Joshua J.
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Phomemo M08F Letter Size Thermal Printer
Straight-to-the-Point Overall Usability
Great portable printer for the times when you absolutely must have a hard copy a non-intricately detailed document. Works well for text and line art in non-permanent things like tickets or event signage which I happen to print often enough. Since this printer uses thermal paper, I would not recommend it for long-term legal documents (Quick Guide states 7-10 year print viability if kept dry, at room temperature, and out of sunlight) but if you need a semi-permanent document, it completely fits the bill. You will likely want to purchase additional thermal paper to do any appreciable printing
Likes
• Compact
• No ink - no mess
• Easy to use hardware
• Easy to use Android app
• Easy to print on Windows with driver installation
• Relatively quick for a non-industrial thermal printer
• Great quality prints for the right use-cases
• Great battery life
Dislikes
• Paper can get misaligned on insertion every now and again
• Difficult to cancel or know if a print job has been cancelled
• Noisy prints if on a resonant surface
Things to consider
• Prints can be expensive at 15¢ to 26¢ per page
• Photos and very small text are not the intended use for the printer
• Color graphics should be converted to grayscale before printing
In the Box
• Printer carefully supported in foam
• Two Quick Start Guides (one more graphical and the other more text laden)
• 2 ft. USB-A to USB-C for computer connectivity and charging
• USB flash drive of computer drivers
• Velvet carry bag
• 5 sheets Phomemo thermal letter paper which are creased in thirds from being packed in the box and best to flatten a bit before use
Build Quality
As with all the Phomemo products I own, the quality is tops. There is no wasted space in the case and the entire printer feels sturdy if not a bit heavy (721g / ~1.6lbs). The hinge and hinge opening buttons, which allow for paper release or roller and thermal head cleaning, have a good feel without any play. The printer has two rubber feet which do a good job of preventing printer movement but they do little to address one of my few complaints about printing.
Phomemo App (Android)
I have used and generally like the Phomemo label printer Android Apps ‘Print Master’ and ‘Labelife’. The eponymously named ‘Phomemo’ App is no different. In app, it is easy to connect the printer with Bluetooth or the QR code on the printer’s top sticker, change settings (Auto Shutdown – I recommend setting to at least 30 mins.), and print all or individual pages from various sources of documents (browse the filesystem or Share to ‘Phomemo’ from an open document. There is even an available library of line art drawings over a range of categories for simple sign or coloring sheet printouts. The one thing that wasn’t entirely clear with the app was the best method for cancelling a multi-page print and what I found to work for me was powering off the printer and force stopping the app.
Windows 10 Driver
The ‘Phomemo’ App, Quick Start Guides, and the printer’s top sticker all make it easy to locate the drivers form Windows and MacOS. I only have Windows machines and had no issues finding, downloading, and installing the M08F driver. Printing was as simple as connecting the printer to the computer with the USB-A to USB-C cable and choosing the printer by name in any print dialog.
Printing
My test prints were done from a 100-sheet pack of Phomemo branded letter thermal paper that was on-sale for $20.99 (21¢ per sheet, a 200-sheet pack is available for $29.99 for 15¢ per sheet). Inserting paper and getting it to be properly aligned in the printer can be tricky if done too slowly. Make sure the thermal paper is oriented with the correct side up (‘This side should face up.’ is labeled on one side) and insert it as straight and swift as you can until it butts up against the roller bar inside. An improperly aligned sheet will print but the page can be skewed and the page edges torn ragged (only 2 of 20 printed sheets). If a sheet is inserted incorrectly, it is possible to open the printer and re-insert the sheet again. I printed using both Medium and Heavy darkness settings and observed a minimal difference in quality for most documents. If you have very small details or text (8pt or less) the Heavy darkness setting will make those parts more legible. Be warned that 6pt or smaller font can be spotty or illegible. All linear bar, Data Matrix ,and QR codes on tickets that I printed scanned with ease using my cellphone. The average time for a full sheet print was ~25 seconds.
Battery Usage and Charging
When unboxed, the printer had 97% charge. I printed 20 sheets, 18 at Heavy darkness, and that only took the charge to 84%. I cannot envision many scenarios that would have this printer use more than 25% charge. Charging back to 100% took about 30 minutes and, as stated in the text heavy Quick Start Guide, had to be done using the 5V 2A power which I had on my computer’s USB hub. Neither my Samsung Fast or Super Fast phone chargers nor my Anker 20W or 45W chargers would charge the printer.
Recommendations to Phomemo to Improve the Printer
• Adding pop-out or fold-out paper guides could ease proper paper alignment on insertion
• Adding thicker or more dampening rubber cushions on the bottom of the printer could reduce the amount of resonant sound generated by the printer
• Depending on the desired typical usage per charge, the battery size could be halved and still allow for 50+ pages per charge while likely taking the weight of the printer to less than a pound
