“Canon's Selphy QX20 is a fun, portable photo printer that's great for journaling, with two sizes of sticker paper and creative layout options in the mobile app.”
- High-quality photo prints
- Supports two paper sizes
- It's tiny for a dye-sub printer
- 40 seconds per photo
- Charges in a 80 minutes
- Limited battery life
- Cost per print is high
The Canon Selphy QX20 is a tiny, portable printer that can fit into a small bag or an expanding pocket on cargo pants and sports jackets. It runs on battery power and prints on wallet-size glossy sticker paper. While it isn’t as versatile as the best photo printers, it could be a perfect solution for printing on the go and at special events.
The Selphy QX20 sounds like a lot of fun, so I went hands-on to check its quality, speed, and battery life. If it offers enough value, Canon’s newest Selphy might earn a place on our list of the best portable printers.
Specs
| Canon Selphy QX20 | |
| Dimensions | 4.0 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches |
| Weight | 1 pound |
| Print speed | 40 seconds per photo |
| Print resolution | 287 x 287 dpi |
| Ports | USB-C (charging) |
| Paper capacity | 10 sheets |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi Direct 802.11b/g, single band |
Design
When I unboxed Canon’s Selphy QX20, I was struck by its diminutive size. I’m used to making room to set up a desktop printer or clearing an entire printer stand to hold a bulky all-in-one printer. By comparison, the Selphy QX20 blends into any space effortlessly. It’s about the size of a thick paperback book but heavier since it’s packed with electronics.
Canon sells the Selphy QX20 in two colors: off-white and medium gray. I tested the gray model, which will be slightly more susceptible to warming up in direct sunlight than the white model. I live in a northern climate so the darker model is a good idea.
In both colors, the surface is textured, providing a little extra grip to prevent drops. The Selphy QX20 is made from high-impact plastic but I wouldn’t want to test its durability on concrete or a hard floor.
There’s no display, but two LEDs signal the printer’s charge level and print status. For more information, I can check Canon’s Selphy Photo Layout app.
A side door holds the ink ribbon and the paper tucks into a bottom panel that opens with a switch on the back. The only other control on the device is the power button. Everything else is handled via the mobile app.
Printing performance
Canon’s Selphy QX20 uses dye diffusion thermal transfer, more popularly known as dye sublimation, to print on sticker paper by heating ink ribbons. The end result is a high-quality picture on glossy paper.
I was impressed by the quality of the Selphy QX20. Every photo I printed looked good and most were excellent. On a few occasions, I felt the color was a bit less vibrant than the original, but still perfectly acceptable for a tiny, low-cost printer.
The four-part printing process is fascinating to watch. The Selphy QX20 fully prints a photo in only yellow, rolling the paper out the front, then pulls it back in to lay down magenta, before finishing the image with cyan, and applying an overcoat. I already knew printers combine three or more colors to produce an image but it was mesmerizing to see this in action.
The entire process takes 40 seconds, which is fast for a small, battery-powered printer. The Selphy QX20 is the quickest Selphy model. The Epson Expression Photo XP-8800 can print 4×6 photos in 10 seconds and uses a six-color ink system for lab-quality prints. However, it costs more and isn’t portable.
For the first time, I can print nearly borderless photos with a Canon Selphy portable printer. The top and both sides are truly borderless but photos still have a thin strip of white at the bottom, reminiscent of Polaroids.
Canon’s accelerated testing indicates Selphy QX20 prints could last up to 100 years in dark storage with controlled temperatures. Exposure to light and moisture could shorten the lifespan, which is true of any photo paper.
Special features
What makes the Canon Selphy QX20 special is its compact size and battery-powered operation. I can tuck it in a bag or backpack and bring it to an event or outing and print photos anytime I want without waiting to get back home or to the office.
The battery lasts long enough to print a full 20-sheet pack of photos, even after taking the Selphy QX20 out for a brief excursion into the cold. Eventually, a blinking red status and flashing green battery LEDs alerted me to the need for a charge.
The Selphy QX20 is compatible with every USB-C charger I tried and it takes a little over an hour to fully recharge the printer.
Software and compatibility
Setup was simple and the Selphy QX20 was ready to print in minutes.Setting up the Canon Selphy QX20 was super simple. I installed the ink ribbon and paper, downloaded the Selphy Photo Layout app, then scanned a QR code on the inside of the ink door to pair my phone to the printer.
In under a minute, I was ready to start printing. Canon recommends charging the Selphy QX20 fully before first use and I followed those instructions. I didn’t use the ridiculously short USB-A to USB-C cable that came in the box. I have a nice long cable I use with my iPad and it worked perfectly.
I resisted the urge to start printing when I saw a firmware update was available. With charging complete and firmware current, I selected my first print from my iPhone. It worked with no issues.
I also installed the app on my iPad and Android phone. In each case, the app makes a direct Wi-Fi connection to the Selphy QX20 so I can use it anywhere without the need for a router.
The Selphy Photo Layout app is easy to use and I enjoyed the collage feature which lets me fit multiple photos on a single sticker sheet. It would be great for journaling or labeling boxes with photos of what’s inside.
There are creative options to add stickers, text and even draw on pictures. It’s a nice app that unlocks plenty of possibilities.
Price
Canon’s Selphy QX20 isn’t the least expensive portable photo printer, but $150 is quite affordable given the compact size and high-quality results. Most dye-sublimation printers are larger and heavier.
Canon doesn’t include paper and ink with the Selphy QX20, so you’ll need to order supplies at the same time you get the printer.
The Selphy QX20 accepts two paper sizes and holds 10 sheets. Canon bundles ink and paper together and the amount exactly matches the number of sheets in a pack.
The XS-20L pack contains 20 sheets of square sticker paper measuring 2.7 by 2.7 inches. Canon recognizes that some photos work best in portrait or landscape aspect ratios. The Canon XS-20L pack includes 20 sheets of sticker paper that’s 2.1 by 3.4 inches, the same size as business cards.
The square XS-20L paper was the only type available at the time of this review. While I have no experience with the XC-20L, the aspect ratio should be the only difference.
Canon’s XS-20L and XC-20L cost $15 each, so each print costs 75 cents. If you buy the bulk set XC-60L, you get enough portrait sticker sheets and ink ribbons to print 60 photos. The XC-60L costs $41, reducing the cost per photo to 68 cents.
It’s hard to put a price on the joy of handing out photos at a live event but cost is always a consideration.
Is this the printer for you?
The Canon Selphy QX20 is a small wonder and I enjoyed using it. If you’re looking for a portable printer to create photos during a trip, you’ll be pleased with the quality and speed. After 20 prints, you’ll need to recharge so a professional event photographer would want a more robust solution.
For casual use, the Selphy QX20 is great fun, and playing with the collage feature can inspire creativity. It’s also a nice option if you don’t have room for a standard printer but like the idea of a tiny, personal printer to share memories.
While the speed is good for a battery-power printer, it will take quite a while to print a big batch of photos. Print costs add up faster with a Selphy QX20 than a desktop printer. The best photo printers maximize quality, support a wide range of media, and offer greater speed.
Ultimately, choosing the right printer requires some research and depends on your particular needs. We have guides to the best printers for general-purpose use that can handle photos and documents, as well as the best all-in-one printers that include scanners that work well for home offices.
