So check the weights both with and without batteries. Keep in mind, also, that if you don't need to bring the battery on a particular trip, you can shave off as much as half a pound. Weights for current all-purpose inkjet models range from 3.5 pounds to a little less than 7 pounds. Any printer is portable if you have a big enough truck! The question is whether it's small and light enough to carry easily, particularly if you want to pack it in a suitcase or backpack. Canon's Pixma TR150 is an archetypal portable single-function inkjet with an optional battery. But there are also some special considerations for portables.

To the extent that you need to check out and compare basics like print quality, print speed, paper capacity, maximum duty cycle (how much you can print per month without risking damaging the printer), and whether the printer can duplex (print on both sides of the page), choosing among them is similar to choosing any all-purpose printer. These all-purpose printers are all inkjets. Their offerings even fall into two subcategories: single-function printer, and all-in-one printer. These true portables are rare, but they do exist-Canon, Epson, and HP have a handful. The battery will let you print anywhere, including in your car or while on that picnic, with no AC outlet in sight. To count as 'portable' for purposes of this roundup, however, the printer also needs the ability to run on battery power, at least as an option. It's not hard to find standard inkjet printers that are small and light enough to take with you on a business trip or vacation, so you can print a letter- or legal-size document in your hotel room before a meeting, or print photos of a family picnic.

(We'll also serve up some tips on how to pick the right one for the job at hand.) All-Purpose Portable Inkjet Printers The four main classes of portable printer are (1) all-purpose printers, (2) photo printers, (3) label printers, and (4) monochrome thermal printers. (If you want to print photos from your phone on the go, for example, you'll probably start by looking for a compact photo printer.) But it's still worth knowing what those categories are before you begin shopping. Choosing the right category of portable printer for how you print is usually easy.

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