GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

New Pokemon Snap: How To Print Your Photos Using Instax Mini Link Printer

You'll need a Fujifilm Instax Mini Link printer and a phone app to print your New Pokemon Snap photos.

2 Comments

New Pokemon Snap is out now on Nintendo Switch, and in it, you'll explore a vast array of beautiful environments and capture photos of many cute Pokemon doing adorable things. So it's only natural that many players will want to bring their in-game photography to life and print their best New Pokemon Snap photos. Fortunately, Nintendo has teamed up with Fujifilm to make it possible to print photos from your Switch, but there are a few things you need to make that happen.

Before you can print your New Pokemon Snap photos--or any Nintendo Switch screenshots--you will need a printer and an app. The Fujifilm Instax Mini Link is a smartphone printer with Bluetooth capabilities, and it's compatible with Nintendo Switch. However, you'll also need to download the Instax Mini Link app for Nintendo Switch, which released on the Apple App Store and Google Play on April 30 alongside the game.

Where to buy a printer for Nintendo Switch

Buying the printer and film for it will be the hardest part of this entire process. A special-edition Fujifilm Instax Mini Link for Nintendo Switch released on April 30 for $100 and comes in a brand-new color: Ash White (Red & Blue). If you're willing to wait a little longer, a bundle is releasing in late May that includes the new Ash White (Red & Blue) printer and a super-cute silicone Pikachu case. The bundle will cost you $120. Right now, the special-edition printer is available via Amazon--though the listing says "temporarily out of stock," you can still add the printer to your cart and checkout to secure your order. You'll be emailed when there's an estimated delivery date and won't be charged until the item ships.

If you miss out on the Ash White (Red & Blue) special edition, you're not out of luck. Any of Fujifilm's Instax Mini Link smartphone printers will work just fine for printing Nintendo Switch photos, and they come in a few different shades, including Dark Denim, Dusty Pink, and plain Ash White. However, even the regular Instax Mini Link printers are starting to go out of stock at most stores, and since New Pokemon Snap has launched, it's become even harder to find them. So if you don't want to take your chances or can't secure the special bundle, it's not a bad idea to snag any Instax Mini Link printer you can find in stock--you can always pick up a cute case for it later. Plus, don't forget to grab film for your printer, as that's likely to become hard to find or more expensive in the coming weeks as well. Amazon has a 20-film pack on sale for $13 right now.

How to print Nintendo Switch photos using the Instax Mini Link

Once you have your printer and some film for it, you'll be able to print any screenshots off your Nintendo Switch, whether it's photos from New Pokemon Snap or screenshots from other games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. After you have the printer, you can follow these steps to print Nintendo Switch photos:

  1. Download the Instax Mini Link App for Nintendo Switch on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
  2. In your console album, choose a screenshot or video still to print. Select the Sharing and Editing option, then select Send to Smartphone. You can choose to send just one or a batch at once.
  3. In the Instax Mini Link app, tap "Switch Direct Print" and scan the QR code on your Switch screen. This will connect your Switch with your smartphone and transfer the image(s) over.
  4. After the images have transferred, you're ready to put the finishing touches on your photos! Choose how each one will be cropped and decorate the border with Nintendo-inspired themes and frames.
  5. Tap the "Print" button, and your photos will be printed from the Instax Mini Link!

And that's it--printing photos from your Nintendo Switch will bring some of your favorite in-game moments to life. Though you'll be able to do some light editing in the Instax Mini Link App, keep in mind that New Pokemon Snap offers even more options for editing and putting your personal touch on saved photos in-game, so you can get your favorite images looking snappy before you even send them to print.

New Pokemon Snap released Friday, April 30 on Nintendo Switch--be sure to check out our New Pokemon Snap preorder guide for more on where to buy the game and our New Pokemon Snap review for our full thoughts on its gameplay and more.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 2 comments about this story