If you’re someone who travels often and would like to find the smallest printer available, you’ve stumbled upon the right article. A mobile portable printer is pricey and needs to have inks replaced and if you only have need of a few basic receipts then suddenly portable printers becomes a huge unnecessary expense and direct thermal portable printers may be a small and inexpensive solution to some basic print needs. I will do my best to keep it as simple as possible.
Standard portable printers are often designed and sold by companies like Canon, HP, and Epson. Their weight ranges from around 4 lbs. to 10 lbs. They offer good speed, quality and convenience, but they can be a hassle to transport.
Thermal Pluses
Direct thermal printer, on the other hand, are designed and sold by lesser-known companies like Pentax, which is now part of Brother, and SiPix. Their models don’t require any ink or toner and the weight is usually around 1 lb. The sizes of these machines are often small enough to fit into your jacket pocket. And if you intend on carrying it in a briefcase or travel bag, then you will have no problem at all.
Right for Some
So on the surface what could be easier, it has to be thermal, but wait. There are serious limitations on what you can do with a thermal printer. Dependent on your need this may or may not be the right choice for you. If all you require is simple receipts and you’re on foot doing your work or door to door then this is a good choice.
For simple transactions that are not multiple then this is also a good choice. For anything above that then it won’t seem such a good idea.
Most Inexpensive and Smallest Mobile Printer
The SiPix Pocket Printer A6 prints A6-size documents, which will only be black and white. Print resolution can reach as high as 400 x 400 dots per inch and speed can get up to 2 prints per minute. A decrease in size calls for a decrease in speed.
It’s an inexpensive handy little pocket printer around the same size as a pocket transistor radio that can connect to PCs or Palm Pilots. Of course the major advantage here is convenience. If you want a letter size document then this definitely isn’t the printer for you.
For A6 print outs then you won’t need to worry about inks or batteries again. The only expense being the paper. Thermal paper can be pricey but leveled against the price of inks then it easily rebalances itself on the financial front, and wins hands down on the convenience front.
With infrared technology, you will be able to print from PCs, laptops, and other handheld devices as long as you’re nearby. And if you use an AC adapter, the only expense you will have to worry about is paper. For instance, the run-time for batteries is a measly three minutes, whereas the run-time with an AC adapter can be as long as one hour.
For when you’re out on foot or generally mobile and in need of a print, then all you will need is 4 AA type Alkaline batteries. If you plan on printing out a few receipts portably, then you may need a few. Another alternative is rechargeable batteries if you have the means to charge them.
The SiPix Pocket Printer A6 is a great machine if you’re looking for the smallest printer available and don’t want to spend much money. They are extremely inexpensive and can be found for around $30 online.
SiPix Thermal Paper (100 Sheets, A6 Pocket Printer) can be purchased online for less than $5 and the SiPix Thermal Paper Roll for under $9.
Pentax Option
If you want a little better quality, consider the Pentax PocketJet 3 which is a costlier purchase at around $160. Weighing only 14.4 ounces this model can print up to legal size documents which for some are a major advantage over the limitations of A6 size only.
It can be used for more credible documents in black print only. Very small and compact with dimensions of 10.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 inches this could be suitable to more peoples on the road printing needs.
It has a simple one sheet manual feed so it’s not exactly suitable for any serious volume and is also able to print wirelessly using infrared technology.
It can be used with a Nickel metal hydride which comes as standard and will print 100 sheets on one charge.
The print speed is slightly faster at 3 ppm and it is also compatible with Windows Vista. The maximum resolution for this model is 200 dpi x 203 dpi. There is also the option of the pocketjet3 plus with a higher resolution of 300 dpi and USB 1.1, integrated Bluetooth and IrDA.
Like the SiPix Pocket Printer A6, you will require thermal paper rather as a roll or sheets which can be obtained online, the roll being costly at under $70.
To charge the battery in your car, you can purchase the Pentax PocketJet 3/3Plus Car Adapter from the Brother website.
The choice is dependent on your need. Both have the advantage of convenience with no risk of messes in your car from messy inks. Not good for everyone but for the purpose they were designed, they are a good choice.
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About James Wikkee