joining the less expensive, Zink-based HP Sprocket Select and Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer.
Design: One Printer, Two Photo Sizes
The QX20 is the successor to the Selphy Square QX10, which prints only 2.7-by-2.7-inch photos. Because the QX20 is designed to hold two different paper sizes plus a dye roll, it's a little larger and a touch heavier than its closest competition, at 1.3 by 4.0 by 5.7 inches and a full pound. But it's still an easy fit for a bag, a backpack, or a large pocket, so you can bring it along without much effort.
Available in white (the version we reviewed) or dark gray, the QX20 comes with a USB-C-to-USB-C cable for charging the internal battery but no charger block to plug into. It also comes without any supplies for printing, so be sure to order one or more sets of paper and dye roll cartridges along with the printer. (More on the supplies shortly.)
(Credit: M. David Stone)The front of the printer has a slot where the photos emerge, while the back hosts the USB-C port for charging and a spring-loaded slide release for the paper compartment on the bottom. The snap-open cover for the cartridge is on the left side, while the power button sits on the top, along with two status lights. The full list of status codes is in the online Advanced Manual, but the only time I saw the red error light, I didn't have to puzzle out what it was for. The printer had run out of paper, and a pop-up message on my phone told me so.
Although the QX20 comes out of the box partially charged, it's always a good idea to fully charge the battery as a first step. I didn't have a charger with a USB-C port handy, so I dug out a USB-C-to-USB-A cable and connected to my computer instead. Canon says it takes about 80 minutes for the QX20 to fully charge and that the printer should be good for about 20 photos before needing recharging.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Physical setup is standard for the printers that use dye-sub technology (which is technically thermal dye transfer, despite everybody calling it dye sub). Load 10 sheets of photo paper into the paper tray, slide the 20-photo ribbon cartridge into the side panel, close the cover, and you're ready to print. One slight difference from most models is that depending on which size of paper you're using, you may have to snap two paper guides in the tray up or down to match the paper width. But with the potential exception of the very first set of paper, that's only needed if you're changing to the other paper size.
I found the whole process, including adjusting the paper guides, obvious enough that I didn't look for setup instructions (though, admittedly, this is far from the first dye-sub printer I've set up). After successfully printing my first photo, I checked the online manual and confirmed the instructions were there for those who might need them.
In addition to the physical setup, you also must download and install the Canon Selphy Layout app, which is available for Android and iOS mobile devices only. I downloaded the Android version and followed the app's on-screen instructions. The only problem I encountered was finding the QR code and serial number on the printer for registering it with my phone. (It's on the inside of the ribbon cartridge cover, much smaller than most QR codes, and in my case wound up hidden in the printer's shadow from my desk lamp.)
Once installed, the app is as easy to work with as any I've seen. In addition to letting you print, it offers basic photo editing and a handful of manipulations and effects. These include letting you rotate, crop, and resize images, along with adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation. You can also set the photo for bordered, bordered with rounded corners, or borderless printing on three sides. You also get the option to add a color filter, including choices for sepia and black and white, and add frames, stamps, and freehand drawings. You can even create collages of two to six photos, in your choice of six layouts.
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(Credit: M. David Stone)Canon offers three choices of paper and dye roll sets: 20-photo and 60-photo sets for 2.1-by-3.3-inch photos and a 20-photo set for 2.7-by-2.7-inch prints. Both 20-photo sets are the same price, which works out to 75 cents per photo. The per-photo price for the 60-photo sets is a little lower, at 68.3 cents each. For comparison, and using list prices in all cases, the per-photo cost works out to 50 cents for the HP Sprocket Select, and 60 cents for the Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo.
The paper for the QX20 comes in packs of 10 sheets each, which is the maximum capacity for the printer. Each dye roll holds 20 repeating sets of four panels: cyan, yellow, and magenta primary colors, plus a clear protective layer.
Testing the Selphy QX20: Top Quality for Small Photos
One of the key advantages of dye-sub technology is that it can print output that's essentially indistinguishable from film-based photos, with rich color, subtle gradations, and no dithering—a claim that Zink technology simply can't make. In my tests the QX20 met all expectations on this score and also held shadow detail nicely. Another strong point for dye-sub output that includes a clear protective coat is that the prints are hard to damage. To prove the point, I handled one clumsily, trying to leave fingerprints, then poured coffee over it and wiped it off using a heavy hand, all without leaving a mark. Canon's 100-year longevity claim is an indication of fade resistance, but the prints are also klutz-resistant.
Print time for small-format dye-sub printers depends on how long it takes to move the paper back and forth four times—once for each panel on the ribbon—as the ribbon unrolls, and the printer uses a heated printhead to transfer the dye and clear coating to the paper. Canon claims a 40-second print time for either of the two supported photo sizes, which is 10 seconds for each pass. However, I timed it at a consistent 48 seconds per print, which is still a more-than-acceptable speed for this category. For comparison, the Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer took just a touch less than 60 seconds per print in our tests, while the HP Sprocket Select averaged 76 seconds per print, with both printing similar-size photos as the QX20.
One potentially frustrating issue: I found it quite difficult to remove the backing from the photos to reveal the sticky back, and so did my wife when I asked her to try, thinking she might do better with longer fingernails. I finally came up with the trick of first picking at one small spot on an edge with a fingernail, then carefully inserting the sharp point of a knife at that spot between the backing and the photo so I could grab the backing and pull it off. This tactic worked most of the time once I came up with it, but it's a bit of a skill you have to develop before you can remove the backing quickly.
Verdict: Hard to Beat, Despite the Price
A key issue for choosing any snapshot photo printer is that it has to be able to print in the size and format you want. All three models mentioned here will pass that test for photos the size of business cards, but only the QX20 will pass it for square photos as well. It also delivers good quality and scores well on speed and cost per photo, making it an easy pick as our new Editors' Choice for smartphone-companion photo printers.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)That said, the QX20 is substantially more expensive than the Kodak and HP models. At this writing, the Kodak printer lists for less than half the QX20's price, while the HP printer is a little more expensive than that, but closer in price to the Kodak printer than the QX20. Both the Kodak and HP models use Zink technology, which means they don't offer the same level of photo quality as the QX20. But they deliver quality you may well consider good enough for small photos. Either one is a good choice, and each is our top pick for its price range.
However, if you need the QX20's two print sizes, it's pretty much the only pick. And—as long as you don't mind paying a little more for it—even if you need only one size, it's probably the portable photo printer you want.