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Controls/Buttons/Dials (6)
The control buttons on the Canon Selphy CP730 blend with the background because they are constructed from the same color of plastic. The labels are in text, so they are simple to understand but hard to distinguish from each other quickly.
The controls are grouped around the LCD screen. The Print/Stop and the Power buttons are the most distinguishable buttons on the printer and are self-explanatory. To the right of the display are, from top to bottom, the Display, Trimming, and Effect buttons. The Display button controls the view; the image can be viewed full-screen or inset with the menu options surrounding it. The Trim button allows the user to select a portion of the image to crop. Pressing Display while within Trim changes the functions of the 4-way; the right and left arrows rotate the frame, while the plus and minus change the frame size. The Effect button applies the Canon My Color effects to the image; these include vivid, black and white, neutral, and sepia.
From left to right below the display are the Mode, Layout, and Date buttons. The Mode button allows to user to select number of prints: single, multiple copies, one copy of all images, or DPOF settings. The Layout button lets the user select borderless, bordered, and multiple images to a page, with options for two, four, and eight images. The Index setting can print eight images with the file number printed below. The Date button can insert a date on to the print, in three different formats.
The retractable camera connection, while a handy thing to include, given that the cords are easy to forget, seems destined to break.
Menus (3)
The Canon Selphy CP730’s functions and displays are limited. There is no on-unit menu. The available functions are all displayed via the control buttons. The LCD displays the type of card in use and the image file number along the top; the number of prints and ink cassette type along the side; and the printing mode, print layout, date, and color effects along the bottom.
 
There are no Help or Troubleshooting menus on the printer. Help must be found in the abbreviated print manual or the onscreen software manual. A suite of error messages can be displayed when there is a problem, such as low battery, no paper, and cannot read image, and no ink, but there are no links to instructions to solve the problems within the printer itself.
Size / Portability (9.65)
The Canon Selphy CP730's tiny size and power flexibility make it very portable. It measures 7.01" wide x 12.5" deep x 2.48" high with the paper cartridge attached. It weighs 33.7 oz, so it won’t be a strain to carry in a book bag. Canon sells a few carrying cases and bags specifically for the CP730: they range in price from $20 to $35. If you don’t have a dedicated bag for it, it could be a problem to carry as there are no handles to grasp it with. Also, the memory card slots and the USB and PictBridge ports are exposed, so they are able and likely to collect dust and other small objects. That said, this little Canon printer can go anywhere you can go—especially if you purchase the optional rechargeable battery.
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