Fujifilm Instax Square Link review: print your…

Fujifilm Instax Square Link review: print your favourite smartphone shots

Fujifilm’s Instax Square Link is an instant printer that allows you to print large, bright, colourful images on square film.

It's one of those timely gadgets that you know will make an ideal CHristmas gift.

The device shares the same rectangular design and rounded corners as the Instax Mini 9 and Mini 11 cameras, and it comes in Ash White and Midnight Green colour options.

On the top of the robustly made printer is a metallic slot where the prints come out. A matching ring in the centre of the device is where the on/off switch is located.

This is emblazoned with an Instax logo that lights up when the printer is charging or in use.

The only other physical control is a function in the top left corner of the printer that makes it easy to print duplicates of the same image for friends and family.

In the same way that Instax Mini Link 2 uses mini film and Instax Link Wide supports wide film, Square Link uses Instax’s Square Instant Film, which come in packs of ten or 20. The latter cost €21.99 at Boots which works out at €1.10 a print.

One of the key benefits of using an instant printer over an instant camera is that you don’t need to print every single image you capture.

Square Link can print any images from your smartphone and works by pairing it with the Square Link app. It is incredibly easy to set up and use and it takes a couple of minutes to develop a photo.

You can choose between two print mode options – Rich Mode for deep, enhanced colours and Natural Mode for a more classic look.

You can edit your images in a photo-editing app or you can use one of the four features in the Square Link app.

These include Simple Prints and Editable Prints along with the newer AR Prints and Instax Connect features.

Simple Print allows you to print your images untouched or make basic changes to them, like cropping and rotating.

You can also adjust brightness, contrast and saturation levels and add simple text and stickers.

Editable Prints enables you to add frames or create collages but as the prints are quite small, I didn't use this option much.

AR Print allows you to decorate your images with augmented effects, text, doodles, images and backgrounds.

Your image prints out as a regular instant photo but with a QR in the bottom right corner, allowing others to scan the print to view the dynamic AR effects on their own phones.

Instax Connect allows you to share the images digitally.

Prints are generally bright with a pleasing amount of detail.

The battery is rated to last for 100 prints and recharging via USB-C takes close to two hours.