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Tour
The Canon Selphy CP730 is a small compact photo printer weighing about 2 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 7.01 x 5.16 x 2.48 inches. The rectangular box sits with its longest axis on the table.
Front
The front of the Canon Selphy CP730 is labeled with the product name near the upper left corner. Also in this area is a rubber tab in a spoon-shaped divot in the printer body. The tab is connected to the plug end of a retractable camera connection cord that plugs directly into the camera’s port. This is a nice feature as it will never be lost and users won’t ever forget to pack it when on the run. In the upper right corner of the squat front is a long oblong black panel with three slots for memory cards. Memory Stick cards can fit into the upper left slot, and Secure Digital cards slide into the upper right slot. Larger CompactFlash cards fit into the slot below those two. There isn’t a slot for xD-Picture cards, so photographers with those cameras will have to use the USB cable. At the bottom of the front, shifted right of center, is the paper cassette slot cover, which opens with a snap to show the printer’s rollers. This is where paper cassette trays are inserted.
Back
The back of the CP730 has a port for the power cable in the upper right corner and a large plastic cover in its center. The cover has the Selphy label printed on it and a latch on the left side to open the cover. The long skinny optional battery fits into the opening so the printer can be taken anywhere. At the bottom of the battery niche is a slit where the paper exits and return for additional ink layers so you have to make sure this isn't blocked by anything behind the printer; the paper sticks out several inches during the printing process.
Left Side
This side is gray with an ivory trim above, like the rest of the printer, and it has two ports in the upper right center. The port on the left is fitted for Canon Direct Print plugs, and the one on the right is a standard USB B port.
Right Side
From this side, the battery lock is visible in the back. The main feature is the ink cassette door, opened from the lip at the top. The ribbon cassette fits into a perfectly sized slot and an orange clip snaps over it to lock it into place.
Top
The top contains the control panel for the Selphy CP730. The printer's ivory shell has a dark gray inlay in the center that groups most of the controls together. On the left side is the Canon logo and the Selphy logo sits directly across the top on the right. Below the Selphy label are four buttons that blend with the white printer body and act as a navigational control in the menus. In the center of the dark gray inlay is the 2-inch LCD screen that is set within the printer body and tilted slightly to be better seen from the front. On the left of the LCD are PictBridge and Direct Print logos. To the right of the LCD are three square-shaped buttons that are the same gray color as the background: Disp, Trim, and Effect. The lighter gray power button lies to the upper right of the screen, in an island of dark gray connected to the main control panel. Below the LCD are three buttons: Mode, Layout, and Date from left to right. Below these is a larger and more distinguished oblong button labeled Print/Stop.
Interior
There is a small door on the front of the printer that opens to reveal the printer heads and rollers. Everything looks miniature sized. The ink cassette is loaded via the door on the left side of the printer. The spindles that turn the cassette, the circuit board on the underside of the control panel, and the heating element are visible.
Components
Display (4)
 In the middle of the Canon Selphy CP730’s top is a 2-inch LCD monitor that is set below clear plastic and tilted so it is better seen from the front of the printer. There is a dark gray frame that surrounds the LCD and many of the control buttons. The plastic covering this dark gray panel and the LCD reflects light, so don’t place this printer under strong lighting or by a window. The CP730’s LCD does not have a wide view: it can’t be seen well from side to side or above and below as it solarizes easily. Despite the forward-tilted angle, the screen is best viewed from directly above, which can be awkward with the paper cassette installed and the user in a seated position. We found that we had to lean well over the printer, carefully avoiding bumping the paper cassette, to get a good view of the image. The LCD screen’s image is bright and contrasted, but the resolution isn’t very good. The specs weren’t available on this, but it’s likely that the resolution is less than 100,000 pixels. Overall, the CP730’s LCD is poor and not suited for easy image review, especially considering the portable nature of this compact photo printer.
Paper Trays (6)
The printer comes with a paper cassette for 4x6-inch postcard prints. The actual paper size is 3-15/16" x 7". When the perforated edges are taken off, the long dimension is 5-7/8." The tray itself is made up of two parts. The bottom white tray holds 30 sheets of paper. The frosted plastic top hinges at the rear of the tray and closes to create a closed box with about 1/2" of the paper exposed for the printer to take up. The tray is inserted into the paper cassette slot of the printer and locks in place. Removing it involves just a tug. If users often print 4x8-inch panoramas, they will have to purchase a separate longer paper cassette. The tray was a bit awkward to put together and remains awkward to open and close. Coupled with the plastic construction, the trays feel flimsy and could easily be broken by an overzealous insertion or overenthusiastic removal.
CD Burner (0)
Like the rest of the Selphy line, the CP730 compact photo printer does not have a CD burner. Not many compact printers have them at this point, but the Epson PictureMate Flash, a compact inkjet printer which retails for $50 more, does.
Battery (7)
The Canon CP730 doesn’t come with a battery, but has a space for it on the back of the printer. A plastic shield covers the battery port, and pops off after a lock is released on the left side. Users can purchase the long skinny NB-CP2L battery pack from Canon for a retail price of $79.99, which allows users to tote the printer on vacation or to events for a few instant pictures for guests. Canon claims that this battery should be good for TK images; we weren't able to test this.
Power Supply
The 24-volt CP730 comes with a power cable and power adapter that attach to provide plenty of length to an outlet. The power adapter is about a third of the size of the printer.
Internal Memory (0)
The CP730 doesn’t have internal memory. It does provide trimming and editing effects, but those are saved on the inserted memory card or attached digital camera.
Hard Drive (0)
The CP730, as with all Selphy printers, does not come with a hard drive.
Accessories (7.5)
The Canon Selphy CP730 has quite a few accessories, but most involve paper and ink. Paper and ink sets can be bought in packs of 24, 36, and 108 sheets. The 36- and 108-sheet print packs contain 4x6-inch paper. The only one available on the Canon website at press time was the 108-sheet pack, which sells for $29.99. Mini-labels can be purchased as well as a greeting card kit with the 4x8-inch paper cassette, 24 sheets of paper, and 24 envelopes for $32.99. Wide 4x8-inch paper can be bought separately with the ink cartridge included in a pack of 24 sheets for $19.99. The wide paper cassette tray can be purchased separately for $19, so the best deal is to buy it with the greeting card kit. There is also a credit card size paper cassette for $13. Canon sells two carrying cases ($20 and $35) specifically for toting around this printer with a PowerShot digital camera. A Bluetooth adapter can be purchased for $49.99 (normally $79.99). The optional battery pack is expensive at $79.99, but it’s rechargeable and allows users to print anywhere.
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