Polaroid
ColorShot
Prints Digital Pix
by Jim Bray
The people behind those old fashioned instant cameras now have a tool
for people with those newfangled instant digital cameras.
Polaroid's ColorShot Digital Photo Printer probably isn't meant for professional
photographers, but it could be just what the doctor ordered if you're a
realtor, insurance adjuster, or if you need to get snapshot-type images
out of cyberspace and into the real world.
The printer hooks into your parallel port, though it doesn't feature a "passthrough" that
leads to your normal printer the way other parallel-based peripherals (like
scanners and CD burners) do. I hooked it up using an "A/B" switchbox
that let me continue using my regular printer at virtually the same time,
and as such it worked well. Most of the time...
A USB port model is also available.
The ColorShot uses the same type of film as those Polaroid instant cameras
do, which means the stuff is not only widely available, it gives Polaroid
incentive to keep making the stuff for the foreseeable future. Loading
the printer's slide out film tray is easy, and the unit's so small (5.7" x
8.5" x 1.6" and less than two pounds) it'll fit almost anywhere.
It made itself nicely at home on my desk, which is such a mess that there
isn't much room for much more than a pencil.
Print quality is about the same as you get from those aforementioned instant
cameras, which, as mentioned, is snapshot quality as opposed to something
you'll want to hang in an art gallery. Print size is also snapshot: paper
size is about 4 x 4 inches and the image is about 3.75 x 3 inches. This
is fine for some applications, but could be unsatisfactory if you're looking
to print out 8 x 10 glossies.
It's kind of neat watching the paper spit out of this cute little printer,
blank at first, then with the image appearing and "coagulating" before
your eyes. Anyone familiar with Polaroid cameras will find this is old
hat, but it's still a nifty trick to watch.
I sometimes found the Polaroid wouldn't print when I sent an image to
it; fortunately, a check of the owner's manual told me to unplug the power
supply from the back and then plug it in again (effectively rebooting the
printer) and this generally did the trick.
You can even use the ColorShot to print out images downloaded from the
Internet - smut or not - or to make quick and easy copies of your favorite
snapshots, whether just taken on your digital camera, stored on your hard
drive, or scanned in from existing prints.
Polaroid says you can print up to four images a minute if you're doing
multiple copies of one image, and you can either load a picture into your
favorite image editing program (or the MGI PhotoSuite software that comes
with the printer), or download it directly from your digital camera, with
an optional adapter.
The latter is a neat idea because you can bypass the PC and hook the digital
camera right into the printer - especially if you use the optional cigarette
lighter adapter that lets you print right in your vehicle - or wherever
- for those emergency occasions when you just have to have your print NOW!
Like right after the car accident you caused because you were driving
while watching your pictures print out before your eyes...
The only real caveat I found with this printer is the snapshot quality
and size of the prints. That said, however, there are innumerable uses
for this technology besides the abovementioned professions, including a
handy evidence gathering tool for the law enforcement officer who turns
up at your accident scene.
They could even use one of these in the AX-Files,@ to show that the truth
really is out there!
Tell us at TechnoFile what YOU think
