Printing on the Go with Munbyn Portable Thermal Printer

Published May 7, 2023

I recently purchased the Munbyn portable thermal printer to add to my printing arsenal. At this point, I have almost as many printers as I have keyboards. Something about writing keeps me searching for the perfect keyboard and printer combination(s).

Because my printing needs vary, I found it challenging to find one printer to satisfy all my needs. Having one printer that does it all would mean the printer would be large and not portable. In today's tech-on-the-go world, bulky items are a no-no.

I often work in a mobile office (my van). As such, I needed something small, efficient, inkless, and battery-powered. I didn't want to store bulky reams of paper, or extra ink cartridges and worry about having an adequate power source to run the printer. Fortunately, the Munbyn portable printer removed those obstacles.

Portable Printer Requirements

Below are the features I looked for when shopping for a printer. You'll quickly see why I ended up with the printer I purchased:

1. Size: I needed something compact and portable. The sizing is perfect, with dimensions of 10.4" long by 1.8" wide. It's also lightweight, weighing in at 1.45 lbs.


2. Inkless Printing: As mentioned earlier, having spare toner cartridges take up space (not to mention they can be expensive). The Munbyn printer is a thermal printer. The paper is treated so that it can print without ink. How does this work? I don't know and don't really care. I just want the printer to print crisp, readable documents, and it does.


3. Paper Size: I chose a printer that uses paper rolls. The Munbyn also accepts folded paper, but I prefer the rolls because they are small (8.3" long)], neat, and easy to store. Even though the printer has a roll of paper installed, I ordered four additional rolls. Each roll prints 29 sheets. That should keep me busy for quite some time. I only print drafts of my articles to correct them with a red pen (it's the teacher wanna be in me).


4. Tech compatibility (iPad, iPhone): The Munbyn is compatible with my iPhone and iPad. It's also compatible with Windows and Mac, but I haven't tried it. I work in an iOS environment. Maybe I'll try to connect it to my Amazon tablet to see if connecting it to an Android device is any different. 5/27/23: I tried connecting it to the Amazon tablet. Apparently, it's not compatible so that's a no go.


5. Bluetooth Connectivity: To connect via Bluetooth, you must download the PeriPage app and configure the connection there. Do not use the Settings- Bluetooth menu in iOS.


6. Power Source: Since I'm using it on the road, having it rechargeable via USB C is perfect. The Initial charge took about 4 hours. After that, it purportedly runs for many hours of use before needing to be recharged. If you don't use the printer often, they recommend charging it every three months. The printer has a lithium battery, which will naturally degrade over time. Charging every three months will help to avoid battery degradation.


7. Speed: Speed isn't really a factor since I only print one or two pages at a time. The printing speed is adequate for my needs.


8. Color: I only needed a black and white printer since I have a color printer for my photo and presentation needs.


9. Reliability: Well, I'll come back later to fill out this one. I've only had it for a couple of days. So far so good.

Working the Munbyn Printer

The first thing I did was charge the printer. I used the included USB C cord. The packaging also included an adapter for USB-A to USB-C connections. I found that to be helpful. Once fully charged, it was time to connect it to the printing app.

Coming from a Windows environment, I had grown accustomed to tapping the "Print" menu option in whatever software program I worked in. However, working from an iPad, I've found that portable printers like the Canon color printer and this Munbyn printer work through apps. Therefore, I had to download PeriPage to connect it to the portable printer.

Connecting the Portable Printer via Bluetooth

Bluetooth connectivity to the printer is not set in iOS Settings – Bluetooth. It is done through the PeriPage app. The setup is easy. Turn on the printer, open the app, and click "Next" a few times to get through the mini-tutorial.

Once through the tutorial, select the printer. PeriPage has several printer options. I selected the A4 option, then clicked "OK" on the "Allow Bluetooth Connection" screen, and that was it. I received the "Connection Successful" notification.

Tip: If you're using an iPad, it's best to rotate the device into portrait mode until after you connect. By switching to portrait, the app's instructions and arrows align with the images on the screen.

PeriPage Printing App Quirks/Annoyances

I noticed that when viewing in portrait mode on the iPad, PeriPage displays fewer menu options. There are six menu options in landscape mode but only three in portrait. However, on the iPhone, there's only one orientation, portrait, and all six option display. It's one of the many quirks I've found with this app. That's probably why this app only has a 3-star rating.

I also find the app annoying because there's a rotating advertisement for their other products at the top of the screen.

They have menu options at the bottom of the screen. Since I only want to print, I ignore the menu items. I only use the Tools menu. The other option, Material, Store, and Me are unnecessary for my needs.

Printing on the Portable Thermal Printer

To print a document or image using the Munbyn printer, you must "share" (or export) it to PeriPage. With Word, for example, I opened the Print menu, selected "Open in Another App," and selected PeriPage. There's no AirPrinting with this printer and app.

Once shared, I selected the Word document (which exports to PeriPage as a .pdf). Tapping on the document in PeriPage opens a Print Preview of it. The bottom left corner displays the printer settings. Tap on the adjacent down arrow to change them.

There you can select the type of paper and page size. You may also select Print mode, Print range, Paper type, Paper size, Print length, Concentration (how intense), and number of copies. Once done, tap on the check in the upper right-hand corner. If you're lucky, you'll be taken back to the document to print. I say If you're lucky because sometimes it doesn't.

If you run into problems like not seeing the print button to print the document, switching to portrait mode usually solves the issue. In landscape orientation, the print button at the bottom of the page is hidden.

Tap the "Print" button, and the document begins to print. If you have multiple pages, tear off the first page (with rolled paper) and click "Print next page" to print the next page.

Once done printing, I closed the app as it does not close when you're done printing.

Deleting Print History and Print Documents

You can view your document printing and print history on the main page, among other options. The app gives you the option to delete print history and document history. However, I ran into a scenario where I could not delete certain documents.

Deleting items on the Document History page does not delete the documents listed on the Document Printing page. I could not find a way to delete the documents listed under Document Printing, so I eventually deleted and reinstalled the app. That did the trick.

Note: I find the PeriPage app works better when printing from the iPhone than the iPad.

Since I've only had the portable printer for a couple of days, I can't give a full review of it. I'll update this article once I've put the printer through its paces.

5/20/23: I ran into a little printing problem, but I don’t think it was the printer’s fault, I blame the iPad. When I tried to print an article, this is what I got:

Rebooting the iPad solved the problem.

Last Modified: 2 September 2023