(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)
It's not often that I test a gadget that I don't want to box up. It's a rare occurrence, sort of like a blue moon, or someone on the internet admitting, "You know what? You're right, I'm wrong." So when it does happen, I get really excited. It happened recently when I tested the Inkwon Tag, and originally, I was skeptical. "The world's first 4-in-1 portable inkjet printer? Really?" I thought to myself.Well, skepticism begone. After having used the Tag for over a month, I can confirm that it's surprisingly competent — and I can't stop thinking about what I'll create next with it. As a 4-in-1 printer, the Tag does way more than just print paper. It can create temporary tattoos, stickers, and even heat transfers for designing your own t-shirts.The Tag is a great little printer that's extremely easy to use — I wager even a 10-year-old could use it. Feeding in paper is easy, using the app is even easier, and it takes just over a minute to print out temporary tattoos, light fabric heat transfers, and more. Here's why it's the ultimate gadget for DIY projects — and for being the life of the party.Setup and use? Easy as pie
(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)It couldn't be easier to get started with the Inkwon Tag. Inkwon happily includes a starter cartridge (for 60 prints) that features a magnetic mechanism, so all you need to do is pop it into the printer after taking its top cover off. Once that's done, you need to download the AiYin app on Android or iOS and connect it to the printer via Bluetooth.And you're ready to print! The app is super straightforward to use. You can either select your own design and edit it before printing, or choose a pre-made design to print out. The latter is handy for creating temporary tattoos as there are plenty of designs to choose from, such as animals, birds, seashells, and more.Alongside easy setup and use, the Tag's other big selling point is its pocketable design. It measures just 4.13 x 3.82 x 1.77 inches and weighs 8.29oz, which means it's extremely easy to carry in your handbag, backpack or even pocket. It doesn't take up much space, so it's the perfect gadget to take to parties.Call me a DIY guruImage 1 of 6(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)I've made a lot of prints with the Inkwon Tag. I've printed photos I've taken on Instax film-like paper (which has white space at the bottom for writing); and I've printed stickers which I've then cut and stuck on my laptop and phone. The quality of these prints is surprisingly good, too, so you shouldn't underestimate the Tag.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.It utilizes a CMY three dye-based ink system, and it has a print resolution of 600 dpi, which is suited to small-sized prints. You can see a few examples in the gallery above. Images look detailed enough, and the colors look lovely too. One of the Tag's drawbacks is that it doesn't feature a dedicated black ink so blacks don't appear as deep and inky — but this isn't really a deal-breaker.Image 1 of 2(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)When I first heard the Tag is capable of printing temporary tattoos, I knew I had to test the claim. I've got nearly 20 tattoos — the permanent kind — and I'm always planning my next one. But given that I'm running out of space on my arms, I appreciate being able to visualize a tattoo's placement before getting in touch with a tattoo artist.And the Tag makes that possible. There are several pre-made designs to choose from, so I printed out one featuring sharks, as you can see above. I then applied it to my skin and held a wet cloth over it for a few minutes. It instantly transferred to my skin and as you can see, it looks lovely! The colors look great, especially the rich blues.Image 1 of 6(Image credit: Nikita Achanta / Tom's Guide)Finally, I used the Tag to customize my own t-shirt too, using some pre-made designs as well as one my partner (who's an artist) made ("We are bodies of water"). Transferring the light fabric heat transfer designs on to a white t-shirt and a small tote bag was a walk in the park as I used the included transfer paper and a hot iron to do so.As you can see above, the prints look beautiful on the t-shirt and the bag. The inks haven't bled and the designs haven't lost their resolution either. The Tag gives you very little to complain about, really.Take it anywhere
