Want cheap printed selfies? This instant camera can print on receipt paper

Want to take that instant selfie but don't have money for the special paper to print it on? This instant camera may have the answer – it prints on ordinary receipt paper.

Meet PrintSnap, a concept instant camera designed by electrical engineer Michael Ciuffo that can take photos then print the output to cheaper paper.

"The reality is that instant photos have always been terrible and it's a miracle they lasted as long as they did.  Polaroid film was extremely expensive, the printed images were small, the picture quality was terrible, the cameras bulky, and you still had to wait a few minutes to see if your picture came out at all," Ciuffo said.

"I thought it might be cool to take both of these issues to their extremes. Make a camera that produces extremely low quality instant images for an extremely low price.  You still get the novelty and benefits of a physical keepsake, and as long as the pictures are somewhat recognizable, they still serve the purpose of helping you catalog and recall memories," he added.



An article on The Next Web said the printed images are 3 x 1.75 inches, ideal for a wallet or scrapbook.

The present prototype is constructed from walnut, but Ciuffo plans a lighter, lower-cost plastic one, it said.

"Because the PrintSnap camera cannot store or transmit digital photos, you don’t have to worry about your pictures showing up online or falling into the hands of strangers. PrintSnap can accommodate standard 2 1/4-inch thermal paper of up to 50 feet, letting you shoot up to 150 pictures without batteries, memory cards or film," it added.  — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News