Canon SELPHY QX20 review
Square dye-sublimation prints with a sticky back and a protective overcoat, from a battery-powered body. The only real objection is the price.
The Canon SELPHY QX20 prints 2.7 x 2.7 inch square and 2.1 x 3.4 inch card formats using dye-sublimation with a protective overcoat, in about 40 seconds at 287 dpi, from a built-in battery. Square prints cost about 80 cents each and the printer was $189.00 listed.
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1. Verdict: the quality portable
Canon SELPHY QX20
Dye-sublimation quality in a battery-powered body — at the highest price in the category.
- Buy it for
- Someone who wants square prints that last, and still wants to carry the printer.
- Skip it if
- A budget. $189.00 listed, and about 80 cents a print.
- **Dye-sublimation thermal transfer** with a protective overcoat applied over every print.
- 287 dpi with **256 shades per color** — 16.8 million colors.
- Two formats: **2.7 x 2.7 in square** and 2.1 x 3.4 in card.
- A built-in rechargeable battery with USB-C charging, so it is genuinely portable.
- Canon states the overcoat protects against water, dirt, bleeding and fading for up to 100 years.
Running cost: Canon SELPHY Square (XS-20L) works out at $0.80 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $269.00 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores7.6/10 overall
- Print durability10
- Color accuracy9
- Portability7
- Cost per print6
- Value for money5
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.
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What it is
The QX20 is the portable SELPHY: Canon's dye-sublimation print quality in a body with its own battery, aimed at the square-print market that instax SQUARE and Polaroid otherwise own.
The print is the point. Dye-sublimation with a protective overcoat means a photograph that is dry on exit, resistant to water and handling, and — by Canon's claim — fade resistant for up to a century. Against a 2.4 x 2.4 inch instax SQUARE print at $1.15 a shot, that is a better photograph for less money.
Specifications
| Media | Canon XS-20L ink and label set (2.7 x 2.7 in); XC-20L (2.1 x 3.4 in) |
|---|---|
| Print sizes | 2.7 x 2.7 in square and 2.1 x 3.4 in card |
| Print technology | Dye-sublimation thermal transfer with protective overcoat |
| Print resolution | 287 dpi, 256 shades per color (16.8 million colors) |
| Print time | About 40 seconds |
| Durability claim | Protected against water, dirt and fading for up to 100 years |
| Connection | Via the Canon app |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB-C charging |
| Weight | Around a pound |
| Prints per charge | Not published in a source we could fetch |
| Listed price | $189.00 at ProCam, 13 October 2026 |
What it costs to run
The XS-20L ink and label set covering 20 square prints was $16.00 on 13 October 2026 — about 80 cents a print.
| Format | Print size | Pack | Pack price | Cost per shot | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY 4 x 6 (KP-108IN) | 4 x 6 in | 108 | $41.99 | $0.39 | Pro Photo Supply |
| Kodak 4PASS 3 x 3 | 3 x 3 in | 60 | $24.99 | $0.42 | Kodak Photo Printer store |
| Canon SELPHY Square (XS-20L) | 2.7 x 2.7 in | 20 | $16.00 | $0.80 | ProCam |
| instax SQUARE | 2.4 x 2.4 in (62 x 62 mm image on 86 x 72 mm film) | 20 | $22.99 | $1.15 | Pro Photo Supply |
| Polaroid i-Type | 4.2 x 3.5 in (107 x 88 mm) | 8 | $18.99 | $2.37 | Polaroid |
Compared against what it actually competes with, that figure reads well: instax SQUARE film is about $1.15 a shot and a full-size Polaroid about $2.37. Compared against the rest of the printer market it reads poorly: Kodak's 3 x 3 square 4PASS media is about 42 cents, for a slightly larger square print.
What it is good at
- Print quality and durability. The best combination here: 256 shades per color, a protective overcoat, water resistance and a 100-year fade claim.
- Two formats from one printer, square and card, which nothing else in this category offers.
- Genuine portability with dye-sub quality. Every other dye-sublimation printer worth having is a desktop unit.
- Sticky-backed prints, so you get the sticker use case without ZINK's color compromise.
- Cheaper per print than the square instant films it competes with — 80 cents against $1.15.
Where it falls short
- $189.00 is the highest printer price on this site. At that money it is competing with desktop units that print 4 x 6 photographs for half the cost per sheet.
- 80 cents a print is twice Kodak's square media. The Kodak Mini 3 Retro does 3 x 3 inch squares at about 42 cents.
- No published battery life, on a battery-powered printer.
- 40 seconds a print, against 14 to 15 for the instax printers.
- 20-print sets. Small media units are the main reason the per-print cost is what it is.
Alternatives
| Canon SELPHY QX20 | Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Kodak Mini 3 Retro | Fujifilm instax SQUARE SQ40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film or media | Canon SELPHY Square (XS-20L) | Canon SELPHY 4 x 6 (KP-108IN) | Kodak 4PASS 3 x 3 | instax SQUARE |
| Print size | 2.7 x 2.7 in | 4 x 6 in | 3 x 3 in | 2.4 x 2.4 in (62 x 62 mm image on 86 x 72 mm film) |
| Cost per shot | $0.80 | $0.39 | $0.42 | $1.15 |
| Shots per pack | 20 per $16.00 pack | 108 per $41.99 pack | 60 per $24.99 pack | 20 per $22.99 pack |
| Rough first-year cost | $269.00 at 100 shots | $221.98 at 100 shots | $149.97 at 100 shots | Hardware price not published |
| Power | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB-C | Mains, with an optional battery pack | Rechargeable | Two CR2 lithium batteries |
| Prints from a phone? | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | No |
| Flash | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | Constant firing, automatic; effective 0.3-2.2 m |
| Selfie mirror | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | Yes |
| 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 easy — effectively one button |
| Best for | Square dye-sublimation prints with a protective overcoat and a sticky back. Canon claims the finish holds up for a century; it certainly survives a fridge door. | Not pocket-size, but it prints a real 4 x 6 photo for 39 cents — the cheapest actual photograph on this site, by a factor of six against Polaroid film. | The square-print Kodak. A 3 x 3 in print for about 42 cents, against $1.15 for instax SQUARE film. | The square frame people mean when they say 'Polaroid', on film that costs half as much. Leatherette body, one button, nothing to learn. |
- Kodak Mini 3 Retro, $99.99 with a bundle — 3 x 3 inch squares at about 42 cents a print. Half the printer price and half the running cost, with slightly less refined output.
- [Canon SELPHY CP1500](/photo-printers/canon-selphy-cp1500-review), $179.99 — a 4 x 6 photograph for about 39 cents. Cheaper to buy and to run, and not portable.
- [instax SQUARE SQ40](/instant-cameras/instax-square-sq40-review) — a camera rather than a printer, making square instant prints at $1.15 a shot.
Who should buy it
Buy the QX20 if you specifically want square prints that will outlast instant film, and you want to be able to carry the printer. On print quality and durability it is the best portable printer here, and against square instant film it is also the cheaper option.
Buy a Kodak Mini 3 Retro instead if square prints at half the cost are good enough, or a SELPHY CP1500 if the printer can live on a desk — a 4 x 6 photograph at 39 cents is better value than anything on this page.
Questions people ask
How much does Canon SELPHY QX20 printing cost?
About 80 cents per square print. The XS-20L ink and label set covering 20 prints at 2.7 x 2.7 inches was $16.00 when we checked on 13 October 2026. The QX20 also prints a 2.1 x 3.4 inch card format using XC-20L sets.
Is the Canon SELPHY QX20 portable?
Yes — it has a built-in rechargeable battery with USB-C charging and weighs around a pound, which makes it the genuinely portable SELPHY. Canon does not publish a prints-per-charge figure, which is a real gap for a battery-powered printer.
How long do SELPHY prints last?
Canon applies a protective overcoat after printing and states it protects against water, dirt, color bleeding and fading for up to 100 years. That is a manufacturer claim rather than an independent test, but dye-sublimation prints are demonstrably more durable than ZINK or instant film.
Is the SELPHY QX20 worth $189?
Only if portable square prints are specifically what you want. It makes the best-quality, most durable print of any portable printer here. But a Kodak Mini 3 Retro does 3 x 3 inch squares at about 42 cents a print for roughly half the printer price, and the desktop SELPHY CP1500 does a 4 x 6 for about 39 cents.
What is the difference between the SELPHY QX20 and the CP1500?
The QX20 is battery-powered and prints 2.7 x 2.7 inch squares and 2.1 x 3.4 inch cards at about 80 cents each. The CP1500 is a mains desktop unit printing 4 x 6 photographs at about 39 cents each. The CP1500 is cheaper to buy, much cheaper to run, and not portable.
Read these next
Canon SELPHY CP1500 review
The desktop SELPHY, at 39 cents a 4 x 6 print.
instax mini Link 3 vs Canon SELPHY
Pocket against desktop, with the cost gap.
How pocket photo printers work
Why dye-sublimation prints last longer.
instax SQUARE SQ40 review
The square instant camera this competes with.
Best pocket photo printers
The full ranking.
Sources
- ProCam — Canon SELPHY QX20 — Specifications and $189.00 listed price, 13 October 2026
- ProCam — Canon SELPHY XS-20L ink and label set — $16.00 for 20 prints at 2.7 x 2.7 in, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY KP-108IN set — $41.99 for 108 prints at 4 x 6 in, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY CP1500 — $179.99 listed, 13 October 2026
- Kodak — 4PASS cartridges — Cartridge sizes and prices, 13 October 2026
- Kodak Photo Printer store — Current range and listed prices, 13 October 2026
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