The baby book is open, your phone is beside it, and you’ve finally picked a photo. Before ordering a little printer, check what will fit in that empty space.
For small photos you want to stick straight onto an open page, I’d start with the Canon IVY 2. Choose the Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 3 when you specifically want white-bordered instant film and have room for the whole print. If your book needs full-size 4×6 photos, neither printer makes them.
Start with the space on the page
Put a ruler beside the book. On an open page, you need room to position the picture without covering the writing. With a photo pocket, measure the inside dimensions and opening, and allow for the print’s thickness. A decorative box printed on a page does not tell you what will slide into a sleeve.
Canon’s rectangular ZINK prints measure 2×3 inches (50.8×76.2 mm), with a peel-and-stick back and borderless printing. Instax mini film measures 54×86 mm overall, but the picture inside the border is 46×62 mm. The larger sheet gives you a smaller image. These dimensions come from Canon’s IVY 2 manual and Fujifilm’s Mini Link 3 specifications.
| What your page needs | How I’d choose |
|---|---|
| Small photos stuck directly onto an open page | IVY 2 suits this, provided the page can take an adhesive print. |
| A fixed 2×3 photo pocket | Measure inside it before choosing IVY 2. A full Instax mini sheet is larger than 2×3 inches. |
| A visible white border | Link 3, with space for the entire film print and a suitable way to hold it. |
| A photo that fills a 4×6 space | Neither. Order that print size or check a printer you already own. |
| A shape that requires cutting the finished print | Do not choose Instax on that basis. Check the required format before buying either printer. |
Using the official dimensions, the Instax sheet occupies about 20% more page area, while its image area is about 26% smaller than a borderless IVY print. That is a calculation of space, not a measure of sharpness. It matters when you want room for both the picture and a handwritten note.
You can check the rough fit without buying either printer. Cut ordinary scrap paper to each full print size and place it on the page. For example, a 55×80 mm space can hold the Canon-size paper rectangle, but the full Instax rectangle is too long. A paper mockup cannot prove that a real print will slide into a snug pocket or adhere well to a particular page.
Do not cut Instax film to make it fit. Fujifilm’s manual says not to puncture, tear or cut it. Cropping a photo in the app changes the picture inside the frame; it does not make the film smaller. Keep film away from babies and pets while arranging your page. Fujifilm’s film-handling instructions, page 16
If you have not chosen the book yet, look at its page layout before buying a printer. Our baby memory book guide can help with that decision.
Choose the print you want to handle
Once the page is suitable, IVY 2 is my choice for getting a small photo stuck in with fewer supplies on the table. Print on its ZINK paper, peel the backing and position the photo. There is no separate adhesive to find.
I would keep expectations modest for baby portraits. SlashGear’s IVY 2 test found orange shifts in some portraits; TechGearLab also found color and shadow limitations. Your baby’s skin or a pale outfit may look different from the photo on your phone. I would skip this printer if matching that particular portrait’s colors is the main reason for buying.
Plan the placement before peeling. Sticky backing is useful, but it is not a promise that you can lift the photo later without marking the page. Check your book’s instructions if you want removable pictures or have delicate pages. The Pure White printer-only package includes 10 ZINK sheets to get started; you will need compatible replacement paper after that.
The Mini Link 3 is for the page where the white border is part of what you want to see. Your selected phone photo develops on real Instax mini film. Let it develop, then use a way of holding the complete print that suits your book. If finding something to attach a photo with is the bit you keep putting off, this printer leaves you with that step.
The film look does not guarantee more accurate baby photos. Tests from RTINGS and Les Numériques found limits in color reproduction and detail, including how much the prints show in bright and dark areas. For a group shot, look closely at how small each face becomes in the print preview. Keep the original digital files, too; these little prints should not be your only copies.
The Clay White Link 3 is sold without film, so include compatible Instax mini film in your shopping plans. Both printers depend on a phone app; check that the required app is available for your phone before ordering. Keep the printer, cable, loose supplies and discarded backing out of your baby’s reach.
Check Instax Mini Link 3 on Amazon
If taking the photo is where you need help, our guide to milestone photos at home covers that earlier step.
What about the newer Mini Link+?
The Mini Link+ arrived in 2026. Its Design Print mode for text and detailed artwork is exclusive to that printer; image importing and Simulation are features of the shared mini Link app. They are not, by themselves, reasons to buy the newer hardware. Fujifilm’s current feature descriptions
The differences can matter for photographs as well as lettering. Digital Camera World’s reviewer, who had also used Link 3, found sharper subjects and colors closer to the digital originals with Link+, although some color shifts remained.
At the September 18, 2026 price check, IVY 2 and Link 3 were around $100–120 each, while Link+ was around $150–170, for the printers themselves. Link 3 remains a lower-cost entry into the small-film format, with an image-quality tradeoff to consider. I would not pay extra just because a model is newer. But if fine detail or printing text is your priority, the choice deserves more attention than simply picking the cheaper one. None of those upgrades makes the film fit a smaller pocket.
Will a printer help you finish the book?
The machine is easier to justify when you already choose photos regularly and want to print a few beside the book. If you usually save the printing for one annual catch-up, pause before ordering.
| What usually happens | What I’d do next |
|---|---|
| You pick a photo regularly and want to add it right away | Consider a printer after checking the page and choosing sticker or film. |
| You catch up once a year | Compare a print service before buying hardware, including shipping and the sizes you need. |
| You keep scrolling but have not chosen the photos | Hold off on the printer. Choose one page’s photo and write its caption first. |
| You already have a printer and only need a few pictures | Check its supported paper and sizes, then try a small batch before buying another device. |
Both machines need replacement media. Pack quantities, delivery charges and any reprints affect what you spend, so their similar purchase prices do not tell you which costs less to use. For an annual batch, compare the complete order you would place with a print service against the printer and supplies you would actually have to buy.
Occasional use also comes with upkeep. For storage, Canon’s US manual calls for fully charging the IVY 2 at least once a year. It also warns that long disuse without charging can leave it unable to charge or switch on. Put a charging reminder on your calendar, even when the printer stays in a drawer.
If choosing pictures or arranging pages is what keeps stalling, look at whether a photo-book or printing service offers help with that specific step. A printer cannot choose the photo or write the memory for you.
Leave the book open to one page you want to finish this week. Choose its photo and check the space. You do not have to catch up the whole first year before adding that one picture.