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If you want small, glossy prints at home, it's hard to beat a dye sublimation printer. Photo prints come out dry, smooth and ready to hand to someone, because the printer heats a ribbon of dye and transfers it into the paper one color at a time, then seals it with a clear coat. There's no ink to dry out between uses.
One important distinction first: these are not the sublimation printers used for shirts, mugs and tumblers. Photo dye-sub printers print straight onto their own paper. Sublimation transfer printers, like the Epson SureColor F170, print onto transfer paper that you heat press onto a blank. If that's what you need, go to our best sublimation printers guide instead. If you want photo prints, read on.
Quick picks
- Canon SELPHY CP1500 – Best overall. 4 x 6 prints in about 41 seconds, Wi-Fi, SD and USB-C, a 3.5-inch screen.
- Kodak Dock Plus Retro (PD460) – Best phone dock. Dock your phone to print and charge, or print by Bluetooth.
- Canon SELPHY QX20 – Best portable and sticker prints. Built-in battery, sticker-backed square and card-size prints.
- Kodak Mini 3 Retro – Best square pocket printer. 3 x 3-inch prints over Bluetooth.
- DNP DS620A – Best for events and pros. About 8.3 seconds per 4 x 6, 400 prints per roll, panoramas up to 6 x 20.
Comparison table
| Printer | Best for | Print sizes | Resolution | Speed (maker's figure) | Connections | Power | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Home 4 x 6 | Postcard (4 x 6), card, square label | 300 x 300 dpi | ~41 sec (4 x 6) | Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-C | AC; optional battery | Check price |
| Kodak Dock Plus Retro PD460 | Phone users | 4 x 6 | 300 x 300 dpi | Not listed on Kodak's page | Bluetooth, phone dock (USB-C, Lightning adapter) | AC | Check price |
| Canon SELPHY QX20 | Travel, stickers | Square sticker (72 x 85 mm), card (54 x 85 mm) | 287 x 287 dpi | ~40 sec | Wi-Fi to app | Built-in battery | Check price |
| Kodak Mini 3 Retro | Pocket square prints | 3 x 3 in | Not listed on the Amazon listing | Not listed | Bluetooth | Not listed | Check price |
| DNP DS620A | Events, photo booths, studios | 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 6 x 8; panoramas to 6 x 20 | 300 x 600 dpi | ~8.3 sec (4 x 6) | Computer-connected | AC | Check price |
The best dye sublimation photo printers, reviewed
1. Canon SELPHY CP1500: Best Overall
Who it's for: families and hobby photographers who want lab-style 4 x 6 prints from phones, cameras and computers.
Canon's spec sheet lists a dye-sublimation thermal print method with overcoating, 300 x 300 dpi and 256 shades per color. A borderless 4 x 6 (postcard) print takes about 41 seconds and a card-size print about 23 seconds, measured from the start of yellow printing to ejection. The overcoat protects against water, dirt, oil and fingerprints, and Canon rates prints for up to 100 years stored in an album, based on Japanese industry stability tests.
It's the most flexible here for input. You can print over Wi-Fi from the SELPHY Photo Layout app, with up to eight devices connected directly so a group can queue photos, or straight from an SD card or USB-C drive, using the 3.5-inch color screen. Canon also lists direct printing from its image.canon cloud, Instagram and Google Photos. An optional battery pack (NB-CP2LI or NB-CP2LH) makes it portable. Paper and ink come together in sets such as KP-108IN.
Pros
- Fast, borderless 4 x 6 prints with protective overcoat
- Wi-Fi, SD card, USB-C and multi-device printing
- Card-size and label options with an optional cassette
Cons
- 4 x 6 is the largest print
- Battery is an extra
- Proprietary paper and ink sets
Canon SELPHY CP1500 Wireless Compact Photo Printer
by Canon
2. Kodak Dock Plus Retro (PD460): Best Phone Dock
Who it's for: people who print almost entirely from a phone and want the simplest possible setup.
The Dock Plus gives you two ways to print. Set your phone on the dock and it prints and charges over USB-C (Kodak includes a Lightning adapter), or skip the dock and print over Bluetooth from Kodak's app, where you can also edit. It uses Kodak's 4PASS dye-sublimation process, which Kodak describes as layering color in four passes for smooth gradients, finished with a protective lamination. Prints are 4 x 6 inches at 300 x 300 dpi.
Refills come as the PHC-80 cartridge, which pairs ribbon and paper. Kodak doesn't list print speed or a battery on its product page, so treat it as a desk printer. The Dock Era (D600) is a near-identical model with the same print specs, so buy whichever is in stock.
Pros
- Dock-and-print or Bluetooth from iOS and Android
- Charges your phone while it prints
- 4 x 6 laminated prints
Cons
- Phone-only; no SD card slot
- Print speed not published by Kodak
- Proprietary cartridges
KODAK Dock Plus Retro 4x6 Inch PD460 Photo Printer
by Kodak
3. Canon SELPHY QX20: Best Portable & Sticker Prints
Who it's for: travelers, scrapbookers and content creators who want small, sticky-backed prints anywhere.
The QX20 is palm-sized (about 102 x 146 x 33 mm and 455 g) with a built-in lithium-ion battery that Canon says prints up to 20 photos per charge and recharges over USB-C in about 80 minutes. It prints square sticker paper (72 x 85 mm) and card-size paper (54 x 85 mm), bordered or borderless, in about 40 seconds each. Canon notes that every print is a sticker.
It uses the same dye-sublimation-with-overcoat process as the bigger SELPHY, at 287 x 287 dpi, and Canon gives it the same up-to-100-years album rating. Printing runs over a direct Wi-Fi link to the SELPHY Photo Layout app. Canon launched it in the US in September 2024.
Pros
- Truly portable with a built-in battery
- Sticker-backed square and card-size prints
- Overcoat protection like the CP1500
Cons
- Small prints only; no 4 x 6
- About 20 prints per charge
- App-only printing
Canon SELPHY QX20 Compact Photo Printer
by Canon
4. Kodak Mini 3 Retro: Best Square Pocket Printer
Who it's for: anyone who wants square, Instagram-style prints from a phone in a pocket-size printer.
The Mini 3 Retro prints 3 x 3-inch photos with Kodak's 4PASS dye-sublimation process and connects to the Kodak Photo Printer app over Bluetooth. Prints are laminated like Kodak's 4 x 6 models, which the listing says makes them fingerprint- and water-resistant, and the square format is bigger than most credit-card-size pocket prints. It takes Kodak's 3 x 3 4PASS cartridges only; the box includes a starter cartridge for 8 prints, and refill packs of 60 are sold separately.
Kodak's newer Mini 3 Era uses the same 3 x 3 format, but its Amazon listing showed as currently unavailable when we checked, so we list the Retro here. Kodak doesn't publish print speed or battery life for the Mini 3 Retro on its Amazon listing.
Pros
- 3 x 3 square prints
- Pocket-size, Bluetooth printing
- Laminated 4PASS prints
Cons
- Bluetooth only
- Speed and battery life not published
- Smaller than a 4 x 6
KODAK Mini 3 Retro 4PASS Portable Photo Printer (3x3 inches)
by Kodak
5. DNP DS620A: Best for Events & Pros
Who it's for: event photographers, photo booths, schools and retail photo counters.
This is a different class of machine. DNP lists the DS620A as a 6-inch dye-sub printer that produces a 4 x 6 in about 8.3 seconds, up to about 430 4 x 6 prints per hour, and about 15 seconds for a 5 x 7. A media roll gives 400 prints at 4 x 6, and it prints up to 6 x 8 inches, with 6 x 14 and 6 x 20-inch panoramas when running current firmware and DNP's WCM-Plus or Hot Folder Print software.
It measures 10.8 x 14.4 x 6.7 inches, uses less than 0.5 W in standby, and DNP offers it with a three-year Advanced Exchange Warranty. It's driven from a computer or event software, not a phone app, and it's sold mainly through photo and event resellers.
Pros
- Very fast prints and high hourly output
- 400 prints per 4 x 6 roll
- Panorama and multiple print sizes; 3-year exchange warranty
Cons
- Premium price tier
- Needs a computer and software
- Overkill for home use
DNP DS620A Dye-Sub Photo Printer
by DNP
Dye sublimation printer for photos: buying guide
Photo dye-sub vs sublimation transfer printers
| Photo dye-sub printer | Sublimation transfer printer | |
|---|---|---|
| Prints on | Its own photo paper | Transfer paper, then heat pressed |
| Ink | Ribbon cartridge (dye panels) | Liquid sublimation ink |
| Output | Finished photo | Image on a mug, shirt, tumbler or panel |
| Examples | Canon SELPHY, Kodak Dock, DNP DS620A | Epson SureColor F170, Sawgrass SG500 |
| Extra equipment | None | Heat press, blanks |
Both use dye that moves as a gas under heat; our what is sublimation printing guide explains the process, and sublimation ink vs regular ink covers why the inks aren't interchangeable.
Print size
Most home dye-sub printers top out at 4 x 6. Pocket models print card-size or 3 x 3. If you need 5 x 7 or 6 x 8, you're into pro printers like the DS620A, or an inkjet photo printer.
Connections
- Phone-first: Kodak Dock and Mini (Bluetooth), Canon QX20 (Wi-Fi app).
- Phone plus camera and computer: Canon CP1500, with Wi-Fi, SD card and USB-C.
- Computer and event software: DNP DS620A.
Power and portability
A built-in battery, like the QX20's, makes printing at parties or on trips easy; check the maker's page for battery details on pocket models. The CP1500 takes an optional battery. Docks and pro printers stay plugged in.
Cost per print
Every printer here uses proprietary media, so the real cost is the paper-and-ribbon pack, not the printer. Compare the price of a refill pack with the number of prints in it before you buy, and check the pack sizes your retailer stocks.
Durability
The clear overcoat is what makes dye-sub prints handleable right away. Canon rates SELPHY prints for up to 100 years in an album, based on JEITA's indoor stability test method at 23°C and 50% humidity; real-world life depends on light and storage. Kodak says its laminated prints last longer than typical instant prints.
How a dye-sub photo print is made
- The ribbon. The cartridge holds a ribbon with separate panels of dye. Canon even measures its SELPHY speed from the start of the yellow pass.
- The heat head. A thermal print head heats tiny points on the ribbon, and the dye moves into the paper's surface. More heat means more dye, which is how dye-sub printers produce smooth gradations; Canon lists 256 shades per color.
- Color by color. The paper passes under the head once for each color.
- The overcoat. A final clear layer seals the print. Canon calls it an overcoat, Kodak a lamination; both say it protects against water and fingerprints.
Because the dye is fixed into the paper rather than sprayed on, the print is dry and ready to handle as soon as it comes out.
Which one should you buy?
| If you mainly… | Choose |
|---|---|
| Print 4 x 6 photos from phones, cameras and SD cards | Canon SELPHY CP1500 |
| Print only from your phone and want the simplest setup | Kodak Dock Plus Retro |
| Want stickers and prints on the go | Canon SELPHY QX20 |
| Like square, Instagram-style prints | Kodak Mini 3 Retro |
| Run a photo booth, event or school picture day | DNP DS620A |
How we chose
We didn't test these printers ourselves. We compared manufacturer specifications from Canon, Kodak and DNP for print technology, size, resolution, speed, connectivity and power, checked US availability through Canon USA's launch announcements and US retailers, and weighed owner feedback patterns. We left out speeds and battery figures that manufacturers don't publish.
FAQ
What is a dye sublimation photo printer?
A printer that uses heat to transfer dye from a ribbon onto special photo paper, one color at a time, usually finished with a clear protective overcoat. The dye is vaporized into the paper's surface, which gives smooth, continuous tones without inkjet dots. It's a different machine from the sublimation printers used for shirts and mugs.
Can I use a dye sublimation photo printer for mugs or shirts?
No. Photo dye-sub printers print directly onto their own photo paper from a ribbon cartridge. To decorate mugs, tumblers or shirts, you need a sublimation transfer printer such as the Epson SureColor F170 or Sawgrass SG500, sublimation paper and a heat press. See our Epson F170 review and sublimation blanks guide.
Is dye sublimation better than inkjet for photos?
For small prints, it's simpler: prints come out dry, laminated and ready to handle, with no ink to clog. Canon rates SELPHY prints for up to 100 years in an album under its test conditions. Inkjet photo printers can print larger sizes and on more paper types.
How long does a dye sublimation photo take to print?
Home printers take under a minute per photo: Canon lists about 41 seconds for a 4 x 6 on the SELPHY CP1500 and about 40 seconds on the SELPHY QX20. Pro event printers are much faster; DNP lists about 8.3 seconds per 4 x 6 for the DS620A.
What paper does a dye sublimation photo printer use?
Each printer uses its own matched pack of paper and ribbon. Canon's SELPHY CP1500 uses sets such as KP-108IN for postcard-size prints; Kodak's 4x6 docks use the PHC-80 cartridge; DNP sells media rolls for each printer. Third-party paper generally won't fit.
Verdict
The Canon SELPHY CP1500 is the best dye sublimation photo printer for most homes: fast 4 x 6 prints, an overcoat, and every connection you're likely to need. Phone-only households will like the Kodak Dock Plus, travelers and scrapbookers the battery-powered Canon SELPHY QX20, and event photographers the DNP DS620A. If you meant sublimation for mugs and shirts, head to our best sublimation printers instead.