Polaroid Launches First Inkless Instant Digital Printer

Polaroid are probably best known for their instant cameras and film. Much has been made of the fact that Polaroid are going to stop production of their instant film products but that’s not to say that they are leaving the instant imaging market.

Last week I attended a Polaroid press event where I was introduced to a number of new Polaroid products from large LCD TV’s and photo frames to Digital Cameras. Perhaps the one thing that grabbed everyones attention, however, was the Polaroid PoGo. This small device can print the photos directly from your PictBridge enabled digital camera, without the need for a PC, and you see the results in under 60 seconds.

I had a chance to play with a PoGo and I have to say I really NEED one!

Polaroid PoGo

From the press release:

The magic of instant photos is going digital. Polaroid, the company that pioneered instant photography 60 years ago, is launching the first in a new line of digital instant photo products. Using a revolutionary, inkless printing process, the Polaroid Pogo™ unlocks photos trapped on mobile phones and digital cameras. For fans of the original Polaroid instant camera, the Polaroid PoGo™ provides a new way to continue the magic of instant printed pictures.

“For decades, the name Polaroid has been synonymous with white-bordered pictures, although change and innovation have always been, and will continue to be, a key part of this business,” explains Tom Petters, Chairman and owner of Polaroid.

“Dr. Edwin Land, the founder of Polaroid, reinvented this company many times through its 70-year history – from polarized lenses to eyewear to the iconic instant camera,” said Petters. “With the Polaroid PoGo™, Polaroid is reinventing the magic of instant printed pictures for the 21st century, and helping ensure the rich legacy of Polaroid lives for another 70 years and beyond.”

Roughly the size of a deck of cards, the Polaroid PoGo™ uses a Bluetooth or USB connection to receive pictures and creates full-colour digital photos without ink cartridges or ribbons. The pictures print in 60 seconds – instantly dry to the touch! ZINK technology uses a special paper that is a composite material which houses cyan, yellow and magenta dye crystals in a protective coat. The crystals are colourless before printing so the paper appears white. The secret to the process is the heat activation which brings the photos to life through colourising the crystals, printing high quality images in less time than a traditional Polaroid photo!

You can find out more about the Polaroid PoGo and Zink (Zero-Ink) technology on the ZINK website.

Posted By: Matt

[Post tag(s): smartphone blog, Pocket PC blog, Tracy & Matt, Polaroid, Zink]