Nelko Photo Printer PP01

In a previous post I wrote about using my Traveler’s Notebook Passport as a photo journal. I started out printing photos on 100gsm plain paper on a Canon Pixma TS705 printer, which whilst it worked very well, wasn’t necessarily the best option, as in order not to waste vast amounts of paper, I needed to wait until I had two or three images I wanted to print before doing so.

Not a massive problem but it did mean if there was just one image I wanted to put in the journal to write about, I either seized the moment and used an entire A5 sheet on the one image or waited and maybe forgot what it was I wanted to say when I finally got around to printing the images.

Ideally having a way to print single images that wasn’t too wasteful or too expensive would be best. I started researching the options and was homing in on an HP Sprocket printer, when I came across a video on YouTube which extolled the virtues of an alternative, the Nelko Photo Printer PP01.

The thing that attracted me to these printers, apart from their small size was the fact that you could get sticky backed printer paper for them. No more having to mess with glue tape or glue sticks to stick images in the journal. Admittedly the image size was quite a bit smaller than the maximum I could achieve printing on a regular printer, but then ultimate image quality was never a requirement for the journal. Being able to easily print just one image was a trade off I would happily accept.

So that was how I came to order the Nelko, along with some additional supplies.

As you can see from the above images, the prints from the Nelko are quite small, measuring just 48mm by 58mm, excluding the borders (for scale, a single journal page is 88mm by 125mm (B7)). I experimented with both sticking the full sheet in the journal, as well as trimming the image right down, but neither really quite worked, so I ended up settling on trimming the sheets down to give a consistent border all round, which I think works quite well.

If you look closely you’ll see that the image quality isn’t fantastic, but at normal viewing distances, they look perfectly fine. After all, the images in the journal aren’t supposed to be archival, just mementos, something to look back on. As I said above, convenience outweighs quality.

All the printing is handled by an app on my phone, which is fine. It seems to reliably connect to the printer and comes with a load of creative options, most of which I will never use. The printer itself is really easy to operate, comes with very clear instructions on how to install the print cartridge and load paper, and is small enough to throw in a bag if I wanted to print out images on the go. I already have a Fujifilm Instax Square printer, bought for the same purpose, which I really don’t make a lot of use of, so I don’t anticipate doing so with the Nelko, but it’s nice to have the option.

The one thing I haven’t been able to confirm is how many prints one should expect from a cartridge. So calculating the “cost per print” isn’t currently possible. Also, because it uses a print cartridge (the HP Sprocket printers use a zero ink (Zink) technology), there is the risk that it might dry up and clog, but the answer to that is to get out more, make more photos and print at least one every few days. Not a bad problem to have.

Time will ultimately tell if I made the right choice, but for now I’m happy with the printer, the prints it produces and the flexibility it provides to keep up my photo journal.