Canon Selphy CP1500 Reviewed.

Just in time for the festive season! I love to capture moments with my loved ones and plaster them all over my home and workplace.

Although social medias or mediums like Facebook or Instagram allows us to store our digital photos forever. I often look back into my computer and found tons of print worthy photos just being left there.

With the Canon Selphy CP1500 compact photo printer, I can print out the photos straight away! Where I want it, when I want it. Or does it?

What is the Canon Selphy CP1500?

The Selphy CP1500 is the upgrade of Canon’s flagship CP1300 portable photo printer. The Canon Selphy CP1500 retails at SGD 229 and can be purchased at Canon’s online store and at major retail outlets. The Canon Selphy is available in black and white in Asia and an additional color pink in Europe. Do note that the print papers, ink and battery pack are sold separately.

Specifications.

Printing Technology	Dye-sublimation thermal print method (with overcoating) (100 Years print protection)
Maximum Printing Resolution	300 x 300 dpi
Gradation	256 shades per colour
Print Speed	Postcard size: Approx. 41 sec Card size: Approx. 23 sec Measured conditions : Room temperature, print speed measured from start of yellow printing to ejection of paper. With print finish set to “glossy”.
Supported Paper Size / Printing Size	Postcard Size, borderless : 100.0 x 148.0 mm Postcard Size, bordered: 91.3 x 121.7 mm Card size, borderless, including full-size label: 54.0 x 86.0 mm Card size, bordered, including full-size label: 49.9 x 66.6 mm Card size (Label on 8-label sheet): 22.0 x 17.3 mm Card size (Square labels): 50 x 50 mm
Supported Media Type	Dedicated paper Postcard size (with an address field on reverse side): KP-36IP Postcard size: KP-108IN, RP-54, RP-108, RP-1080V Card size: KC-36IP Card size Full-Sized Label: KC-18IF Card size Eight Label: KC-18IL Card size Square Label: KC-18IS
Dimension (LxDxH)	182.2 x 57.6 x 133.0 mm
Weight	Approx. 850g (printer only)
Paper Handling (Maximum Number)	18 sheets
Battery	Sold separately – Battery Pack NB-CP2LI / NB-CP2LH
Charging Time	Approx. 4.5 hours Measured conditions : Room temperature, using NB-CP2LI
Connectivity	Wi-Fi
Memory Card Compatible	SD / SDHC / SDXC Via adapter: miniSD / miniSDHC / microSD / microSDHC / microSDXC
Power Source	Compact Power AC Adapter CA-CP300 B Battery Pack NB-CP2LI / NB-CP2LH (sold separately)
Port	USB – Type C (USB 2.0) USB charging or powering up via USB not supported

Setting up.

The Canon Selphy CP1500 does not come with the external battery pack, ink cartridge and print papers. Therefore, it is highly recommended to purchase the Canon RP-108 set which comes with 4R paper and ink enough for 108 prints.

Setting up was a breeze, everything was plug and play. For the hardware, you just need to insert the ink cartridge on the right and the paper tray at the front.

Once powered up, either by the external battery pack or the power cable. You just need to connect the Selphy CP1500 to your wifi, download the SELPHY app, link your devices by scanning the QR code and you are set for printing.

Print experience and quality.

The Canon Selphy CP1500 allows up to 8 users to connect to the same printer and print directly from their mobile phone. However, you will need to have wifi to be able to print via your phone. The printer also supports SD card and USB-C printing.

Printing takes about 25 to 40 seconds per photo depending on the size and you get to select from 3 finishes (Glossy, Semi-Gloss and Satin). I personally prefer the glossy finish as it really brightens up the colors.

Print quality is excellent for a portable printer, the colors are close to the original pictures taken from my phone. Even for pictures with sunburst, the vivid shine could be recreated on print due to the 300×300 dpi resolution and 256 shades per color gradation.

Other than single prints, you are also able to print 2 in 1, 4 in 1 and 8 in 1 layouts. However, I feel that the 4R is quite small to have a collage effect and prefer the single print option. Similar to most Canon compact printers, you will be able to add stickers and notes onto the prints via the SELPHY app.

The Bottom Line.

The Canon Selphy CP1500 is a great compact printer that does it’s job in terms of print quality, speed and functionality.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to try the battery pack to make it a real portable printer. But at 850g and dimensions of 182.2 x 57.6 x 133.0 mm, it does feels like holding a mini shoebox out. It is ok for functions like birthday parties or small events but I would not consider to bring it for holidays as wifi connectivity and power source might be an issue.

TLDR:

Great compact printer but a point away from being real portable.