Canon IVY vs Instax Mini Link (2022): Smartphone Pocket Printer Comparison

Pocket printers are nice to have if you enjoy printing and looking at photos in paper-form and while on-the-go. These pocket printers have compact designs, good print quality and they work in tandem with your smartphone. The Canon IVY and the Instax Mini Link are two very popular mini printers that are worth considering if you are looking to buy one. Both are affordable and they come with many interesting features that make taking and printing photos more enjoyable. But which one should you buy? We compare the two to help you out.

Canon IVY vs Instax Mini Link Comparison Chart

Design

The Canon IVY has a more compact design than the Instax Mini Link, which makes it easier to carry around.

Both pocket printers have a compact design, with the Canon IVY measuring 4.7 x 3.2 x 0.7 inches and the Instax Mini Link at 4.9 x 3.5 x 1.3 inches. As you can see from those measurements, they are both small, and will easily fit inside your pockets. The Instax Mini Link, however, is bulkier and bigger overall. It’s also slightly heavier, weighing 209g. In contrast, the Canon IVY weighs only 160g.

When it comes to their designs, the Canon IVY has a smooth finish while the Instax Mini Link has a textured one. The textured lines on the Instax Mini Link will let you grip it better. You can get the Canon IVY in three colors: rose gold, slate gray and mint grin. In comparison, the Instax Mini Link has four color options—beige gold, dusky pink, dark denim and ash white.

To put ZINK paper inside the Canon IVY, you just need to slide the front panel upwards and it will reveal the tray. On the Instax Mini Link, there’s a latch at the back that you can toggle to open its Instax Mini film tray.

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Smartphone App

The instax mini link app offers more fun features than the Canon Mini Print app.

To use the Canon IVY and the Instax Mini Link, you’ll need to pair them with your phone via Bluetooth and download the necessary app. For the Canon IVY, you need to download the Canon Mini Print app from Google Play or the Apple Store. For the Instax Mini Link, the app is called instax mini link and it is also available on both Google Play and the App Store. Both of them are free.

The Canon Mini Print app allows you to edit or enhance photos using various special effect options and filters. You can also print pictures as they are, without any editing. While the app is very simple and easy to use, it does not offer a lot of exclusive features. Perhaps the only one worth mentioning is its “Tile” feature, which allows you to print 9 images to make up one big image.

In contrast, the instax mini link app has a lot of fun and interesting features, such as its Fun Mode, Video Print and Party Mode. Its Fun Mode gives you the option to edit and add special effects to your photos, as well as make collages. With Video Print, you can take stills from a video and print that. It also gives you some options for editing. The Party Mode lets the Instax Mini Link connect to up to five phones and print one image using images on those five phones. When it comes to features, the instax mini link app definitely wins as it offers more.

Print Quality

You’ll get more color accurate photos with the Canon IVY but the “Polaroid aesthetic” of the Instax Mini Link is also nice.

The Canon IVY prints photos in a 2 x 3 inch format. It requires ZINK paper to do so. You can buy these in different quantity packs but the Canon IVY itself can only hold 10 at a time. As for the quality of its prints, we can say that the Canon IVY is very good. The photos are bright and have accurate colors. Of course, the Canon IVY will not compete with full-sized home printers when it comes to image quality, but when compared against other mini printers, it is one of the best.

The Instax Mini Link, in contrast, prints photos in a 2.4 x 1.8 inch format, which is smaller. It uses Instax Mini film, which you can also buy for cheap. The photos that come out of the Instax Mini Link are good, but one of the main issues with it is that the whites are often blown out. The Instax Mini Link produces a warm cast in the images, which adds a vintage look to it. Some people will like this but some won’t. If you like the old “Polaroid aesthetic”, you’ll definitely love this.

Battery Life and Connectivity

The Instax Mini Link can print more photos than the Canon IVY before running out of battery.

When fully charged the Canon IVY can print up to 20 photos, which is not bad, but could be better. In contrast, the Instax Mini Link can print up to 100 photos on a single charge. Needless to say, the Instax Mini Link wins this round.

Both mini printers have a micro USB port for charging. Unfortunately, these micro USB ports are for charging only and you can’t use them to connect either device to a desktop or laptop. The two printers are wireless only and they can only print photos when connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

Verdict

The Canon IVY produces better prints, but the Instax Mini Link has more features and a longer battery life.

Choosing between the two will come down to whether you prefer a printer that prints quality photos or if you prefer a printer that’s fun to use. You should go for the Canon IVY if photo quality is the most important factor for you. It is able to print better quality photos than the Instax Mini Link but its app is not as feature-packed and it also has a short battery life. On the other hand, you should go with the Instax Mini Link if you like having fun options to play with before printing and if you want a device that can last longer. Its print quality is not the best, but it is not that bad either. It has the old “Polaroid look” that some people will really love.

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