Polaroid Lab: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Polaroid Lab right for you?

The Polaroid Lab turns phone photos into genuine chemical Polaroid prints by placing the phone face down on top and exposing the screen onto i-Type or 600 film. It is unlike any other printer here: results have the soft, slightly unpredictable look of real instant film and cost about $2 per shot. Owners should expect colour shifts and shield each print from light as it ejects.

Best for: Instant-film fans who want real Polaroids of their phone photos

Setting up the Polaroid Lab

Install the Polaroid app, load a film pack and let the darkslide eject, then open a photo in the app, set phone brightness to maximum and place the phone face down on the Lab. Press the button to expose and let the photo develop face down. Use the app's calibration and avoid bright room light around the phone during exposure.

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 Polaroid'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 Polaroid Lab uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Polaroid i-Type colour and black-and-white film
• Polaroid 600 film

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