Field Gear: Mobile Printer

 

The Canon Pixma iP90v is a mobile printer that, after the drivers are installed, can be set up in less than an minute and is suitable for printing all the forms and letters and you’re likely to need on a field study. It also prints reasonable quality photos – useful if you plan to print momentos for study participants as a small thank-you or you are building a data wall. (If you plan to print large volume of photos consider the higher resolution and slightly faster Canon Pixma iP100)

Don’t assume you can buy paper and ink on arrival.

The additional Bluetooth dongle enables wireless printing and takes some of the trip-up hassle out of the mobile office although the wireless printing sometimes struggles with heavy (large file) print jobs. The external battery will keep the printer going through most power cuts, and and is worth having for peace of mind if you’re working under pressure with a variable power supply.

Transferring the print driver’s to a thumb drive makes setting up new computers a breeze.