You start by pairing the printer to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth, then download and install the Kodak Photo Printer app, which lets you edit and print photos from your phone’s storage or your favorite cloud site. Like many of today’s photo printer apps, Kodak’s is handheld-only and doesn’t support Windows or macOS laptops or desktops. The Mini 2 Retro software supports Android and iOS mobile devices – so smartphones, although tablets will also work. The dye-sub printing process uses four passes to apply colors and a clear coat. Kodak says images from the Mini 2 Retro should last up to a century with careful handling.
In contrast, single-pass Zink printers like the HP Sprocket Select use a special paper coated with color crystals that are activated by the printer’s selective heat input. The printing process consists of four passes, in which each of the colors is applied one after the other. The clear coat enhances colors and protects images from fingerprints and dust.Ĭartridges, which contain both ink and photo paper, slide into a flap on the bottom of the device.
It uses cartridges with four inks – cyan, magenta, yellow and a clear coating – and sheets of photo paper. Since its prints are much smaller, it’s not surprising that the Kodak printer is more compact than its rivals, the Canon Selphy CP1300 and the HP Sprocket Studio. The Mini 2 Retro printer is truly pocket-sized. The controls and features are the same as the Mini 3, with printed photos popping out of a slot on the left edge and a micro-USB port on the back for charging.
The Mini 2 Retro measures 1 x 5.1 x 3.2 inches (HWD) and weighs just over half a pound. Like the Mini 3 Retro, the Mini 2 Retro comes in your choice of white, black, or yellow and in one of two packages – the $141.99 kit (reviewed here) with enough ink and paper for 68 prints or a 129 $.99 starter with enough supplies for just eight photos. 7 s photos are quick and inexpensive, making it a good choice for storing photos from your smartphone if you don’t mind the small size of the prints.