Fujifilm launches tiny smartphone photo printer

Fujifilm SA has launched the Instax Mini Link, the latest in its line-up of instant printing devices, in South Africa. It’s a smartphone printer with a variety of functions designed to make portable instant printing possible. Weighing in at just 200g, this compact palm-top printer is an accessory that can be taken around in a handbag or pocket.

The Mini Link creates high-quality Instax instant prints from a smartphone camera roll. Using Bluetooth, the Mini Link app connects a smartphone to the printer. The app offers a variety of creative features, with Bluetooth providing a quick transfer of images for printing.

Users of the Mini Link can activate different modes depending on how they orientate the device. For example, stand the Mini Link vertically and the traditional Print Mode is activated, allowing one to print images from a smartphone and select a frame from a video to print. Fun Mode is selected when the Mini Link is placed horizontally. This gives access to a range of features, including Party Print, Collage Print, and Match Test.

The main features of the Instax Mini Link include:  

Lightweight portability and speed 

It transfers a print in about 12 seconds, supports continuous printing, and is capable of printing about 100 Instax prints per charge.

Video Print functionality prints a selected frame from smartphone video 

In the Mini Link app, one can scroll through video frames to find the best moment to print.

Party Print creates a single picture with photos sent from multiple users

This function connects up to five smartphones to the app, combining a selected picture from each device into one Instax collage print. An option within this function is Surprise Mode to keep the final image a secret until the print starts developing.

Customise Instax prints with design frames

Smartphone images can be enhanced with artistic filters or by changing the brightness, contrast, and saturation of the image. Users can combine up to eight pictures into a single Instax print collage via the app.

Using the Mini Link as a remote control

The Mini Link carries a built-in motion sensor, so when taking pictures on a connected device, the printer can be used to remotely control the camera. For example, a user can zoom in by facing the printer down, zoom out by facing up, and release the shutter by pressing the power button. One can also print multiple copies of a picture by holding the printer upside down and pressing the power button.

The Instax Mini Link smartphone printer will be available in three colours – Dusky Pink, Ash White, and Dark Denim.