Fujifilm today launched its latest Instax printer—now in large format. The Instax Link Wide is a Bluetooth printer for smartphones that uses the oft-overlooked Instax Wide film format, rather than traditional paper and ink.
The handheld machine transfers an image and starts printing in about 12 seconds, and can generate some 100 instant photos per battery charge. Link Wide’s photos print twice the size of predecessor Instax Link Mini’s wallet-sized format, making them ideal for displaying on the fridge or pinning to the inside of your work cubicle.
There’s two printing modes to choose between: Instax Rich for “accentuating deep, warm colors,” or Instax Natural to emphasize “the inherent tones of the image,” according to Fujifilm. The company also introduced a new Wide Black film (available in a single pack with 10 exposures) to create a black border around the printed image.
“So many of our consumers reached out, enthusiastically requesting an Instax Wide photo print option as well, in order to print their smartphone or digital camera images on a larger scale,” Fujifilm North America Imaging Division President Manny Almeida said in a statement.
The companion Link Wide iOS and Android app allows access to your handset’s camera roll for quick printing, plus “fun and creative features and options” like filters and templates. Crop snapshots and add handwritten text, digital stickers, and frames, create a collage, or add a QR code that lets you record sound (including a hidden message), link to a website, and tag your location.
The Instax Link Wide Smartphone Printer comes in two colors—white and gray—and is expected to go on sale in “late October” for $149.95. Instax Wide Black instant film will cost $21.99 per pack.
