In recent years, we’ve become so accustomed to storing photos exclusively in digital format that we’ve lost the desire to own physical prints. This shift has inevitably led to a profound change in our relationship with images. In contrast, printing photos allows us to move beyond the binary format, offering a distinctly more tangible experience: photos can be hung up, browsed in albums, gifted, traded, touched—even the smell of the ink can be appreciated.
Digital photos, even those without particular artistic merit, still capture a moment. However, there’s a risk they lose their charm, turning the act of taking pictures into a repetitive, mundane task, especially with smartphones. It is essential, therefore, to rediscover the joy of printing, as it allows us to reclaim our personal histories.
During official meetings, festivals, moderations, and photographer interviews, we often conclude with a “souvenir photo” that doesn’t remain confined to a digital device but is printed on the spot. This now well-established practice has only become feasible in recent years, thanks to the convenience and immediacy of portable printers.
Driven by our specific needs, this article focuses on the Canon Selphy QX20, a widely appreciated printer that offers an improved user experience over the previous model. Its new features include significantly faster charging via the USB-C port, remarkably quicker print speed, and, most notably, the addition of a WiFi module that enables pairing with a smartphone simply by scanning the QR code inside the cartridge tray. The Canon Selphy QX20 thus remains an immediate, compact, and versatile portable photo printer, with a suggested retail price of €139.99 including VAT.
One of the most impressive aspects of the printer is its compatibility with both square photo paper (XS-20L) and 2:3 aspect ratio paper (XC-20L/XC-60L). This flexibility is noteworthy both creatively, allowing for easy format switching by simply changing the paper, and economically, as competing devices typically only support a single format. In this sense, the QX20 was clearly designed to encourage creativity: it enables the creation of visual notes, the decoration of journals or albums, personalized cards, and high-quality photo prints directly from a smartphone.
Among the strengths we particularly appreciated is the print speed, which quickly produces high-quality photos. The colors are vibrant and realistic, and black-and-white images are also clear, free from unwanted color shifts. During our tests, we printed both color and black-and-white images, including directly from iPhone RAW files and even AI-generated images. Canon’s use of dye-sublimation technology (cartridge-free), ensures high-quality, smudge-free photos that resist fading thanks to a special protective coating.
Prova di stampa a colori su formato quadrato. Colori brillanti, contorni ben definiti e corrispondenza colori pressoché ottimale rispetto a quanto visualizzato sullo schermo dell’iPhone Prova in bianco e nero su formato 2:3. Le ombre ed i mezzitoni ci hanno decisamente convinto ed i dettagli sono tutti conservati Prova di stampa di immagine generata con AI Prova di stampa di fotografia d’arte direttamente da formato RAW Prova di stampa di fotografia d’arte direttamente da formato RAW (dettaglio)
The Canon SELPHY QX20 has a printing speed of about 40 seconds per photo.
Additionally, the prints produced by this printer are designed to last up to 100 years, maintaining high quality and resistance to fading thanks to a protective coating.
While the SELPHY Photo Layout app offers enhancements like stamps, filters, borders, and text- and now includes recent updates for collages, frames, customizable borders, and full-page printing- the interface could benefit from a software update to make the experience even more intuitive and immediate. For example, to crop an image, you need to select the “Collage” option, even when printing a single photo.
We also missed the option for matte paper alongside glossy, as well as papers with non-white backgrounds. While the current limitations affect the printing area and thus only a small part of the app’s experience, allowing for a variety of background colors would add significant value.
The QX20 joins Canon’s lineup of portable printers, which includes the Selphy CP1500 and the Zoemini series, as a versatile option for creative expression anytime and anywhere. The user experience is particularly rewarding, thanks especially to the outstanding color quality, making Canon’s portable printer range attractive and desirable.
Federico Emmi & Silvio Villa