File this under “products lost in the shuffle during the chaos of CES.” During the annual electronics trade show, HP announced a new member of its Sprocket family, the HP Sprocket Photobooth.
Combing the HP Sprocket’s “ink-free printing” and portable design with a built-in camera, the Sprocket Photobooth is a “one-of-a-kind portable photobooth” designed for celebrations and parties as a great way to capture and instantly share memories.
Unlike many photobooth solutions, the Sprocket Photobooth is relatively small, measuring just 20 by 13 inches (about 51 by 33 centimeters) and weighing eight pounds (3.6 kilograms). While much larger than HP’s smallest Sprocket printers, the Sprocket Photobooth is compact compared to typical photobooth solutions.
Slated to retail later this year for $450, the HP Sprocket Photobooth also won’t break the bank. Granted, like any photobooth, the Sprocket has some operational costs. The ink-free printer uses vibrant, glossy, sticky-backed Zink paper, which delivers a 3.5 x 4.25-inch photo, like the existing HP Sprocket 3×4.
Various Sprocket products make different-sized prints, including the standard HP Sprocket (2 x 3 inches), the HP Sprocket Select (2.3 x 3.4 inches), the HP Sprocket (3.5 x 4.25 inches), and the HP Sprocket Studio Plus (4 x 6). Users can purchase a 50-pack of Zink paper for the Sprocket Photobooth for $40, which is in line with the price-per-print of other Zink paper sizes.
Concerning the ink, as mentioned, Sprocket is technically ink-free. It works in a very interesting way. The proprietary printing technology uses dye crystals on the paper that are precisely heated to produce specific colors.
Assuming the new Photobooth follows suit with other Sprocket printers, users can customize their images, add text and graphics, and add overlays and frames before printing their photos. The Sprocket Photobooth has an upright design with a central 10-inch touchscreen surrounded by an LED to illuminate the subject(s). The screen will show a countdown, allowing people to prepare for their big photo moment.
“The new HP Sprocket Photobooth printer builds upon the success of our existing line, offering a fun and simple printing experience that meets the evolving needs of consumers. We’re looking forward to unveiling this and more at the show this week,” said Chaim Piekarski, CEO of C+A Global at CES 2024. C+A Global works alongside brands like HP, Saris Cycling and Infrastructure, Kodak, and more.
The HP Sprocket Photobooth is expected to arrive during the second half of this year and is poised to be quite the hit at weddings, birthdays, and other social events.
Image credits: HP