![]()
Hey everybody: Just a quick review of the Polaroid Zip mobile printer, which I've been wanting to try out for a while! I love taking pictures of my patients and happenings in the clinic, but sometimes it's nice to actually have a "hard copy" of those images, right? Remember how we all used to print out photos and get our pictures developed all the time? I am super guilty of taking thousands of pictures, but I rarely get around to doing anything with them other than share on social media, both at the clinic and at home.
Enter the Polaroid Zip mobile printer. After researching a couple of mobile smartphone printers including the HP Sprocket and the Canon Selphy, I decided on the Polaroid Zip. The cost of the printer, the cost of the replacement printer sheets/stickers, and the overall size made this the winner for surviving life in a vet clinic. Basically, this smartphone printer uses Bluetooth technology to connect with any iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet. Using the free app, SnapTouch, you can quickly edit a photo by pulling from your camera's photo library, and print wirelessly to the printer in under a minute. I'm hoping to incorporate this more into my practice as another way to personalize each patient's experience. We're toying with the ideas of using these 2x3 instantly printed little gems to: 1. Apply to the front of any puppy/kitten/new client folder (they actually print with a sticker back!). 2. Display in clinic (e.g. bulletin board) 3. Include in the welcome card we send to new clients after their first visit. You can see my full review, pricing, and see the printer in action on my Facebook video. Here's a quick summary: Pros: Small, portable, affordable. Printer cost: $115-130, protective case: under $10, Printer sheet refills depending on location/price: $0.35-0.50/each. No ink cartridges to mess with. Fun and unique. Cons: The app (FREE) that corresponds, SnapTouch/Polaroid Print App, is a bit clunky. I was hoping to be able to write on the images, or include our logo, etc but no luck. There are some work arounds (e.g. editing the photo in PicsArt before uploading to the app), but I'm all about simplicity. Have you tried one of these in your clinic? Let me know if so- I'd love to see what you create! If you're interested, here are the links to each product I mentioned in the Amazon store. We will earn a small percentage of any sales, but that just helps us continue to test and try out new products to use in veterinary practices!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
|