Polaroid printer in test 2023
Not so long ago, when digital cameras and Smartphones hadn't been invented yet, almost all photo lovers swore by an analogue camera, with which one could take pretty snapshots in no time at all. The problem: Before you could look at the photos, the inserted film had to be developed - which often took several days. Even then, Polaroid cameras, which could print out the pictures taken, were very popular. You can now view the pictures you have taken immediately on the screen of your digital camera or smartphone – but everyone is talking about the Polaroid again.
Young smartphone owners, in particular, like to buy a so-called Polaroid printer, which enables snapshots to be printed out quickly while on the move. How this works exactly and what you should definitely consider when looking for a high-quality Polaroid printer is explained in our following shopping guide.
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Polaroid printer - what is that anyway?
The Polaroid printer is a cool new invention that is especially popular with young people. It is a portable mini printer for on the go that is so compact that it can easily fit in a purse or in some cases even in your pocket. It is quick and easy with your own smartphone or an alternative Tablet PC connected and then enables the immediate printout of all the images on it. Basically, a Polaroid printer is a new edition of the good old Polaroid camera, which enables the creation of spontaneous snapshots and their immediate assessment on the go - just in a modern version for the proverbial "today's youth".
Polaroid printers are very popular in a wide range of everyday situations: If you go out with your friends in the evening, you can quickly take a few nice snapshots of the group and then distribute them to the group. Alternatively, you can use the Polaroid printer to create beautiful souvenir pictures of yourself and your partner or to stick the pictures taken into a photo album on the spot while on holiday.
How exactly does a Polaroid printer work?
Operating a Polaroid printer is very easy. As a rule, the compact device is first connected to the smartphone or tablet PC. This works conveniently via Bluetooth, so you don't have to lug around an annoying cable when you're on the go. Before the printing fun can begin, all you need is the Polaroid app, which you can download for Android devices free of charge from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. They enable the printer and the mobile device to recognize each other - it's that easy.
In contrast to a classic printer that you know from the home office or office, there is an important difference with a Polaroid printer. Since it is very compact, it only allows relatively small photo prints.
To be more precise, these are small photos measuring 5,1 x 7,6 cm, which are even significantly smaller than conventional standard photos - these are usually 10 x 13 cm in size. So if you hope that you can print out standard photos with a Polaroid printer and fill your photo album with them, you will unfortunately be disappointed, as larger printouts are not possible. The small photo size can therefore be seen above all as fun photo fun for on the go, although there will of course be many people who will find great joy in the compact mini photos. A Polaroid printer is definitely well suited for spontaneous snapshots in between.
Polaroid printers require special photo paper
Another important difference compared to a classic printer is the paper used for the printouts. Unfortunately, you cannot use commercially available paper with a Polaroid printer, but instead you have to buy special zinc paper. This is an innovative printer paper that is already provided with color pigments - more precisely with the three well-known primary colors cyan, yellow and magenta. These color pigments are located under a white layer of crystals, which at first glance makes the paper look like ordinary photo paper. With the help of thermal impulses, the Polaroid printer now generates different temperatures during printing, which, in combination with a certain exposure time, contribute to the color pigments becoming visible. Conversely, this "conjures up" the color on the photo paper and the printed image appears in perfect colors.
Due to the special zinc paper, you have to be prepared for follow-up costs when buying a Polaroid printer. A pack of photo paper containing 13 individual sheets costs around 20 euros on average, and 50 sheets are available for around 29 euros. Unfortunately, printouts with a Polaroid printer are not that cheap - depending on the manufacturer of the paper, there are also only minimal price differences. However, you do not need any additional components to print out your photos, since the compact printer works without any ink or toner cartridges. The picture is made solely by the special photo paper, which is heated by the printer.
The special zinc paper has another plus point compared to conventional paper: Thanks to its special coating, it is perfectly protected against dirt and water and has no problems whatsoever if the print is touched with a finger after production - here you don't have to be prepared for blurred images. As a rule, zinc paper for Polaroid printers is also equipped with a removable film on the back. If this is removed, you can stick the printed image like a sticker in a photo album or in another place.
Where does a Polaroid printer get its power from?
When using a Polaroid printer, another question naturally arises: How is the device actually supplied with power? Basically, it's quite simple: All models are equipped with a built-in battery, which should be fully charged before the next trip with friends - because unfortunately it's not that powerful in the models currently available. Depending on the printer, you can look forward to being ready for use for between 90 and 120 minutes before the device needs to be recharged. This works very simply via a USB cable, so that the printer can be recharged quite quickly, for example at a party.
What should be considered when looking for a suitable Polaroid printer?
Fortunately, the trade in the field of Polaroid printers is not exactly oversaturated, so you don't have to choose between a number of devices. However, there are still some very important criteria that you should definitely consider when looking for a suitable model. We have summarized what these are for you here.
1. The power
There are sometimes significant differences between the individual Polaroid printers in terms of their performance. It typically takes less than a minute to fully print an image, but on some models it may take a second or two longer. To find out how fast a device prints, you can of course rely on the manufacturer's official information. To be on the safe side, it is also advisable to take a look at customer reviews that have already been published for the device that is potentially being examined.
2. The battery life
Almost all commercially available Polaroid printers have a battery life of around 90 minutes on a full charge, but some devices can last up to 120 minutes. The difference doesn't sound very big at first, but in the end you can print half an hour longer with a 120-minute battery - which is very important for outdoor shots without a power outlet within reach. On average, you can print around 25 photos with a full battery charge with a Polaroid printer, but some models can also print up to 50 photos. Here, too, we recommend taking a look at various customer opinions on the Internet before making a purchase.
3. The paper you need
Special zinc paper can be discovered in well-known online shops in a wide variety of designs. However, you should pay attention to whether the manufacturer of your potential Polaroid printer specifies a very special paper from their own company or whether zinc paper from other manufacturers can be used without any problems.
There is often a slight variance in size, so not all paper is perfectly compatible with a particular device. So before you buy a printer, be sure to find out which paper the device can work with flawlessly. Of course, the price of the paper also plays an important role here, as it provides a good overview of the subsequent follow-up costs. This shouldn't be too high, since fast printing with the mini printer would hardly be worthwhile in such a case.
4. The price of the device
A compact Polaroid printer for on the go actually only makes iInn if its purchase price is not particularly high - because then you could simply buy a much more powerful printer that prints out the snapshots taken at home in XL format.
However, you definitely have to reckon with a purchase price of around 90 euros if you are interested in a Polaroid printer, and prices up to 120 euros can still be classified as fair due to the innovative technology. However, there are also significantly more expensive devices on the market - here everyone can decide for themselves whether they are worth their money.
5. The connectivity
As a rule, Polaroid printers are equipped with a Bluetooth interface so that a convenient connection between the printer and the respective mobile device is possible. However, there are also cheaper models where both devices have to be connected with a cable - this is not exactly practical, especially when you are on the move.
The advantages and disadvantages of a Polaroid printer at a glance
Polaroid printers bring a practical advantage. But there are definitely one or two disadvantages that we don't want to hide at this point. Therefore, we have put together a small summary of all the advantages and disadvantages of a Polaroid printer for you here.
- Thanks to its compact dimensions, it can be easily carried on the go
- Enables quick printing of captured photos on the go
- Thanks to special printer paper, no ink or toner is required
- Wireless printing thanks to the integrated Bluetooth connection
- Can only be used with smartphones and Tablets be paired
- Cannot print without the Polaroid app installed
- Comparatively small prints
- Battery often empty relatively quickly
The alternative to the Polaroid printer: the Polaroid instant print camera
If you don't want to carry the mobile Polaroid printer with you all the time and still want to print out your snapshots on the go, you might want to think about buying an alternative Polaroid instant print camera. In a way, this is a new edition of the good old Polaroid camera, which now comes in a much cooler design and with modern connection options.
The big advantage: The actual Polaroid printer is already integrated in this special digital camera. It works like the product presented above, i.e. it works with special zinc paper that has to be inserted to print out pictures - and the compact dimensions of the printed photos are no different from those of a conventional Polaroid printer. Such a Polaroid camera can be equipped with a separately available SD memory card, on which all recorded images are saved. If you wish, you can either print this out on the go using the print function or load it later on your home PC, Smart TV, etc.
In addition, you often have to do without additional functions such as an optical zoom with Polaroid instant print cameras. Subjects cannot therefore be zoomed in and the user must instead get closer to the subject - which of course is not always possible. However, a self-timer should at least be available so that you have additional freedom when taking successful pictures.
Please note: A Polaroid instant print camera cannot be connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth. It is therefore not possible to take pictures from a smartphone or Tablet printed out using the print function of the camera. If this is desired, you actually have to opt for a separate Polaroid printer.
And finally ...
A Polaroid printer is an excellent investment if you want to print good-quality photos you take on the go. Thanks to its compact design, such a mini printer fits easily into any handbag or trouser pocket and can be conveniently connected wirelessly to smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth. However, the printed photos are relatively small compared to standard photos and the required special printing paper is not too cheap to buy. However, you save follow-up costs for ink or toner cartridges, as these are not required with a Polaroid printer.
