Kodak Step Instant Printer: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Kodak Step Instant Printer right for you?

The Kodak Step is a Zink pocket printer that competes with the HP Sprocket and Polaroid Zip, printing sticky-backed 2x3 photos with no ink cartridges. It is made by C+A Global under the Kodak name and uses the Kodak Step Prints app. Zink prints are less sharp and less colour-accurate than dye-sub Kodak Mini prints, but the printer is smaller and the paper is cheaper.

Best for: Casual users wanting cheap sticky photo prints from a phone

Setting up the Kodak Step Instant Printer

Install the Kodak Step Prints app, load a pack of Zink paper with the blue calibration card face down at the bottom, and pair over Bluetooth or tap an NFC-enabled Android phone. The first print after loading feeds the calibration card automatically. If colours look off, run another calibration card through and avoid storing paper in heat.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Kodak's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Kodak Step Instant Printer uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Kodak 2x3 Zink photo paper (sticky-back)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications