The rise of small, moveable printers in recent times has in some half been pushed by the rejection of a ‘digital solely’ world. There isn’t a doubt that we now have seen an elevated need to rework our most cherished moments into tangible keepsakes, and printers that provide an all-in-one package deal that may hook up with your smartphone or pill to print your photographs on the go make it simpler than ever to take action.
The Kodak Step Slim guarantees comfort in addition to a chic design and modern, easy-to-set-up options that get rid of the necessity for messy cartridges or faffy printing processes. Like different moveable printers on this class, the Step Slim doesn’t use inkjets or any type of conventional printing – as a substitute, it makes use of Zink printing, which makes use of warmth to activate color crystals embedded within the ZINK paper, leading to vibrant and smudge-proof prints. We’ll be trying into the printer’s design, performance and ease of setup on this assessment, in addition to the way it stacks up in comparison with a few of its very succesful rivals.
Kodak Step Slim assessment: Key specs
| Connectivity: | Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
| Printing format: | 2 x 3in |
| Weight: | 454g |
| Platforms: | iOS, Android |
| Printing technique: | Zink printing |
| Paper pack dimension: | 20 photographs in a single pack |
Kodak Step Slim assessment: Setup
The printer itself is available in a small package deal, and though we knew about its moveable credentials we had been impressed by the neatness of the package deal and the unboxing course of is easy – simply plug within the included mini USB charger and insert the small starter pack of movie and also you’re able to go.
We discovered that pairing the Step Slim with a smartphone or pill was a hassle-free course of. Allow Bluetooth in your units after which obtain the appropriate Kodak app. A phrase of warning right here – there are fairly a number of apps to select from so make you get the newest one – we used the newly launched Kodak Step Prints app, which additionally permits you to customise collages, edit and crop photos and pull via photographs from social media to print with a contact of a button.
We additionally discovered that loading the zink paper is a simple course of, due to the Step Slim’s user-friendly and regarded design. The enter tray neatly accommodates the paper, and you may simply slide it in with out the necessity for exact alignment, which makes reloading on the go simpler.
Kodak Step Slim assessment: Design
The design of the Step Slim is neat, and it’s so compact that it feels similar to a smartphone in its dimension and really feel. It might be simple so as to add this to a small pocket in a digicam bag, permitting you to print take a look at photos for bigger shoots on the go, for instance. The slide and click on entrance cowl lifts off to can help you add the Zink movie to the printer, and it switches on and connects to your units by way of a small button on the highest. General, the entire course of takes seconds and permits you to get printing very quickly.
The printer itself additionally seems the half – it’s obtained a clean matte end and appears to withstand scratches, smudges and fingerprints. Moreover, in contrast to another moveable printers, there are not any sophisticated interfaces or menu objects to navigate via, as all the pieces goes via the Kodak app. The Step Slim embraces simplicity and the one means it’s on is an LED indicator that communicates its standing and connectivity.
Kodak Step Slim assessment: Performance
One of many options of the Step Slim we favored is its wi-fi connectivity choices – you may connect units via each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, offering ample versatility, though we predict that almost all of individuals will in all probability simply use the easier Bluetooth choice that connects to telephones and tablets. Connection is comparatively simple via telephone settings, after which the choice to print by way of the system ought to seem within the Kodak app. A few notes on the app – we discovered it initially slightly glitchy to make use of however as soon as it’s discovered the printer it really works fairly effectively. Secondly, we take pleasure in utilizing an iPad to edit and print photographs, however sadly, there doesn’t seem like a local pill app, so it’s a must to make do with a repurposed iPhone choice when you’re utilizing iOS.
As soon as arrange, permitting the app entry to your telephone photographs and printing is remarkably simple. The digicam comes with 5 tester sheets of paper and a pack of 20 is round £12, so finally it’s a extra inexpensive means of printing your photographs than printing via conventional builders.
The scale is 2×3, so very small, and frustratingly it’s a must to edit your 4:3 telephone photos to suit the ratio earlier than you print if you wish to management the composition – in any other case, it’ll crop mechanically. Not a deal breaker, however a local 4:3 format choice can be good.
In terms of the all-important query of print high quality, that is the place the Step Slim leaves slightly to be desired. We discovered the print high quality to be considerably inconsistent, with washed-out tones and the marginally doubtful therapy of distinction, regardless of the color rendition being pretty correct. Zink printers make no bones in regards to the high quality being lower than dye sublimation printers or extra conventional inkjet printers, however we’d recommend that the output of Step Slim isn’t actually ok for sticking in your cherished picture albums.
What it does do effectively, nonetheless, is print on the go, because it’s extraordinarily moveable and if you’re in search of one thing you can slip in a small bag or your pocket, then we’d suggest looking.
Ought to I purchase the Kodak Step Slim?
If portability and printing on the go is your primary standards for a printer, then there’s rather a lot to suggest the Kodak Step Slim. It’s useful, simple to make use of, easy to arrange when you’ve completed so and obtained over any app gremlins, and produces small prints that may act as tiny keepsakes of moments in time. For extra skilled images printing and even household album photographs nonetheless, the standard is solely not ok and we’d suggest spending a bit more cash on a dye sublimation choice just like the Canon Selphy 1500.
