As soon as a certain type of technology is perfected, the next step for manufacturers is to take the said technology and shrink it to fit a smaller device. How small their devices will become and when they plan to stop, nobody knows exactly. The problem with this kind of thinking is that, at least at first, to fit such technology into a much smaller shell than initially planed means to give up some of the quality, or sometimes all of it.

This is a pretty good rule for netbooks, the small notebooks that are flooding the market as well as for portable printers. Although mobile printers often mean slower printing speeds and not such good photo quality, Canon’s printers often managed to be an exception to this rule.

These Canon photo printers were among the first mobile printers released with a 9600 dpi resolution. It continues a long linage of popular inkjet printers, and the direct ‘successor’ to the IP90v. The Pixma IP100 has a silver matte finish outer shell, complimented by glossy black panels on the side. Its design was borrowed almost completely from its predecessor, the IP90v.

Both the paper tray and the front lid fold up conveniently and the printer becomes easily portable in a matter of seconds. Since it weighs 4.4 pounds, it can be considered a bit heavier than most of the devices of this type; but it makes this up by a slightly more compact form factor and measures 12.7 x 7.2 x 2.4 inches. The input tray can hold 50 sheets of paper, and sizes supported include 2 by 3, 4 by 6, 5 by 7 and 8 by 10 inch.

Aside from printing straight from a PC, the IP100 also offers a PictBridge port that will allow direct printing from any compatible digital camera. Sadly there is no memory card slot or Wifi. A Bluetooth adapter can be bought separately, however, which will let you print sans wires from either a mobile phone or laptop. For these Canon photo printers an enhanced 5 ink system was used.

This system is meant to maximize print quality for both photos and documents. The 5 inks include a photo black ink for rich contrast and good photo printing. A separate Pigment black can be used for sharp text and office documents. Documents are printed at good quality. But it’s the photo quality that really impresses. Photos look vivid and detailed even on larger paper.

Now it’s commonly known that portable photo printers have embarrassing print speeds. It’s not the case here. The IP100 can print out a 4 by 6 inch photo in about 50 seconds and a 8 by 10 inch in a bit over two minutes and a half. While it’s not mind-blowing and you’ll still find it slow as wait time, it’s considerably better than most other portable photo printers. Finally, the IP100 retails for about $250. It’s greatest disadvantage is the lack of a memory card slot. Other than that it offers great quality, portability and speed.

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