The latest Instax printer is a pricey but worthy upgrade

The FujiFilm Instax Mini Link 3 Printer is a popular $100 accessory in my travel notebook kit. I often stick a printed image next to my handwritten thoughts to preserve a moment. Prints produced by instant film, however, can be soft and muddy — something the new $169.95 Instax Mini Link+ promises to improve.

The big upgrade is a new Design Print mode. It’s supposed to make complex text and illustrations sharp and readable, but I haven’t seen much improvement, although that’s a big selling point. I found, however, that the improved processing inside the Mini Link+ improves contrast, color and sharpness, to reveal more detail in a wide variety of photos, and I think that’s more important for most people.

Based on my testing, I think the new Mini Link+ is definitely an upgrade, but don’t expect this, or any instant-film Instax printer, to do miracles, especially for images measuring just 62 x 46 mm (2.44 x 1.81 inches).

FujiFilm’s Instax printers all use its Instax Mini instant film which typically costs around $30 for 20 sheets, or around 67 cents per photo. To print, you must download the “Instax Mini Link” application available for iOS and Android.

The app is packed with features that allow you to view your photos in real space with VR and use the printer as a remote camera shutter. It also helps you organize your images; imagine your prints in frames, on shelves or as a collage stuck to the wall; and beautify them with text, stickers and filters. You can even connect your Pinterest account if you want. Funny, I suppose, but I’m not twelve years old – I’m a grown man, dammit, and I just want to print photos from my iPhone’s photo library, and do it quickly!

To do this, I first have to import the image into the Instax Mini Link app, tap Print, choose Simple or Design mode, then wait 20 seconds for it to print. Simple printing promises “smooth color tones for everyday images” and produces softer images that, in general, are still an improvement over almost anything the Mini Link 3 can print. Design mode is exclusive to the Mini Link+ and that’s why you might want it.

I tested the different modes with a variety of images and generally found design prints made with the Mini Link+ to be superior for faces, landscapes, high-contrast images, and macro nature photos. In fact, everything except text-heavy illustrations, where I saw no obvious improvement.

For example, look at my stupid face. Photos in bright lighting were prone to blowout when printed on the older Mini Link 3. The Mini Link+’s simple, designer prints handled lighting better, with improved contrast, more detail in the eye, and more accurate color and skin texture.

In the example above, everything in the Mini Link 3 print is super soft and blends together into a jumbled mess. The Mini Link+ once again offers improved contrast, with visible textures on rock faces, tree branches and improved colors throughout. The barn wood slats, individual tree lines, and wheel details are more pronounced on the Designer print, with less saturation on the large pine tree on the left.

Here, the Mini Link 3 struggles to depict snow as anything other than a white patch, while you can make out individual snowflakes and depth on the Mini Link+ Design print.

In this example, the Mini Link 3 really flattens the sky and removes the texture of the distant mountain. Greens and blues are more vibrant in Simple and Design prints, while the separation between gravel and blades of grass is more apparent in Design mode.

In this Spotify screenshot, Design Mode accentuates the lettering and artificially enhances the white text with a black outline, most visible on the letters “a” and “s.” Simple mode doesn’t do this. The outline makes the lettering stand out.

I find surprisingly little difference between these illustrations printed by the Mini Link 3 and the Mini Link+, even in Design mode. Strange because this is where FujiFilm’s new printer is supposed to excel. Still, they all look good enough for hobbyists and anyone looking to spice up a journal or decorate a room.

After printing 15 photos over the past few days, the Instax Mini Link+ battery is still at 80%. The battery charges via USB-C, and if you’re in Europe, the FujiFilm NP-70S battery is user-replaceable when it no longer holds a charge.

From my testing, I think it’s clear that if you want the best photo quality available in an Instax printer, then the $169.95 Mini Link+ is the one for you. This also makes the case for a worthwhile upgrade for some Mini Link 3 owners, provided you don’t expect improved prints of text-heavy artwork.

But its price places the Mini Link+ in direct competition with sublimation printers like the Canon Selphy QX20 which gives sharp, precise prints with better resistance to water and fading. Otherwise, the Mini Link 3 remains an excellent printer for its price, and the soft, moody images it prints are worth $100.

Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge