Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 Printer Review

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 is entirely plastic but feels sturdily built. The film compartment is easily accessible; you just need to ensure that there isn't any unused film inside, as light exposure will ruin the sheets and make them unusable. Printed pictures come out from the slot at the top of the device, which lacks any protective covering, meaning dust can get in and accumulate over time. The Micro-USB port on the side, however, has a protective cover. There's a case available if you want more protection for transport, though you have to purchase it separately. The power button on the front of the device provides tactile feedback so that you know it has registered an input.

Note: The weight includes a film pack, as removing it would ruin the film.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 requires very little maintenance. The film pack is easy to load, and each pack contains ten sheets. Again, it's best to wait until the camera is empty to load a new pack, as exposing the film to light would ruin the film. There's a reset button in case of malfunction. You can see the user's manual here.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 doesn't have a display. The LED-lit 'instax' branding on the power button pulses when charging or printing.

This printer uses instant film instead of cartridges. You can purchase the film in packs of various sizes and choose between color or monochrome film. There are also specialty packs with colored or patterned borders, like sky blue, pink lemonade, Hello Kitty, or rainbows. The compartment holds ten sheets at a time.

• User guide
• USB-A to Micro-USB charging cable

Note: The printer doesn't come with any film.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 has an advertised charging time of 80 to 120 minutes. However, it may take longer to fully charge the device the first time.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 can't print documents.

The cost per print is high because the film is expensive. That said, this is the cost for a pack of 20 sheets. You can likely get a better deal with larger packs.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 prints photos very quickly; it only scores low because it can't print any documents or double-sided. You can reprint the last photo by flipping the printer upside down and pressing the main button. However, it doesn't work if you've turned off the printer since the last print.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 has a poor color gamut. Fujifilm advertises the printer as having an RGB gradation of 256 colors. Its narrow color range makes photos look dull, with some areas looking like a single color with no texture or fine detail, like the parrot's white face and red feathers. If you want a portable photo printer with a wider color gamut, check out the Fujifilm instax Link WIDE.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2's color accuracy is mediocre, largely due to the printer's narrow color range. Most colors are visibly off, especially cyan.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 performs poorly with small details. Although there isn't any halftoning or dithering that we often see on inkjet and laser printers, the image looks soft, with blurred edges. The low resolution is noticeable even on such a small photo, and due to the printer's narrow color range, much of the details in lighter areas aren't visible. Check out the Polaroid Hi-Print Generation 2 if you want a portable printer that's better at reproducing small details.

As expected, the Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 can only produce 2.4" x 1.8" photos on instax mini film.

You can only connect to the printer via Bluetooth, either with an Android or iOS smartphone or a compatible Fujifilm camera like the Fujifilm X-S10. You can only connect to one device at a time, and the Micro-USB port is for charging only.

When connected to the Fujifilm X-S10, there's an additional menu that lets you select the print mode (Natural or Rich); the menu isn't present on other Fujifilm cameras. You can only print photos taken with the camera, and the file has to be in a JPEG format. There isn't a significant quality difference between the Natural and Rich mode; the only difference is that the Rich mode gives the image a warmer tone.

Since the printer can only print photos, the mobile app doesn't support text files, PDFs, or webpages. It has two modes: a Print Mode and a Fun Mode. The Print Mode lets you print photos or a frame of a video as a photo or take a picture with your smartphone while using the printer as a shutter remote. The Fun Mode lets you create a collage by putting multiple images into a single photo, a montage with someone else's photos, or put two photos together (yours and a friend's) for a compatibility quiz. You can take a picture of a sketch with your smartphone and add it to your existing photo, add effects like bubbles and glitter, draw on the image with your fingers, or use the printer's side LED as a pointer to draw in the air, a feature called instaxAiR. You can embed a video into the image; the printer will create a QR code that shows the video when scanned. Lastly, you can monitor the printer's battery level and the number of sheets left via the app.

There's a separate app called 'instax mini Link for Nintendo Switch', which allows you to print screenshots taken on your Nintendo Switch. This app also gives you exclusive access to frames and stickers that you can add to your photos.

The Fujifilm instax mini Link 2 isn't compatible with any desktop operating systems as it can only connect to smartphones and compatible Fujifilm cameras.