point, click, print...

Who can forget they joy of using a Polaroid camera growing up.

My BIg Gran had one and to a small person it felt like magic. One click and then you waited for the picture to develop before your eyes.

The company have seen some dark days in recent years but I’m happy to see that Polaroid has officially unveiled its first product since the company reclaimed its original name and released the ‘Polaroid Now’ back in March.

Now it’s time to say a big hello to the Polaroid Hi-Print: a pocket-sized, bluetooth-enabled photo printed that uses dye sublimation to create 2×3-inch “stickable” prints from your smartphone snaps.

There are a lots of photo printers out there, but they tend to fall into two broad categories: those that use Instax instant film, and those that use thermal “Zero Ink” (AKA Zink) technology. Happily, the Polaroid Hi-Print is neither.

Instead, Polaroid have given dye-sublimation a try, creating a printer and special paper-and-ink cartridges that allow you to create higher-quality prints than was possible with the unimpressive Zink printers the brand has released in the past. The goal is to give users “all the quality you’d expect from a photography brand with all the freedom to create when inspiration strikes.”

Each paper cartridge contains 20 “stickable” sheets, so you can “print, peel, and stick” your photos to whatever or whomever you’d like, and the printer runs off of a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that will last you approximately one full cartridge per charge.

I can imagine young folk going crazy for this. Being able to take a shot and instantly turn it into a bright and vibrant sticker.

As was always the case, the only sticky thing will be the price of the paper.

The Hi-Print itself will cost you £81.99, and each 20-photo cartridge will set you back £15.99. You can also pick up a “starter pack” bundle that includes two photo paper cartridges and the printer for £109.99.

Queen Marie

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