Techgirl.com was asked to test out the new HP Sprocket Studio, a small printer-to-go with AR function. Uhm, yes please! Perfect timing, because this TechGirl was planning on going away for the weekend and this handheld printer seemed perfect to take with and test out on the go.
Giving me the first problem: it’s not really a printer to take with you on all of your adventures. You need a wall socket for this printer to work and I didn’t have one near me this weekend. Also, it’s not really a gadget that fits in your backpack. Well, it does, but that’s it. And you might also want to bring other things… If you do have a wall socket near you or when you have more room to take stuff with you: this HP Sprocket Studio is a nice addition to your outings. You can use different stickers, filters, and AR options to make your photo’s come to life and that sounds good!
Setting it up
Sprocket Studio kind of reminds me of a polaroid camera, but with better specs and possibilities of course. Okay, setting up seems easy, the printer works with Bluetooth. I’m using an iPhone 8 to test out this device. You can download the HP Sprocket app, pair the printer with your smartphone et voila, you can print your pics.
Using it for the first time
The first pic I want to print out is, of course, from one of my pets. In this case my dog (and her best friend). I’m not using any of the other options (no filters or AR), because this pic is just for testing the photo-quality.
This pic turned out really good!
After this one, let’s start by using some of the different functions: sounds like fun! I started with making a ‘get well soon’ card for my sister with my two cats because she loves them so much.
I also wanted to test out something with the ‘reveal’ function. This makes it possible to scan the print and reveal information about it. About the location for instance, or you can choose a border for the pic and with the reveal function, it starts moving! I can’t show you that here, but I will show you the pic I used to test the reveal function.
Conclusion
It has amazing features, but also a few cons. Of course, you have to decide for yourself, but I ask myself this: is it necessary? No. Is it fun? Yes! It would definitely be fun to use this at a party or a wedding. People can personalize their pics and print them out right there, so that would be a nice feature. It’s not (really) suited to take with you to a festival or on a camping trip, as you need a wall socket and because of its size. Maybe another HP Sprocket will suit you better. But when you’re creative and like to personalize your pics to cards and have the convenience of printing them out at home, this is your gadget.
