The magic of instant photos is going digital. Polaroid, the company that pioneered instant photography 60 years ago, is launching a new line of digital instant photo products. Using a revolutionary, inkless printing process, the Polaroid Digital Instant Photo Printer unlocks photos trapped on cell phones and digital cameras. For fans of the original Polaroid instant camera, the digital instant printer provides a whole new dimension in the magic of instant printed pictures.
Earlier this month, company officials announced that the increased popularity of digital photography led Polaroid to plan for the exit of traditional Instant film in all formats and sizes. Although the company will halt production this year, Instant film is expected to be available into 2009.
“For decades, the name Polaroid has been synonymous with white-bordered pictures, although change and innovation have always been, and will continue to be, an integral 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 digital instant printer, Polaroid is revolutionizing 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.”
The Polaroid of the 21st Century
More than a decade in the making, the ZINK™ Zero Ink™ Printing Technology originally hatched within the walls of Polaroid, before spinning out as a separate company. As the company's namesake innovation reaches the digital age, it's only fitting that Polaroid will pioneer this inkless printing technology through its new digital instant printer.
Roughly the size of a deck of cards, the digital instant printer provides consumers with a real-life solution to sharing digital images trapped on cell phones and digital cameras. The digital instant printer uses a Bluetooth or USB connection to receive pictures and creates full-color digital photos without ink cartridges or ribbons.
“This inkless technology will truly change the way people view color printing,” said Petters. “As we develop and release additional products in the digital instant line, I see great potential for inkless printing to become an industry standard.”
