Canon IVY 2 Mini Printer guide

Canon IVY 2 Mini Photo Printer Review

A first-class pocket photo printer with collage and circular-sticker options

THE BOTTOM LINE

Canon's improved IVY 2 Mini prints good-looking photos and stickers at competitive running costs, making it an excellent smartphone companion for little on-the-go pics.

Zero ink (Zink) portable photo printers don't quite match the image quality of dye-sublimation models, but the output of the original Canon IVY reviewed here in June 2018 was mediocre even compared to its Zink competitors. Canon's new IVY 2 Mini Photo Printer produces better small-format (2-by-3-inch) prints at similarly low running costs, making it a good value, especially with a current discount from $129.99 to $99.99. Our only real complaint about this IVY is that, even with the discount, it lists for $30 more than the Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer that just copped an Editors' Choice award among Zink smartphone companions.

Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer Printer Review

Table of Contents

Intro

Our Verdict

Differences

Compared To Others

Design

Document

Photo

Mobile App And Connectivity

Retailers

Deals

Discussions

The Canon IVY Mini Photo Printer is a compact photo printer with a built-in battery. It only connects to iOS or Android devices via Bluetooth and can only print 2" x 3" pictures on proprietary ZINK photo paper through Canon's IVY mobile app. The ZINK photo paper is also water-resistant, smudge-proof, and has an adhesive backing, allowing you to use the photos as decorations or in a collage. Its rechargeable battery is good for 20 prints and charges over Micro USB.

Canon IVY 2 Mini Photo Printer Review: You Can't Put A Price On Whimsy

While Canon is a powerhouse in the professional photography industry, that hasn't stopped the company from churning out new gadgets that are focused on photos for fun, not pictures for profit. This subset of products — called IVY — includes the Cliq instant film camera, a 2010-esque point-and-shoot that uses a low-megapixel sensor to spit out 2x2 or 2x3 prints (via Canon), and a set of mini photo printers.

Shortly before the Cliq line was released in 2019, the manufacturer rolled out the IVY mini photo printer, a pocket-sized printer that allows you to create prints similar to the Cliq's — but with pictures from your smartphone. The mini photo printer utilizes what Canon calls ZINK — that's Zero Ink, get it? — Technology, where the photo is developed through dye embedded in the photo paper. 

Just last month, Canon revealed the second generation of its mini photo printer line. It comes, of course, at a higher price point than the first version — but are the purported improvements worth it? With no batteries or ink cartridges to fuss over, the IVY 2 Mini Photo Printer seems a scrapbooker's or amateur photographer's dream. There are several other brands that want a piece of the instant smartphone photo printing pie, though, so Canon has some proving itself to do. The brand provided us with a unit to check out for this review.

The Canon IVY Mini is a compact photo printer that's easy to carry around for on-the-go recreational use. Its print quality isn't nearly as good as most desktop printers; however, it may still be a good option if you're looking for a more polaroid-like look.