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Meet the New HP Sprocket Printer
Linsey Knerl
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November 6, 2018
Capturing the perfect photo is only the start of making your next get-together, dream vacation, or any-time moment special. With the new HP Sprocket photo printer, you’ll experience innovative ways to instantly share your favorite photos with brilliant new colors and special features.
Find out why this is the portable photo printer to take along on your next adventure, and decide which model and accessories are right for your unique lifestyle and goals.
It goes everywhere
Skip dealing with big, bulky printers. For casual pics that allow you to live in the moment, the HP Sprocket printer has you covered. This photo printer is the size of a smartphone (3.15 x 4.63 x 0.98 in), weighs less than half a pound, and handles your on-the-go print jobs with ease.
It creates 2 x 3-inch photos instantly from a smartphone or other mobile device with no need to connect to desktop computer or laptop. Tuck it into a pocket, purse, or backpack and go!
Bold new design
HP® has added some brilliant colors to the second generation of this popular line of printers with three eye-popping shades and a fourth coming soon.
Choose from Luna Pearl (an off-white), Lilac (very pretty purple), or Blush (pinky-peach); the dark and mysterious Noir shade will be released in the near future. Each printer also has a luxurious and modern finish featuring a slightly textured look that meets today’s design trends.
The HP Sprocket 200 printer (2nd generation) is one of the more popular choices for anyone hoping to snag a great snapshot anywhere life takes them.
The app for all
With its own HP Sprocket app to download for free for iOS and Android, it’s simple for your friends to get connected to the same HP Sprocket printer at any event and send their own photos to the printer without fuss. All photos taken from phones with the app enabled can be seen and shared through the app on a shared photo album.
Then you all can see, edit, and print any photos taken at the same event through a shared print queue with the designated host. Up to three friends can connect at a time. Imagine anyone snapping a selfie or documenting a special moment and having their own custom photo or sticker within minutes.
The app includes several custom frames, filters, icons, and more. Snap a photo of anything and transform it into a photo, custom emoji, or sticker for your scrapbook, laptop, or wherever you want!
For users who want a photo bigger than 2 x 3 inches, consider using the app’s tile mode. Generate several smaller photos that when put together create a bigger, bolder photo of your favorite moments. It’s just like creating a colorful, personalized puzzle at the touch of a button.
If you’ve always wanted to rent a fancy photo booth but didn’t have the cash, the HP Sprocket app can create the same experience for much less. Select the photobooth option in the app, and your phone will snap four quick-succession photos to print on one sheet.
Perhaps the most unique party trick of the night, however, will be using your phone and a previously-taken HP Sprocket photo to relive all your favorite memories.
Use your phone’s photo mode to scan a printed pic and your phone will reveal unique, augmented reality content in addition to other unique surprises. Plus, the phone will pull up all the other photos from that event. You can always go back and see the moments that made the occasion special with a snap from the app.
To take advantage of this feature, make sure the “Reveal” technology is enabled in your app. A watermark will be placed on each HP Sprocket-printed photo to help you do more amazing things with them, once printed.
Paper for all your print jobs
Your photos won’t be complete without a paper that can handle your most colorful prints. The HP Sprocket printer paper is available in a unique format that lets you use them as normal, or peel the back away to reveal a sticker design.
Put them anywhere just like you would with stickers, from your laptop to your suitcase to your locker. There are two sizes of paper, one for the HP Sprocket 200 (both generations) and the other for the larger HP Sprocket Plus printer.
Getting started
Already have an HP Sprocket photo printer? If so, then you know that taking that first photo is a breeze.
- Download the app from your preferred app store
- Load the blue card (barcode down)
- Load the photo paper (logos down)
- Charge with the included USB cord
- Power on the printer
- Connect your phone via the app using your phone’s Bluetooth settings
You’re now ready to print.
When you’re not using the printer, it will allow itself to go into sleep mode to help conserve the already impressive battery life. Simply send a print job through the HP Sprocket app, and the printer will “wake up” and begin doing your print jobs right away. You can even customize the light that comes on while printing to know who is sending the photo between friends.
The HP Sprocket photo printer is highly social, too. Feel free to take selfies, pics of your pet, or download and print out your favorite moments from top social media apps. The possibilities are endless.
ZINK™ technology explained
Remember, the HP Sprocket prints using innovative technology.
The blue card that comes with the paper is ejected on the first print but is necessary to help your HP Sprocket photo printer create the best prints possible. The HP Sprocket doesn’t use the type of liquid or powder ink you’re used to with larger printers.
The ZINK™ (Zero Ink) technology used to print photos works just as the name implies - without ink. By using the special paper made for the printer, you can avoid dealing with ribbons, cartridges, or other supplies. All you need is paper.
How does it print without ink? The colors are already embedded in the paper, and the HP Sprocket photo printer uses different temperatures to activate the various colors on the paper. It takes mere seconds for the colors to appear, so your photo will be immediately visible once it exits the printer. You won’t have to shake the print or wait for those moments to form on the paper.
Other ways to print portably
Can the HP Sprocket handle all of your print jobs? Well, it can certainly do more than other portable printers. For those looking for something a little larger, however, the HP Sprocket Plus is another option for those who want the ease and design of an HP Sprocket printer with larger photo output.
HP Sprocket Plus prints on paper unique to that model, and each sheet is 30% larger than the photo paper of the HP Sprocket 200 printer. At 2.3 x 3.4 inches, photos will fit more traditional applications, such as photo albums and scrapbooks. The HP Sprocket Plus still prints just as fast, though, and is reasonably sized for total portability.
Finally, for the most fun a printer can provide, considering the HP Sprocket 2-in-1 camera printer that combines the convenience of a camera with a built-in printer. The sleek and beautiful camera comes with a micro-SD slot so you can do more than just print your photos on demand - you can store them for later, too.
Both the HP Sprocket Plus and the HP Sprocket 2-in-1 come in white and feature gold details for a stylish approach to creating the perfect photo memories. Take it along to parties, your next vacation, a family reunion, or that Instagram-worthy destination that you’ll share with all your friends.
HP Sprocket photo printer accessories
There’s something to be said for a line of photo solutions that looks as good as the pictures they produce. Maybe that’s why so many people choose the official line of accessories to go with their HP Sprocket photo printers.
HP Sprocket wallet Case
Take your printer and printed photos on-the-go while keeping everything stylish and safe. The HP Sprocket wallet case collection offers four modern colors of wrist wallets - black, blush, gold, and gray - to take with you.
A handy inside pocket stores photos, and the wallet itself is compatible with the HP Sprocket photo printer (first and second generations), HP Sprocket 2-in-1, and the HP Sprocket Plus printers.
HP Sprocket Crystal Heart Display
This unique heart-shaped frame stores up to 20 HP Sprocket photos from any of the printing products. The HP Sprocket Crystal Heart Display features adorable pink crystal accents that add a special touch to those memorable moments. Switch out photos every time you want to say something new.
HP Sprocket String Lights
LED lights are all the rage in interior decorating, and adding some personality by pairing tiny lights with your own photos is an amazing look. The HP Sprocket String Lights with movable clips are made to fit your photos perfectly; just plug them in and be amazed.
HP Sprocket Reversible Sleeve
Sometimes, simple is better. Grab this reversible HP Sprocket sleeve and flip it inside out to go from black to gray to black again. Its slim profile lets you take it in the smallest of bags, purses, or backpacks, too.
HP Sprocket Pen Caddy
Store markers, pens, crayons, and any office supplies you please with this completely customizable container from HP Sprocket. Put your standard HP Sprocket-sized photos in each of the segments for a look you can change anytime. The HP Sprocket Pen Caddy holds six photos from the HP Sprocket 200 or 2-in-1 (not compatible with the HP Sprocket Plus).
Summary
As you can see, the HP Sprocket isn’t just a photo printer; it’s a new way of living (and remembering) all those amazing moments that make the world special.
Bring it to all those events you can’t get documented nearly enough, from weddings to graduations to baby’s first birthday. And because it’s so practical to take along everywhere, it’s also the best way to capture those everyday moments that share who we truly are.
You don’t need a reason to bring an HP Sprocket to your next get-together. Instead, you’ll just be grateful that this innovative, compact printer was there to help make those memories into ones you’ll treasure forever.
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About the Author: Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
