What type of film do you need for the Kodak Printomatic?

If you ever used an instant camera back in the 80's — like an old-school Polaroid — you likely know that those cameras used a special type of film/paper. Fast forward a few decades and new instant cameras like the Kodak Printomatic are using a different type of paper to get the job done.

Without getting too technical, Zink paper doesn't require any ink to print photo but rather each sheet is covered in a layer of heat-activated crystals that turn different colors when exposed to different heat levels. It's pretty neat technology and it works pretty fast, the Kodak Printomatic can print out a photo in under a minute.

Zink paper isn't produced by Kodak directly, but rather by a company called Zink Holdings, which licenses their Zink paper to companies such as Kodak, Polaroid, and Canon. Plus, different cameras use different sizes, so it can be slightly confusing to make sure you have the right kind of Zink paper.

The Kodak Printomatic uses the 2-by-3-inch Zink paper, which features a sticky back that allows you to turn your photos into stickers after printing.

The Kodak Printomatic can hold up to 10 sheets of Zink paper at a time, and each bundle of 10-sheets comes with a blue color calibration sheet, that allows the Printomatic to calibrate the printing process so your photos turn out rich, vibrant, and the right colors.