The new Instax Link Wide printer is the perfect tool for getting those cute instant photos without needing an instant camera. In this post I’ll go over everything you need to know about the Instax Link Wide printer, the film you’ll need, and the free app required to make your prints to hopefully help you decide if the printer is right for you!
The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide photo printer is one of the newest instax photo printers available. This instax printer connects to your phone via bluetooth to print out any pictures from your library onto Fujifilm’s instax wide instant film.
The Fujifilm Instax Link Wide currently comes in two colors — ash white and mocha gray. I bought the ash white printer and wanted to share my experience in case you are thinking of purchasing it.
Instax Cameras + Printers
You’re probably already familiar with the instax line of cameras. The instax mini 11 for example — it comes in a bunch of super cute colors and produces those tiny, trendy pictures. Each of these pictures is super special because everything is analog — you can’t adjust the framing, zoom in, or edit the photo in any way. Each picture is one of a kind; an in-the-moment tangible keepsake for you to have instantly.
The instax printers give you that same instant keepsake, but with a lot more control over the picture. You can edit and adjust photos from your phone, and print them out whenever you want as many times as you want. It uses the same film the instax cameras use, so you get ultimate control but with the same physical photos you love.
There is an instax printer for the mini film that came out a few years ago. Its printer app is a little older, but you can get those tiny prints just as easily. This post is about the instax printer for the wide film. The Link Wide printer was just released a couple of months ago and it’s super easy to use.
Fujifilm Instax Link Wide design
The Instax Wide printer is a decent size at 5.5 x 1.3 x 5 inches. It’s light weight and portable though.
The printer comes with a stand to hold the printer, a wrist strap in case you need to travel with it, and a micro USB charging cable. If you prefer to get a hard carry case to hold/protect everything, there are some 3rd party accessories available.
The Instax Wide printer does not come with film in the box. You will need to order film separately. If you already have one of the Fujifilm Instax Wide cameras, this uses the same exact film. I already had a bunch of film from my Instax 210 wide camera that I had been saving so I used that. I don’t recommend stocking up too much on film because the film does expire.
You can find the instax wide film online or in box box retailers:
How to Use the Instax Link Wide Printer
Before you get started using the Instax Link Wide printer, you’ll need to fully charge it with the micro USB cable. It took about an hour for me to charge the printer right out of the box. As the printer charges, the light around the “instax” logo on the top will light up and blink.
Loading Film into the Instax Link Wide Printer
If you are used to instax cameras or any instant film camera, loading film in to the printer is very similar.
Open up the back flap of the printer, insert the film cartridge down into the base of the printer (1), lower the film back in to the case (2), make sure the yellow marks line up, and then close the back flap to secure the film.
Once the film is loaded, the printer will eject the protective backing that was inside the film cartridge.
Instax Film Tips & Tricks
With this type of instant film, you want to make sure you are taking steps to protect the film and help ensure that every photo turns out perfectly.
- Never open the back of the printer while film is inside because exposure to light can ruin all of the film.
- Keep your film in a cool, dry place and avoid any extreme temperatures.
- Once you open a pack of film, use it as soon as possible.
- Shaking your photo won’t help it develop faster; just let it sit flat on a table to develop on its own.
How to Connect the Instax Printer to iPhone
The Link Wide printer connects to your phone via bluetooth. To get started, search the App Store for “instax” and download the “instax Link WIDE” app by Fujifilm Corporation. The app is free but there are a lot of instax apps, so make sure you download the Link WIDE.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, turn on your printer by pressing the logo until the light turns on. Immediately the app will notify you that the printer would like to connect with bluetooth. Click ok to connect, and then select the access to your photos you want to grant.
Print Photos with Instax Link Wide
Printing photos through the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide app is super easy. You can select the photo you want to print and simply swipe up or click the print button.
With the instax cameras, it would be rare to get the exact same picture, so only one person could have that photo at a time. But with the Link Wide printer, you can print multiples of the same photo so you can easily share that keepsake with friends.
Unfortunately, there’s no film counter on the printer itself, so you just have to rely on the Link WIDE app to notify you when you’re low/out of film.
Instax Photo Developing
The Instax Wide film is self-developing, so you don’t need any chemicals or a lab to process your film. The printer does all the work; you don’t need any ink or any extras.
The Instax Link Wide takes less than a minute from selecting your photo to holding it in your hand. Once the photo is processed, it will look white. It’ll take a little while for the colors to appear and start to intensify after the photo is processed.
Instax Camera Picture vs Digital + Printed on Link Wide
The colors on the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer are very vibrant and you can get a lot of definition and detail. You can make individual edits or use one of the pre-made filters before printing. Obviously with an Instax camera, you can’t make any edits to the image at all.
Here’s a comparison between a photo I took with my Fujifilm Instax camera and a similar photo that I took on my phone, edited in the Link WIDE app, and then printed with the Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer:
taken with iPhone and printed on Link Wide Printer (right)
You can instantly see a difference in the colors and the framing. Both options are really fun, but the clarity and detail is a lot nicer in the printed version (right) because I was able to choose a better framed photo from my phone and then edit it before printing.
Extra Link WIDE app Features
The Link WIDE app lets you do more than just basic brightness and contrast edits. You can create collages, add text or QR codes or even emojis to your image before printing.
I never use these features because they make it super obvious that the photos were printed and not taken with an instax camera. I want my photos to look like they could have been a perfect snapshot from an instax camera without any extra decorations.
Overall thoughts
I love this Fujifilm Instax Link Wide printer and definitely recommend it if you love the look and feel of instant prints, but want more control over your photos.
Some may say that having a printer takes away from the uniqueness and specialness of a true instant camera photo, and I can definitely appreciate that view. I think that part of the fun of these instant pictures is appreciating the moment in a tangible way, so your picture is special regardless if it was captured or printed.
The instax cameras are great for going out and capturing those special times right in the moment, and the printer is great for bringing new life to memories captured digitally. I think both serve a purpose and I definitely use both.
I like the wide film size a lot because you can get so much in the frame; it’s great for group photos or landscape shots.
I hope this review was helpful for you if you’re making a decision on getting an instant photo printer!
