Canon selphy square QX10
Buy now £139, Currys.co.uk
- Print/scan/copy: Print photos
- Dimensions: 102mm x 143mm x 31mm
- App printing: Selphy Photo Layout
- Printing speed: 43 seconds/photo
- Input capacity: 10
- Connectivity: Wifi, USB
- Rating: 8/10
The selphy is almost pocket-sized: a little bigger than some other pocket printers on the market, it would still fit comfortably in the pocket of a pair of cargo shorts (if that’s your style). Available in four colours – black, white, pink and (blue-ish) green – the slimline, portable printer is designed to look as fun as it is to use. It’s a little on the heavy side, so don’t expect to be able to chuck it in your pocket and forget about it, but it would be ideal as a one-stop photo printer to take with you on holiday. The Selphy has a decent battery life (around 20 minutes at full pelt), and feels sturdy enough to store in a rucksack. It also works exclusively with mobile devices, meaning there’s no printing from your computer.
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The partner app, selphy photo layout, is a clean piece of software that gives you a decent range of editing options for your photos, including frames, filters, text and extra design elements such as collages, for any last-minute airbrushing or alterations (don’t bother, you look great). It’s easy to import imagery from your phone’s internal storage or via the Cloud, and cropping these images into the selphy’s square format is simple.
PerformanceThe selphy could very easily slip into novelty territory, turning your £140 investment into something you lose in the back of the wardrobe. However, while it looks quite pricey on the surface, it’s a sophisticated machine: the quality of the prints, coupled with how easy it is to use, means that there’s no chance of this being forgotten after an initial rush of usage.
Unlike other pocket photo printers, the selphy uses dye sublimation (or dye-sub) technology, instead of the more common Zink (zero ink). Zink heats colour crystals present in the paper, while the selphy runs over the photo paper four times, using heat to transfer dye onto the page. This results in a technically superior image, and one that Canon says will last a century without fading.
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This has been tested in the Canon labs using an accelerated ageing technique that seemingly involves placing the photos in a particularly hot and humid sauna scenario, then measuring the level of yellow discolouration and contrast and extrapolating this over prolonged time periods. The prints passed the sauna test with flying colours: it all means that you should make sure you like your photo before printing, as it could outlast the photographer. The dye-sub approach certainly creates vibrant and deep image reproduction, with the Canon app giving you the option to brighten your shots and add your preferred filter.
Canon’s XS-20L square photo paper provides the perfect canvas for dye-sub prints, but this comes at a premium: £15.99 for 20 sheets. Each ink cartridge holds enough ink to finish a pack of paper with maybe a sheet to spare, meaning a little forward planning if you’re in the mood for a glut of photo printing. Shots are printed at pretty much exactly Canon’s claimed 43 seconds, which is a quick performance compared with most other portable printers.
The verdict: Canon selphy square QX10The Canon selphy square QX10 is an undeniably fun portable printer. It offers a nice mix of old-school Polaroid aesthetic with the shape and editing possibilities of Instagram. It feels like a premium product, which is to be expected at the price, and feels worth the money when looking at the end result: bright, vibrant images that won’t fade for many years to come.
There are at-home all-in-one printers that can produce fantastic photography, but the selphy’s portability is a strong selling point, and its sophisticated look and tech make it a solid investment for anyone wanting quality pocket photography that rivals anything professionally developed.