Canon’s SELPHY series of compact photo printers celebrates 20th anniversary

SELPHY 20th anniversary logo, SELPHY CP1500 and SELPHY SQUARE QX10

Auckland, NEW ZEALAND – 16 April 2024: Canon Inc. announced today that its SELPHY series of compact photo printers, which enables users to easily print high-quality photos and continues to offer a wide range of ways to enjoy photo printing, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024.

The SELPHY series was created in 2004 in response to heightened demand for photo prints due to the rapid spread of digital cameras in the early 2000s. As of April 2024, the SELPHY series has launched 31 products¹ and sold a combined total of more than 17 million units² worldwide.

The name SELPHY, a combination of “self” and “photography,” was given to convey Canon’s hope that easily printing photos taken using a digital camera on one’s own would allow people to experience new ways of enjoying photography. SELPHY printers produce photo prints that possess both high-quality and excellent durability through the adoption of a dye sublimation printing process, in which ink is printed by vaporising it with heat. They are also easy to use and feature a small, lightweight body which makes them convenient for transport. The SELPHY series has earned support from a wide variety of users as it offers user-friendly photo printing on the spot, which not only helps to share memorable moments but can also be used to produce a work of one’s choice or in various situations from wedding decorations to ID photos.

Canon staked its claim as a pioneer in the market of photo printing when it introduced the CP-10 dye sublimation printer in April 2001. Then in 2004, it released SELPHY CP500 and SELPHY CP400 (October 2004). At the same time, in order to become more familiar to its users, Canon launched the SELPHY brand, weaving the product concept into the brand name.

From that point on, Canon continued to develop products in line with generational changes and technological advancement. SELPHY CP710, equipped with a colour LCD monitor and capable of printing photos directly from memory cards, was released in September 2005. Then, with the release of SELPHY CP900 in September 2012, SELPHY printers became compatible with wireless LAN (Wi-Fi³) and achieved wireless linkage with smartphones and tablet devices. SELPHY SQUARE QX10, a compact and lightweight model equipped with an internal battery, making it ideal for carrying, was newly added to the lineup in April 2020. Following that, Canon continued to further develop product functions and designs and in September 2022 released the SELPHY CP1500, the latest model in the CP series which enables vivid colour expression through its automated colour correction function.

Additionally, the SELPHY Photo Layout application, exclusively for the SELPHY series, features a function to create collages by automatically combining several photos and makes it possible to produce images using filters and stamps, etc. as well as create layouts in various paper sizes such as for printable stickers. SELPHY printers also address demand that has risen alongside the popularisation of smartphones, by for instance producing prints in square formats which have become familiar thanks to social media.

Going forward, Canon will continue to provide new ways of enjoying and using photos and aim to make contributions to photo and video culture by continuing to expand the SELPHY series alongside the changing times while satisfying a wide variety of users.

¹Model numbers may differ by market

²As of December 31, 2023

³Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance