Polaroid Fotobars To Allow Mobile Photographers Quick Printing Options

Remember when the only instant photos were Polaroids? Millennials probably don’t. Once digital photography came into play, and people didn’t have to have their film developed before viewing their prints, the once-famous form of photography faded into history. But Polaroid isn’t ready to call it quits just yet. It plans to open several retail shops it calls Fotobars. The locations offer stations where people can print digital photos directly from their mobile devices, including those stored on apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Picasa.

There are currently around 1.5 billion pictures taken every single day, and that number continues to grow in tandem with the popularity and quality of camera phones,” founder and CEO of Fotobar Warren Struhl said in a statement. “Unfortunately, even the very best of those pictures rarely ever escape the camera phone with which they were taken to be put on display around our homes and offices.

Polaroid announced its new venture at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show and plans to open its first Fotobar in February in Delray Beach, Fla. A total of 10 stores are planned for 2013 in cities such as New York, Las Vegas and Boston.

Fotobars will offer patent-pending technology that allow customers to select photos from their camera phones and transmit them wirelessly to one of the store’s bar-top workstations, allowing hassle-free ordering within seconds. The stores will also provide customers the ability to enhance and edit their photos on the bar-top workstations using effects such as contrast, red-eye correction and brightness, and the filters will show the users the outcome as they work.

Polaroid has always been about much more than just taking pictures,” said Polaroid President and CEO Scott W. Hardy. “Polaroid is about sharing life’s most precious and memorable moments. We have been, and continue to be, about self-expression, creativity and fun. Polaroid Fotobar retail stores represent a perfect modern expression of the values for which we have stood for 75 years. We are very excited about the opening of these stores, and the opportunities they will create for millions of consumers to have classic Polaroid experiences.

[Image via Polaroid Fotobar]