Canon IVY 2 Mini review
A ZINK printer the size of a stack of cards. The prints peel off and stick on, which is either exactly what you want or completely beside the point.
The Canon IVY 2 Mini prints peel-and-stick 2 x 3 inch ZINK photographs in about 50 seconds at 314 x 500 dpi, with 20 prints per charge. Paper costs about 60 cents a print. Its estimated retail price at announcement was $129.99.
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1. Verdict: the sticker printer
Canon IVY 2 Mini
The smallest, neatest way to make peel-and-stick photographs.
- Buy it for
- Teenagers, scrapbookers, anyone decorating a laptop, a locker or a notebook.
- Skip it if
- Anyone who wants accurate color, durable prints, or the lowest cost per print.
- **ZINK**: no ink, no ribbon, no cartridge — only paper, which peels off as a sticker.
- About **60 cents a print**, independently confirmed by Digital Camera World's review.
- A print in about **50 seconds** at 314 x 500 dpi.
- A 500 mAh battery doing **20 prints per charge**, recharging in as little as 45 minutes.
- Genuinely tiny — about the size of a stack of cards.
Running cost: ZINK 2 x 3 works out at $0.60 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $189.94 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.8/10 overall
- Portability10
- Sticker use10
- Cost per print8
- Color accuracy5
- Print durability5
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
Digital Camera World, which publishes hands-on reviews, calls it “working out at around 60c per print”.
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What ZINK means in practice
ZINK paper contains three layers of dye crystals that are colorless until heated. The printer has a thermal head and no ink of any kind — the image forms inside the paper. So there is nothing to replace but paper, and the hardware can be very small, because there is no ribbon mechanism inside.
The trade-off is color. Because the image is formed by heating a fixed emulsion, ZINK has the narrowest color range of the three technologies in this category and the least fade resistance. Prints look slightly flat next to a dye-sublimation photograph, and they should not go anywhere sunny.
In return you get the one thing nothing else here offers: the print peels off and sticks on. For the audience that wants that, it is not a compromise at all.
Specifications
| Media | 2 x 3 in ZINK photo paper |
|---|---|
| Print size | 2 x 3 in — a little smaller than a credit card |
| Print technology | ZINK Zero Ink |
| Print resolution | 314 x 500 dpi |
| Print time | About 50 seconds |
| Connection | Bluetooth, via the Canon Mini Print app |
| Battery | Built-in 500 mAh lithium-polymer |
| Prints per charge | 20 |
| Charge time | As little as 45 minutes |
| In the box | Printer plus a starter pack of 10 sheets |
| Price at announcement | $129.99 estimated retail, September 2022 |
What it costs to run
Canon's own 2 x 3 ZINK paper was $11.99 for 20 sheets on 13 October 2026 — about 60 cents a print. Digital Camera World's hands-on review of this printer independently puts 2 x 3 paper at "around 60c" per print, which is a useful confirmation that the calculation matches reality.
| Format | Print size | Pack | Pack price | Cost per shot | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 | 2.1 x 3.4 in | 60 | $24.99 | $0.42 | Kodak Photo Printer store |
| ZINK 2 x 3 | 2 x 3 in | 20 | $11.99 | $0.60 | ProCam |
| Polaroid Hi-Print 2 x 3 | 2 x 3 in | 20 | $16.99 | $0.85 | Polaroid |
| instax mini | 2.4 x 1.8 in (62 x 46 mm) | 20 | $16.99 | $0.85 | Pro Photo Supply |
Digital Camera World also notes that Canon's circular sticker paper works out cheaper still, at around 45 cents a print, which is worth knowing if stickers rather than photographs are the point.
What it is good at
- Size. The smallest printer on this site by a clear margin. It genuinely disappears into a pocket.
- Stickers. The peel-and-stick backing is the entire proposition and nothing else in the category does it.
- Nothing to run out of but paper. No cartridge means no risk of ribbon and paper mismatching, and nothing to dry out between uses.
- Fast recharge. 45 minutes to full is the quickest here, which partly compensates for the 20-print battery.
- Canon's app is mature. The Mini Print app is well established on both iOS and Android.
Where it falls short
- Color accuracy. ZINK is the weakest of the three technologies here, and it shows on skin tones in particular.
- Fade resistance. No laminate layer. These prints should not live on a sunny wall.
- 20 prints per charge. Same as the Kodak, and far behind the instax Link 3's 100.
- 50 seconds a print. The slowest here — the instax printers manage 14 to 15 seconds. At a party, with a queue, that is noticeable.
- Not the cheapest. Kodak 4PASS is about 42 cents for a larger, better, more durable print.
- Announced in 2022. Its $129.99 figure is an announcement price and is now only useful as a reference point; check the current listing.
What published reviews say
Digital Camera World, which tests printers hands-on, reviewed the IVY 2 Mini and reports the running cost at around 60 cents a print for photo paper and around 45 cents for circular stickers. That matches our own calculation from Canon's paper pricing, which is the kind of cross-check worth having on a figure this central.
Alternatives
| Canon IVY 2 Mini | HP Sprocket | Kodak Mini 2 Retro | Fujifilm instax mini Link 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film or media | ZINK 2 x 3 | ZINK 2 x 3 | Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 | instax mini |
| Print size | 2 x 3 in | 2 x 3 in | 2.1 x 3.4 in | 2.4 x 1.8 in (62 x 46 mm) |
| Cost per shot | $0.60 | $0.60 | $0.42 | $0.85 |
| Shots per pack | 20 per $11.99 pack | 20 per $11.99 pack | 60 per $24.99 pack | 20 per $16.99 pack |
| Rough first-year cost | $189.94 at 100 shots | Hardware price not published | $139.97 at 100 shots | $201.94 at 100 shots |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery | Rechargeable | Rechargeable | Built-in rechargeable battery |
| Prints from a phone? | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does |
| Flash | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer |
| Selfie mirror | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer |
| Easy for a beginner? | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button |
| Best for | A ZINK printer the size of a stack of cards. Prints in about 50 seconds and runs about 60 cents a print — the cheapest way into phone printing. | The sticker printer. ZINK paper is peel-and-stick, which is exactly what a teenager wants and exactly what an album-keeper does not. | The cheapest running cost of any pocket printer we verified: 42 cents a print, dry, laminated and not sticky. Bundles usually include film. | Prints the photos already on a phone onto real instax mini film. The right gift for someone whose camera roll is full and whose walls are empty. |
- [HP Sprocket](/photo-printers/hp-sprocket-review) — the other main ZINK option, more widely stocked, with a much more confusing lineup.
- [Kodak Mini 2 Retro](/photo-printers/kodak-mini-2-retro-review) — about 42 cents a print, bigger, more durable, better color. Not stickers.
- [instax mini Link 3](/photo-printers/instax-mini-link-3-review) — real instax film at 85 cents, 100 prints per charge.
- [Canon SELPHY QX20](/photo-printers/canon-selphy-qx20-review) — Canon's dye-sublimation option, with sticky-backed square prints at about 80 cents.
Who should buy it
Buy the IVY 2 Mini if the prints are going to be stuck to things, and the smaller the printer the better. For a teenager, that is usually exactly the brief, and the color accuracy objection matters considerably less than it does for photographs destined for an album.
Buy a Kodak instead if the prints are photographs rather than stickers — cheaper, bigger, better and more durable.
Questions people ask
How much does Canon IVY 2 Mini printing cost?
About 60 cents a print. Canon's 2 x 3 ZINK paper was $11.99 for 20 sheets when we checked on 13 October 2026, and Digital Camera World's hands-on review independently reports around 60 cents for photo paper and around 45 cents for circular stickers.
Are Canon IVY prints stickers?
Yes — ZINK paper is sticky-backed and peels off, which is the main reason to choose this printer over a dye-sublimation one. Canon also sells circular sticker paper, which works out cheaper per print.
How long does the Canon IVY 2 Mini take to print?
About 50 seconds per print at 314 x 500 dpi — the slowest printer on this site. The instax printers manage 14 to 15 seconds, which matters if several people are waiting to use it.
How many prints does the Canon IVY 2 Mini do per charge?
Twenty, from a built-in 500 mAh lithium-polymer battery, recharging in as little as 45 minutes. The quick recharge partly compensates, but for an event it is worth bringing a power bank.
Is ZINK print quality good enough?
For stickers and casual prints, yes. For photographs you want to keep, dye-sublimation is clearly better — more accurate color, a protective laminate, and more fade resistance. ZINK prints should also be kept out of direct sunlight.
Read these next
ZINK vs instax
The technology comparison in full.
HP Sprocket review
The other main ZINK printer.
Gifts for teens
Where a sticker printer tends to be the right answer.
What ZINK paper costs per print
The verified figure and its source.
Best pocket photo printers
The full ranking.
Sources
- Canon USA newsroom — IVY 2 Mini announcement — Specifications and $129.99 estimated retail price at announcement, September 2022
- ProCam — Canon 2x3 ZINK paper, 20 sheets — $11.99 on 13 October 2026
- Digital Camera World — Canon IVY 2 Mini review — Hands-on review; cited for print quality and the ~60c per print running cost
- Kodak — 4PASS cartridges — Cartridge sizes and prices, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — instax mini film, 20 exposures — $16.99 on 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Hi-Print 2x3 range — Printer $109.99, starter set $119.99, 20-sheet cartridge $16.99, 13 October 2026
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