My prints come out miscoloured or the printer jams. What's wrong?
Most often it is paper loading. Each pack comes with a blue calibration card, and it goes in first, underneath the paper, so the printer can set itself up. Skip it or load the paper the wrong way up, and the output can come out miscoloured, which looks like a faulty printer but is a loading mistake. Follow the orientation in the quick start guide for every new pack. If thin lines start appearing later, running the blue card through again fixes them.
Why does the print quality divide opinion?
Both camps are likely describing the same output against different expectations. ZINK works by using heat to bring out colour from dye crystals embedded in the paper, which gives less control than laying down ink, so prints tend to show softer detail and less faithful colour than a photo lab. If you want a fun, instant, sticker-sized print, it delivers; next to a proper photo print it falls short, and no setting changes that.
My phone won't connect. Is the printer faulty?
Check the app first. There are several KODAK apps, and the Step uses Kodak Step Prints, which the QR code in the quick start guide leads to. A printer that seems dead on arrival is often fine, with the wrong app the only problem. Make sure the printer is switched on, with the power button held until the light shows, and try pairing through the app again.
How much does it actually cost to print with this?
More than the zero-ink name suggests, because the colour is in the paper rather than a cartridge. Look up the current price of a pack of 2x3 ZINK paper, divide by the number of sheets and multiply by how many prints you expect to make. The starter pack in the box is small, so you will need more paper soon. Other brands' ZINK paper also works if loaded with the blue KODAK calibration card.
Can I print regular-sized photographs with it?
No. The print size is fixed at 2 by 3 inches, roughly the size of a credit card, and there is no option for a bigger size. It is right for stickers, scrapbooks, journals, wallets and craft projects, and too small to frame or give as a keepsake photo. If you want proper photo prints, a print service will give much better results.
Will it still work if I don't use it for months?
Very likely, as far as printing goes. Unlike an inkjet, there are no cartridges to dry out or print heads to clog, so a ZINK printer left in a drawer does not suffer the way an ink printer does. The two things to check are the battery, which may need a full charge after a long rest, and the app, since the printer relies on KODAK's software keeping up with your phone's operating system.
