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Top 10 Ways to Use the HP Sprocket to Capture Every Fun Moment
Megan Edwards
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September 12, 2018
If you’re a master at social media, it’s time to take your skills offline and preserve those precious memories with the incredibly portable HP Sprocket photo printer.
Featuring adhesive-backed paper that allows you to turn snapshots into stickers, this travel printer is perfect for any avid photographer who wants to take their work to the next level.
Slip one of three different printing devices into a purse or a backpack whenever you’re ready to hit the road for a spontaneous photo shoot. Thanks to simple Bluetooth connectivity, you can print with your smartphone from pretty much anywhere.
Whether you’re at a bachelorette party in Vegas or documenting your baby’s first steps, you can count on this compact travel companion to deliver vibrant photos every time.
So which pint-sized printer should you pick?
- The original HP Sprocket delivers 2 x 3-inch photos that perfectly capture all your mini masterpieces.
- The HP Sprocket Plus features larger 2.3 x 3.4-inch prints when you really want your photographs to shine.
- For those without a smartphone, the HP Sprocket 2-in-1 camera can snap a picture and print it in a matter of seconds, just like an old-school Polaroid.
Now the question is, what are some of the best ways to use this handy device? We’ve gathered some of our favorite HP Sprocket projects to help kickstart your creativity.
1. Portable printing that’s perfect for vacations
Don’t let your amazing travel memories get lost in the depths of your smartphone’s camera roll. Take the HP Sprocket on all your exotic vacations so you can instantly print out the sightseeing highlights and cherish those moments for years to come.
Headed out for a grand tour of Europe? Don’t worry about packing a bulky camera that will weigh you down as you explore the side streets of Paris.
As long as your smartphone uses an operating system that is at least a 4.4 for Android or an 8.0 for iPhone, just snap a photo on your device and slip it back into your pocket.
Once you’re back at the hotel, have fun browsing the best moments of the day and choose the shots you want to preserve for a photo album of your trip.
Because the HP Sprocket is so compact, it doesn’t take up excessive room in your suitcase. This is one accessory that still qualifies as packing light and can easily fit in your carry-on bag!
Picking up a mini portable printer is also a must for family vacations. Hook up multiple mobile devices to the Bluetooth network and keep the kids entertained with customized prints during long car rides.
Pro tip: use the adhesive backs of the HP Sprocket paper to create tags for your bags. Gone are the days of playing the suitcase guessing game while you wait at airport luggage carousels.
2. Instant party favors for your next event
When your friends show up to support you during important moments in your life, show your gratitude with sweet prints that capture the good times you’ve shared together.
Whether you want wedding guests to remember your special day or simply want friends to capture birthday shenanigans, the HP Sprocket is perfect for printing out individual party favors.
Ditch the monogrammed napkins and beer cozy party favors; a memorable photo is the perfect token for guests to take home at the end of an eventful day.
As the saying goes, pictures are worth a thousand words. Show your gratitude to friends and family at special events by giving them the gift of a tangible snapshot they can always look back on.
To customize the experience even more, have guests download the HP Sprocket app so they can use borders, emojis, and filters to add the finishing touch to an already perfect moment.
3. Decorate your dorm room
Starting college can be a nerve-wracking experience, so why not surround yourself with some familiar faces?
With your portable picture printer, you can decorate the blank walls of your dorm room with comforting memories from home or hang up pictures of new friends from down the hall.
If you have a memory that’s too large to capture on just one print, use the HP Sprocket App to create an awesome collage that splits a single image into multiple tiles.
Once classes kick in, you’re going to be spending a lot of time at your desk. Get that feng shui flowing and personalize your room a bit more with an HP Sprocket Pen Caddy.
This cool accessory turns your study space into a geometric photo collage that can brighten up those stressful days when you look at all the memories you’ve made. Plus, the compact size of one of these nifty printers makes it the perfect device to store in cramped dorm rooms.
Say goodbye to bulky technology and trust the HP Sprocket to deliver exceptional prints every time so you can settle in to your home away from home.
4. Spruce up the classroom with photo projects
Calling all teachers! Take your creativity in the classroom up a notch with fun photo projects to inspire your students.
Teach kids of any age about the basics of photography and schedule walks around campus to see what snapshots they decide to capture on their smartphones or school-assigned tablets.
Once every student has taken a photo they like, print them out with your HP Sprocket so you can complement and constructively critique each photo.
Not only will your students gain valuable knowledge about the artistic process of photography, but they’ll also love taking prints home to show off to their family.
Opt for the enlarged prints of the HP Sprocket Plus to capture as many details as possible. From the class clown to the teacher’s pet, kids will love seeing their vision printed on a larger scale.
5. Create a recipe book
Are you constantly taking pictures of the food you eat? Turn your Instagram obsession into a recipe book with the instant printing powers of a portable printer!
Once you get the perfect angle of your delectable dish, print it out, stick it to the next blank page of a journal, and write down the cooking instructions to save it for the next dinner party you host.
If you prefer dining out, write down your experience at the restaurant instead of the recipe. Expand your palate, hone your skills as a food critic, and never forget a memorable meal again.
6. Spread brand awareness for your business
When you’re trying to grow your new business, it all comes down to brand awareness. What do customers think of you? Are they recommending your products to their friends?
Engage with your consumer base in a unique way by using an HP portable printer to create branded stickers you can give to customers as a gift when they make a purchase at your store.
Design a cool logo or use the HP Sprocket App to create an engaging image that represents your company, and then give out these sticky-backed photos for fans to enjoy!
You might start seeing them pop up as car decals or laptop decorations around town, and the more visually interesting you make your design, the more people will want to stop by your shop.
Looking to turn your storefront into an experience? Another way to engage customers is to let them print a photo when they buy your product.
Have a cool social media-worthy mural at the coffee shop you just opened? Let patrons pose for the perfect picture and send it home with them as a token of your commitment to the community.
7. Motivate yourself with a vision board
If you’re lacking inspiration in your life, create a vision board to get back in the groove. Pin up photos, words, small objects, and handwritten goals to create a vision for what you want to achieve.
You never know when inspiration might strike, so this is the perfect project for an HP Sprocket 2-in-1 Camera.
If you’re saving up for a place of your own and are taking a walk in your dream neighborhood, instantly snap and print a pic of your ideal home to add to the collage.
Whether your vision board centers around a personal or professional goal, get the motivation you need to turn your dream into a reality with the help of a portable printer for your iPhone or Android.
8. Customize laptops, water bottles, and other accessories
Does your HydroFlask look exactly the same as ten other athletes’ who attend your favorite CrossFit class? It’s time to make all your belongings stand out with personalized stickers.
Mark your territory with the easy-peel adhesive photo paper that all HP Sprocket photos are printed on.
Whether you have a great pic of your dog or an adorable snapshot with a significant other, never get your personal items mixed up again with these custom decorations.
Because HP mini portable printers feature ZINK™ technology instead of standard ink or toner, the paper is waterproof, smudge resistant, and tear resistant.
Slap a sticker on the back of your phone, your Tupperware, or your favorite coffee mug to add a little extra pizzazz that will make you smile every time you relive that special moment.
9. Plan a digital scavenger hunt
No matter your age, scavenger hunts are always a fun activity to refresh your teamwork skills and explore a familiar place with new eyes.
Use the instant printing abilities of your favorite portable HP device to gather evidence to prove that you’ve found every item on your scavenger hunt. If you’re the one organizing the hunt, create a list of things participants need to photograph to complete the activity.
For example, if you’re at the beach, tell your scavengers to photograph a seagull, two team members playing volleyball, a tourist wearing a pink bathing suit, etc. The first team to return a complete collection of all the items on the list wins!
Not only is this a fun digital take on the classic scavenger hunt, but it also gives participants a physical token they can take home to remember the sweet taste of victory.
10. Visually organize your storage space
When you have a lot of stuff and not much room to store it, searching for specific objects can be incredibly time consuming and frustrating.
To get a better grasp on where everything is, start by cleaning out each drawer, box, or cupboard and organizing all the items to your liking. Then while it’s still pristinely packed, take a photo of the contents and use your small portable printer to create a perfect digital copy.
Stick your print to the outside of each storage space so you never have to wade through mounds of unorganized items again!
Create without limits
Are you inspired yet? Whether you choose a portable phone printer or the 2-in-1 camera, you can always rely on an HP device to deliver quality prints to capture your favorite moments.
All HP Sprocket printers come equipped with a simple display to give you hassle-free printing that makes it easy to get quick, beautiful photos at a moment’s notice.
When you want to take your creativity on-the-go, opt for a portable printer that can keep up with all your most brilliant ideas.
About the Author: Megan Edwards is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Megan is a digital content creator based in Southern California and specializes in creating multimedia content for various industries, including technology.
