Vicky Sanderson I was recently halfway through an uneventful fall afternoon, when a small brown package arrived. On a wet and dreary Wednesday, it turned out to be a very cheerful little diversion.
I’d been sent a KiiPix, an instant film printer that can be used with a cellphone, and needs no app or batteries, just a package of film (about $22 for 20 exposures). That’s about $1 a shot, so it’s affordable fun. And sure, it may use resources in a way a phone pic doesn’t, but I decided it’s a cool and creative little gadget.
It is ridiculously easy to set up and use, even for me, an aging know-nothing about tech. I did not even require the help of a teenager. It works like this:
Choose a pic that you’ve taken on your phone or one you’ve downloaded to it. Open the KiiPix, position the teeny white frame, and place the phone face-down on top of it (put the screen brightness to maximum, and lock the screen.) Check the alignment in a little mirror on the base. Seeing the image in this very small square was the only part I found at all tricky, and in the end, I decided that I liked some of the effects I got when it was slightly off.
Push the button, turn a knob and out comes a pic, with a white border that will be familiar to anyone who ever took a Polaroid. You can write on or decorate the border to make it more personal. Finished size is about 3 ½ by 2 inches.
I think it would fun at a dinner party for the host to take pics with friends and print them off as favours. She could also use shots on her phone to make personalized place holders for a sit-down meal. I also thought they’d be lovely for making custom holiday cards, especially with shots of seasonal ornaments or floral arrangements.
You could even punch a hole in the corner of the frame, loop a pretty ribbon through and call it a Christmas tree ornament, or pin it to a stocking.
On a more sombre – but not unhappy – note, I imagined them being used as bookmark — made with pics of a loved one — to be given out at a memorial service.
My son’s 20-something girlfriend, who has – and loves – a little Polaroid camera, is coming tomorrow for our Thanksgiving dinner, and I am excited to see what ideas she has for it. If any are them are super-scathingly brilliant, I’ll report back.
KiiPix is available at ToysRUs for about $50 and you can get the film at Walmart.
NOTE: Product for this review was supplied, but this article was not read or approved of by the donor. I think what I think.
