Top 10: Best Mini Photo Printer in Test

The Instax Mini Link 3 is a compact and stylish mini photo printer with a nice app that prints photos in a Polaroid look. We tested it and told whether it is worth buying or not.

Mini photo printers are getting a lot of publicity. No wonder, after all, you can use them to print stylish instant photos with a retro look in no time. Fujifilm leads the way with its Instax series. With the Instax Mini Link 3, the manufacturer is now bringing an especially compact mini photo printer to the market.

We took a closer look at the Instax Mini Link 3. In addition to print quality, we also pay attention to processing, apps, battery life, and price.

The price of the Instax Mini Link 3 is currently around MindFactory 116 euros 20 sheets of photo paper still around 17 euros Added.

The Instax Mini Link 3 impresses with its compact dimensions of approximately 4 x 11 x 15.5 cm and low weight of 210 grams. This makes it one of the lightest, but not the smallest, mini photo printers, but it fits easily into any pocket. The workmanship is high quality, even though everything is made of plastic. The USB-C port for charging the mini photo printer is hidden behind a plastic flap.

Fujifilm offers the mini printer in white, light green, and pink. The entire surface is pleasantly grooved, making the Instax Mini Link 3 always sit comfortably in the hand. The large and slightly raised Instax letters are emblazoned on the front. It has three LEDs on the back that shine through the plastic case and display information like low battery level.

There is a slide switch at the bottom that can be used to open the photo compartment. You have to be careful when inserting a light-sensitive photo cassette. If light falls on the photo paper, the images become unusable.

The highlight of the Instax Mini Link 3 is the so-called 3-color exposure with OLED. Behind this is a special exposure technology that projects the primary colors onto the photo paper.

The final color impression is created by overlaying the three primary colors. This process ensures high color accuracy and rich, brilliant colors. Compared to thermal printers or zinc printers, which are often used in mini photo printers, the Instax Mini Link 3 offers significantly better color reproduction. However, it doesn’t come close to the quality of dye sublimation printers.

To print photos with the Instax Mini Link 3, the corresponding smartphone app must be installed. It is not only attractive to look at, but also scores points with its range of functions and self-explanatory operations.

This means you can quickly and easily crop images from the gallery to the right format, add filters, frames, emojis and text, or adjust brightness, contrast and color intensity using the sliders. A collage function is also on board.

Practical: The app also allows you to print individual frames directly from the video or take your own snapshot using your smartphone camera. Fun gadgets like Match Test or decorateable AR filters for your own four walls round out the offer. However, they are likely to play a minor role in everyday life.

Prints from the Instax Mini Link 3 come in a 5.4 x 8.6 cm format, with the actual image taking up an area of ​​4.6 x 6.2 cm. With a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels and a pixel density of 320 dpi, details aren’t as sharp as digital photos, but the retro charm makes up for it.

It only takes 20 seconds to get the final image in your hands. It takes 10 seconds to transfer the image data to the printer, and another 10 seconds for printing, then the image develops from completely white to a finished print within 90 seconds. Unlike classic Polaroids, shaking doesn’t help here.

The color rendition is reminiscent of analog instant photos and sometimes looks as if retro filters have been used. Colors are light, black levels are good, but can’t match high-quality dye-sublimation prints. Overall, we really liked the prints from the Instax Mini Link 3. With their 3:4 format, they differ somewhat from the more square classic Polaroids.

The stability of the images is very good. Due to the high plastic content and protective top layer, they can withstand water splashes without any damage.

According to Fujifilm, the battery of the Instax Mini Link 3 is enough for 100 prints. We were unable to verify this in testing. However, after about 15 prints the battery still had plenty of capacity left. If it runs out, the photo printer will need to be plugged in for 2 hours to fully recharge the battery cells.

The Instax Mini Link 3 is perfect for those who love taking photos and want to directly print their most beautiful snapshots and give them away or creatively stick them in an album or diary. The compact format and easy operation through the app mainly attracts the young, smartphone-savvy target group.

Due to its fast printing speed, the Instax Mini Link 3 is also a fun companion for parties and events. Thanks to the high-quality workmanship, it is an attractive lifestyle accessory to carry with you.

The price of the Instax Mini Link 3 is currently around MindFactory 116 euros 20 sheets of photo paper still around 17 euros Added.

The Instax Mini Link 3 is an all-round successful mini photo printer that impresses with its good print quality, versatile apps and compact format. Thanks to 3-color exposure with OLED, it quickly and easily brings the distinctive look and retro charm of analog instant photos to paper.

However, it is quite expensive at 130 euros and the follow-up costs of around 17 euros for a photo cassette with only 20 images are likely to be expensive in the long run. But if you value creative and high-quality photo craft and aren’t afraid of white edges, you should be really happy with the Instax Mini Link 3.