Is old-school photography, which emphasized the importance of prints, coming back? Zink hopes so. The Whitsett, North Carolina-based company is trying to bring back the unique thrill of holding a print—not an image on a smartphone or in a social media feed, but an actual, physical print—for a new generation of digital-savvy photographers and casual snap shooters.
“A lot of companies are looking for the next big thing, and for a lot of them, this is it,” commented Rick Lewis, Zink plant manager, in a recent article in a local paper. Since Zink changed hands in 2015, production has quadrupled to over 30 million packs of inkless paper per year.
Zink, which introduced its first handheld digital printer ten years ago, operates out of a former Konica-Minolta plant which has been refitted to handle the “zero-ink” printing technology that makes the company stand out. Unlike most other digital printing processes, Zink doesn’t require a separate ink source; the ink is embedded in the paper and is activated via heat pulses during the process. The length and intensity of the heat pulse turns colorless dyes into the desired color in that part of the print.
The process of coating the 27 layers of chemicals onto the paper can take as long as four weeks—impressive technology behind prints that are mainly being used for scrapbooks and refrigerators. The per-print cost is about 50 cents for 2×3” prints and about a dollar per 3×4” print.
So, without the muss and fuss of changing ink cartridges, ribbons or toners, Zink is hoping to appeal to millennials and others who want to hold an image in their hands, whether shot with a digital Polaroid or from their mobile device via a Polaroid wireless printer. The paper comes in two sizes—2×3” and 3×4”. The larger size is under the Polaroid brand works in the Polaroid POP. The. 2×3-inch paper is available under both the Kodak and Polaroid brands and works with the Polaroid SNAP instant digital camera and similar models.
If you simply want to print an image directly from your smartphone or tablet, the Polaroid ZIP mobile printer for iOS and Android takes Zink 2×3” paper. Printing pictures when everyone else is looking at their screens will certainly break the ice at parties.
