Does Walmart Print Polaroids? Retro Prints vs Real Film
Short answer: no, not on instant film. Walmart Photo sells Retro Prints: 4 x 5 inch prints on heavy 100 lb card stock with a white vintage border, in sets of 25 for $12.96 (about 52 cents each), or $29.96 with a wooden box and four stands. They're ordered online and shipped. They're nicely made, but they're paper, and they're a good deal bigger than any real polaroid.
Walmart's version is different from the drugstores'. It isn't a same-day kiosk print; it's a boxed set that arrives in the mail, closer to a stack of postcards than a strip of instant photos. Here's what you actually get, how the size compares, and how to get prints on real film if that's what you're after.
What Walmart actually sells
- 4 x 5 inches. Each print is a 4 x 5 inch card with a white border and a wider strip at the bottom. For scale, an Instax Mini is 2.1 x 3.4, an Instax Square is 2.4 x 2.4, and a classic Polaroid is 3.5 x 4.2. Walmart's retro print is bigger than all of them.
- Heavy card stock. 100 lb stationery paper, so it's thicker than a drugstore print and holds up in a stand. Still paper; the border is printed, not a film frame.
- Sets of 25. $12.96 for the plain set, $29.96 for the set with a wooden box and four stands. You can't order three.
- Shipped, not same day. It's an online Walmart Photo product, so plan on shipping time. Walmart's one-hour photo counters handle regular 4x6s, not this set.
Walmart retro print vs real instant film
| Walmart retro print | Real instant film | |
|---|---|---|
| The border | White ink printed on the card | A physical frame around the film packet |
| Size | 4 x 5 in, larger than a classic Polaroid | Instax Mini 2.1 x 3.4 in, Square 2.4 x 2.4 in |
| Feel | Thick card stock, like a heavy postcard | Stiff film with a glossy image window |
| Surface | Printed paper | Deep gloss with visible depth under the image |
| Color | Accurate, neutral lab color | Film's softer contrast and warmer highlights |
| Price per print | About 52 cents, in sets of 25 | About $2.40–4.40 ordered, shipping included |
| Speed | Shipped, several days | Ships in 2 business days from us, or instantly with your own printer |
If size matters to you, our polaroid size guide shows every format at actual size on your screen.
When Walmart's set is the right call
- You want 25 matching prints for a wall, a garland or a table display and like that they're bigger.
- You want a cheap boxed gift: the $29.96 set with the box and stands is a tidy package for about $1.20 a print.
- You don't need them today and don't mind the shipping wait.
When it isn't
When the point is that they're polaroids. A 4 x 5 card doesn't read as an instant photo in the hand, in a frame or on a string next to real ones; it reads as a card. If you want the small stiff glossy object people mean when they say "polaroid," you need actual instant film.
Walgreens and CVS take the same-day approach instead: cheaper, smaller, thinner paper, ready in minutes. We covered Walgreens retro mini prints and CVS retro prints separately.
What Walmart does have: the film and the printers
Walmart is one of the easier places to buy the real materials. Walmart.com lists Fujifilm Instax Mini film in multi-packs and Polaroid i-Type and 600 film, plus Instax printers like the Mini Link. If you already own an Instax camera or printer, that's your fast route to real prints. If you don't, buying film doesn't help: the photo counter can't load it, and instant film only gets exposed inside an instant camera or printer.
How to get real instant film prints instead
If the reason you want "polaroids" is the object itself, the gloss, the stiff card, the real border, for a gift or a keepsake, you need actual instant film. There are three ways to get it from phone photos:
- Buy an Instax printer (about $100) and film. Best if you'll print a lot; our Instax printer math puts the break-even around 75–80 prints.
- Buy a Polaroid Lab (about $140), which exposes Polaroid film from your phone screen. Real Polaroid film at roughly $2.50 a shot.
- Order prints from us. We print your phone photos on genuine Fujifilm Instax film and mail them, from $18 for 5 with free US shipping. No hardware to buy.
We laid every route, drugstore included, side by side on our print photos as polaroids page, with what each costs and who it suits.
Want the real film version?
Upload from your phone, crop and filter, and we print on genuine Instax film. Ships in 2 business days, free US shipping.
Create Your Prints →FAQ
Does Walmart print polaroids?
Not on instant film. Walmart Photo sells Retro Prints, which are 4 x 5 inch cards on heavy paper with a white vintage border printed around the photo. They come in sets of 25, ordered online and shipped. They aren't Polaroid or Instax film.
How much are Walmart retro prints?
A set of 25 Retro Prints is $12.96, about 52 cents per print. The set with a wooden box and four display stands is $29.96. Prices can change, so check Walmart Photo for the current listing.
What size are Walmart retro prints compared with a real polaroid?
Walmart retro prints are 4 x 5 inches. A real Instax Mini print is 2.1 x 3.4 inches, an Instax Square is 2.4 x 2.4 inches, and a classic Polaroid is 3.5 x 4.2 inches, so Walmart's print is larger than any of them.
Can I get polaroid prints at Walmart the same day?
Not the retro print set; it's an online product that ships to you. Walmart's one-hour photo service handles regular 4x6 prints. For real instant film the same day you need your own Instax printer or camera.
Does Walmart sell Instax and Polaroid film?
Yes. Walmart.com lists Fujifilm Instax Mini film, Polaroid i-Type and 600 film, and Instax printers. Film only helps if you own an Instax camera or printer, since the photo counter can't print on instant film.