HP Sprocket Photo Printer: Now Print Your Selfies With This New Photo Printer
Any photos that we click on our digital cameras, stay either in the camera or an SD card. Or are dumped in a folder somewhere on our PCs. Like with any other digital cameras, most of the photos that you take with your phone never make their way into print. That’s a shame. Because your photos are meant to be seen. They are not clicked just to live in a gadget’s memory.
Compact Size.
But HP’s Sprocket Photo Printer is here to change that. HP’s Sprocket Photo Printer will let you show your work to the world. You can do that quickly, easily and also with a little fun. The printer is small enough to carry in a bag. Also, you don’t need to deal with ink cartridges. Just the internal battery lets you print anywhere for immediate photo gratification.
Minimal Controls.
The Sprocket Photo Printer is about the size of a deck of cards. It is smaller and lighter than most phones you’ll be printing from. The printer is covered in a smooth plastic skin. It comes in either basic black or white. The controls on the printer are minimal, which is good. On the printer, the only controls you will find is a power button, a battery indicator light and a port for the USB charging cable.
Easy to Setup.
The setup is really easy. Just charge the Sprocket and connect it to your phone via Bluetooth or NFC. You will need to download the free Sprocket app. The compatible app runs on both iOS and Android devices. You can then easily print shots straight from your phone’s camera roll. Or you can also connect to your Facebook, Instagram or Flickr accounts. From the app you can even edit your shots with effects. You can add graphics, borders, text and filters before you print. If you want to share shots via text or email directly with your friends, you can do it directly from the app.
No Need To Replace Ink Cartridge.
The photos that you print are wallet-size photo. To print each wallet-sized photo, it takes about 40 seconds. The process is carried on silently. The print quality through the Zink “Zero Ink” technology is pretty average. That is evident because you will be able to see the lines in most prints and also the colors are muted. You won’t feel like using the Sprocket to showcase your wedding photos or your beach vacation. But this printer is perfectly fine for having some fun with your camera phone shots. Also, you will never need to replace an ink cartridge.
A Bit Pricy.
The HP Sprocket sells for $129.99. In the box, you get 10 sheets of printer paper. Each of these sheets double as a sticker when you peel off the back. HP sells its full desktop printers for less. You will be paying a lot for a gadget that feels like a toy. You will have to use it a lot to get your money’s worth. But additional photo paper costs $10 for a pack of 20 sheets. But if the Sprocket fits your budget, it’s easy to get carried away. Polaroid offers a similar product called the Zip. They sell it for exactly the same price. And they also offer a couple of extra features and cheaper replacement paper.
Good For Fun.
The HP Sprocket is really easy to use. The printer prints straight from your phone. The image editing makes an ordinary task look like a fun activity. Print quality of the images is average. The cost of replacement paper can add up quickly. The HP Sprocket Photo Printer is a simple and enjoyable way to get photos off your phone, and if you are able to afford its initial and ongoing costs and considering you don’t want to make a museum of pictures.
Nisarg is the Business Development Manager at Nimblechapps, a top mobile game development company and has been with the organisation since its inception in 2014. He likes to update his knowledge on changing trends in technology and marketing and pens his thoughts regarding the same on various blogs and LinkedIn.