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Fujifilm South Africa is proud to announce the launch of the Instax Link Wide smartphone printer, offering WIDE prints for those BIG occasions. With the Link Wide printer, users can print images from their smartphone on Instax Wide format film, which is twice the size of the regular Instax Mini prints.

This is the first Instax smartphone printer to do so, building on the popularity of the Instax Mini Link (Mini film) and the Instax Share SP-3 (Square film) printers before it.

Much like its predecessors, the Instax Link Wide connects to smartphones through a dedicated app via Bluetooth. The app, specifically designed for the Link Wide, offers a variety of functionality to take advantage of the larger print size.

The new printer will also be the first to feature Instax-Rich mode for enhanced colour saturation. Users are now able to select between this mode or the Instax-Natural mode for Instax’s signature soft tone.

Elegant style for the home, or on-the-go

As far as looks are concerned, the Instax Link Wide seems to be lifted from the pages of a design magazine. It offers a unique draped design, complemented with stylised metallic touches at the front and top of the device. The printer includes a matching stand to confidently set it up as part of the room décor or to facilitate easy operation.

Despite its support of the larger wide-format film, the Link Wide remains compact and lightweight (340g), coming with a hand-strap for enhanced portability. The fact that it’s powered by a built-in battery allows this smartphone printer to be carried along to wherever the fun is. The Link Wide can be recharged via a USB cable, eliminating the need for an unsightly AC adapter.

Fujifilm South Africa will be offering both the Ash White and the luxurious Mocha Gray colour options in South Africa.

A WIDE print for BIG occasions

The larger Instax Wide print has been available since 1999 when the Instax Wide 100 camera was launched. The Wide prints measure 86mm x 108mm, double that of Instax Mini prints (86mm x 54mm). This makes the Wide format highly suitable for group photos, landscape photography or wide-angle shots that benefit from a larger print area.

Apart from the regular Wide white border film, Fujifilm is also launching the new black Wide-format film, which helps accentuate each photograph thanks to a dark border.

Enhanced functionality via the app

Fujifilm has specifically designed the dedicated smartphone app to make printing as easy and feature-rich as possible. Once connected, users can instantly transfer an image to the Link Wide by swiping up from the bottom edge of the smartphone screen. It’s also possible to select a favourite moment from a recorded video by scrolling through video frames to select one to print.

Interestingly, users can add a voice note, website link, location data or hidden text to printed images through the app. This is done via an embedded QR code that’s printed with the photo. By scanning the printed QR code, viewers are able to access the hidden information via smartphone. This QR code functionality has several practical applications, such as using an Instax Link Wide print as a wedding invitation to include, for example, the couple’s wedding website or venue location data. (See the QR functionality in action in this video demonstration.)

To help spice up images, there are a total of 29 design templates, including designs perfect for special events such as birthdays or celebrations. The colours and fonts in the templates can be freely adjusted to create a perfect greeting card on demand. Users are also able to decorate images with the emojis that come with their smartphone’s operating system, or use some of the 100 design stickers from the app.

The Instax Link Wide app will be available for free for both Apple and Android devices in the respective app stores. Fujifilm shooters using the X-S10 mirrorless camera will be able to bypass the app by printing directly from the camera to a connected Link Wide.

Availability and Pricing

The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide smartphone printer is ideal for users looking to get the most details from their smartphone photos. The printer will be available in South Africa on 22 October 2021, in both Ash White and Mocha Grey. It comes with a recommended retail price of R2 499 incl. VAT.

Instax Wide White border film will be sold in packs of ten, retailing for a recommended R195 incl. VAT per pack, and the Black border film for R210 incl. VAT per pack.