Where to print Polaroid-style photos
Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, online labs or real instant film. Every option, with the price checked on each company's own website.
The short answer
- Need them today? Walgreens. Its Retro Mini Prints are photo paper with a white border printed around the picture, two to a 99-cent sheet, ready for same-day pickup.
- Want real instant film without buying anything? Order prints on genuine Instax film, like ours, from $18 for 5.
- Printing a lot yourself? Buy an Instax Mini Link 3 ($116.95 list price) or a Polaroid Lab ($139.99) and the film to go with it.
We sell real Instax prints, so we're one of the options below. Our price is listed the same way as everyone else's, and we say plainly when another option is the better buy.
Pick by what you need
There's no single best place. It depends on whether you need them today, how many you want, and whether it has to be real film.
That's us: genuine Instax Mini or Square, from $18 for 5 with US shipping included, mailed to you or straight to someone else.
Order online and pick up the same day, at about 50 cents a photo. Paper, not film, but nothing is faster.
Squared.one starts at 37 cents a print and Social Print Studio’s retro minis are 46 cents. Paper, mailed in a week or two.
4 by 5 inch cards with a white border, 25 for $12.96, shipped to you.
The only way to put a phone photo on Polaroid film. $139.99, then about $2.13 to $2.62 a photo in film.
$116.95 list price, then about $1.20 a print in film. It pays for itself after roughly 75 to 100 prints.
For 50 or more on real film, see our bulk pricing. For a big paper wall, an online lab is cheapest.
Every option side by side
Regular prices from each company's own site on October 16, 2026. Per-photo cost is the price divided by the number of photos, before shipping unless noted.
| Option | Paper or film | Size | Price | Per photo | How you get it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drugstores and big-box stores | ||||||
| WalgreensRetro Mini Prints | Photo paper, printed border | 2 per 4x6 sheet: 2.16 x 4 in, or 3 x 4 in with a square picture | $0.99 per sheet of 2 | About $0.50 | Same-day pickup at 8,000+ stores; pickup only | walgreens.com |
| CVSretro prints, in-store kiosk | Photo paper, printed border | Not listed online | Not listed online | – | Ask at your store’s photo kiosk | cvs.com/photo |
| WalmartRetro Prints, set of 25 | 100 lb paper, printed vintage border | 4 x 5 in | $12.96 for 25 | $0.52 | Shipped to you, 3–5 business days; free over $35 | walmart.com |
| Online labs (retro border on paper) | ||||||
| Social Print StudioMini Photo Prints | 300 gsm matte cardstock | 3.3 x 2.2 in (the retro style) | $22 for 48 | $0.46 | Mailed; 7–10 business days standard, free over $120 | socialprintstudio.com |
| Persnickety Prints3x4 Retro Prints | Ultra-thick matte cardstock | 3 x 4 in | $1.09 each, down to $0.59 from 100 | $0.59–1.09 | Prints in 1 business day; $8.99 shipping, 7–10 business days | persnicketyprints.com |
| FoxPrint3x4 retro-style prints | Uncoated matte cardstock | 3 x 4 in | $0.75 each, 10 minimum | $0.75 | $5 shipping, free over $35; 5–10 business days | foxprint.com |
| Squared.oneRetro prints | Fujicolor Crystal Archive photo paper | 3.25 x 4 in or 4 x 5 in | $0.37 / $0.79 each, 15 minimum | $0.37–0.79 | Ships from the Czech Republic; shipping shown at checkout | squared.one |
| Parabo PressSquare Prints, white border | Thick matte paper | 4 in square (also 2.75 and 5.5 in) | $12 for 20 (4 in) | $0.60 | Mailed; shipping shown at checkout | parabo.press |
| SnapfishRetro Prints, set of 10 | 120 lb matte cardstock | 2.5 x 4 in or 4.25 x 4.25 in | $22.99 for 10 (regular; promo codes are common) | $2.30 at regular price | Mailed, with envelopes | snapfish.com |
| Real instant film | ||||||
| Instax Mini Link 3your own printer + film | Real Instax Mini film | 2.1 x 3.4 in | $116.95 printer (list price), $23.99 per 20 sheets | $1.20 in film | Instantly, once you own it | instaxus.com |
| Instax Square Linkyour own printer + film | Real Instax Square film | 2.8 x 3.4 in | $163.95 printer (list price), $29.99 per 20 sheets | $1.50 in film | Instantly, once you own it | instaxus.com |
| Polaroid Labexposes Polaroid film from your phone | Real Polaroid i-Type or 600 film | Classic Polaroid, about 3.5 x 4.2 in | $139.99 Lab; film $18.99 (i-Type) or $20.99 (600) per 8, less in multipacks | $2.13–2.62 in film | Instantly, once you own it | polaroid.com |
| Instant Film Printsthat's us | Real Instax Mini or Square film | 2.1 x 3.4 in or 2.8 x 3.4 in | $18 for 5 to $61 for 20 | $2.40–4.40, US shipping included | Ships in 2 business days, to you or someone else | our prices |
Your phone photos on genuine Instax Mini or Square film. From $18 for 5, US shipping included, ships in 2 business days.
Sale prices and coupon codes change weekly, especially before the holidays, so the store's own price on the day you order wins. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].
Walgreens retro prints vs real Instax film
Walgreens is where most people start, so here are the two side by side. On a screen they look alike. In your hand they're different objects.
| Walgreens Retro Mini Prints | Real Instax film (ours) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your photo printed on photo paper, with the white border printed on too | Your photo exposed onto genuine Fujifilm Instax film |
| Size | Two on a 4x6 sheet: a 2.16 x 4 in print (2.14 x 2.89 in picture) or a 3 x 4 in print (2.5 x 2.5 in picture) | Mini 2.1 x 3.4 in (picture 1.8 x 2.4 in) or Square 2.8 x 3.4 in (picture 2.4 x 2.4 in) |
| Price per photo | About 50 cents ($0.99 per sheet of two), often less with a coupon | $2.40–4.40, US shipping included |
| How fast | Same-day pickup at 8,000+ stores | Ships within 2 business days, then USPS takes 2–5 days |
| Giving them to someone | Pickup only: you collect them, then hand them over or mail them yourself | We mail them straight to their address, with tracking |
| In the hand | Flexible, like a regular photo or postcard | Stiff and glossy, with a real frame and a wider bottom edge |
More on what Walgreens prints, its Instax film prices and its coupons: does Walgreens print polaroids?
When Walgreens is the better choice
Go to Walgreens when
- You need them today. Nothing else on this page is faster.
- You want 50 or more for a wall, banner, locker or classroom, where price per photo matters most.
- They'll hang on a string or sit behind a scrapbook sleeve where nobody handles them.
- You have a coupon. Walgreens runs percent-off and free-print codes often.
Get real film when
- It's a gift or a keepsake someone will pick up and turn over.
- It's for a guest book, where each print gets handled and written on.
- You want it to feel like it came out of an instant camera.
- You want it mailed straight to someone else.
CVS and Walmart in a minute
CVS
When we checked on October 16, 2026, CVS Photo’s website didn’t list a retro or polaroid-style print at all: searching it turned up cards, canvas and posters. Some CVS photo kiosks have printed retro-style prints in store, so call or ask at the counter before you count on it. What we found earlier is in does CVS print polaroids?
Walmart
Walmart Photo's Retro Prints are bigger: 4 by 5 inch cards with a vintage white border on heavy 100 lb paper, 25 for $12.96, shipped to you in 3 to 5 business days (free over $35). They're closer to a postcard than an instant photo, which makes them good for writing on. If you like the look but want something bigger, they're the better object. Details in does Walmart print polaroids?
Online labs with a retro border
These print your photo on good, thick paper with a polaroid-style white border and mail it to you. They're cheaper than film and a step up from drugstore paper, but they take about a week or more to arrive.
- Squared.one: retro prints on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper from 37 cents (3.25 by 4 in) or 79 cents (4 by 5 in), 15 minimum. It prints in about 4 business days and ships from the Czech Republic, so add international shipping.
- Social Print Studio: retro-style mini prints, 3.3 by 2.2 inches on 300 gsm matte cardstock, 48 for $22. Standard delivery takes 7 to 10 business days.
- Persnickety Prints: 3 by 4 inch retro prints on ultra-thick matte cardstock, $1.09 for one and down to 59 cents each from 100. They print in 1 business day; shipping is $8.99.
- FoxPrint: 3 by 4 inch retro prints on uncoated matte cardstock, 75 cents each with a 10 minimum, $5 shipping (free over $35).
- Parabo Press: 4 inch square prints with an optional white border, 20 for $12.
- Snapfish: Retro Prints in sets of 10 on 120 lb matte cardstock, $22.99 a set at regular price, though it runs deep promo codes often.
For a big wall of small prints, Squared.one or Social Print Studio at under 50 cents each will cost a fraction of film, and from a few feet away most people won't tell.
Real instant film, three ways
Only instant film gives you the real object: the gloss, the stiffness, the physical frame. No photo counter can print on it, because instant film has to be exposed inside an instant camera or printer. That leaves three ways to get your phone photos onto it.
1. Your own Instax printer
An Instax Mini Link 3 lists at $116.95 and prints from your phone over Bluetooth; Mini film is $23.99 for 20 sheets, so about $1.20 a print. The Instax Square Link is $163.95, with Square film at $29.99 for 20, about $1.50 a print. Against ordering our 10-pack, the Mini Link 3 pays for itself after about 73 prints, or about 98 against the 20-pack. Our Instax printer math goes deeper.
2. The Polaroid Lab
The Polaroid Lab ($139.99) exposes a photo from your phone's screen onto Polaroid i-Type or 600 film. It's the only way to get a phone photo onto Polaroid-brand film, and it uses the bigger classic Polaroid format. Film runs about $2.13 to $2.62 a photo: $18.99 for 8 shots of i-Type or $20.99 for 600, a little less in multipacks. If it has to be Polaroid, this is it. Polaroid vs Instax explains how the two films differ.
3. Order prints on real film
If you don't want to buy hardware or leftover film, order the prints. We print your phone photos on genuine Instax Mini or Square film in Northwest Arkansas and mail them, from $18 for 5 to $61 for 20, with US shipping included.
How to tell paper from real film
Listings use "polaroid" for both, so here's how to tell what you're getting.
- The border. On a retro print the white border is ink on paper, the same thickness as the picture. On instant film it's a physical frame around the film, with a noticeably wider bottom edge.
- The feel. A retro print bends like a photo. Instant film is a sealed packet and feels stiff, closer to a credit card.
- The surface. Instant film has a deep gloss, with the picture sitting under a clear layer. Paper prints are ordinary gloss or matte.
- The size. A real Instax Mini is 2.1 by 3.4 inches and a Square is 2.8 by 3.4. Our polaroid size guide shows every format at actual size on your screen.
Frequently asked
Where can I print Polaroid-style photos today?
Walgreens prints Retro Mini Prints from your phone with same-day pickup at more than 8,000 stores. They're regular photo paper with a white border, not instant film, and cost 99 cents for a 4x6 sheet of two, about 50 cents a photo.
Can Walgreens print photos on real Polaroid or Instax film?
No. Walgreens Retro Mini Prints are photo paper with a printed border. Walgreens does sell Fujifilm Instax Mini film for your own camera or printer, a twin pack of 20 for $23.99 and a 60-pack for $53.99, but the photo counter can't print on it.
What's the cheapest way to get photos that look like Polaroids?
An online lab or a drugstore. Squared.one starts at 37 cents a print, Social Print Studio's retro minis are 46 cents, Walgreens Retro Mini Prints are about 50 cents and Walmart's 4 by 5 inch Retro Prints are 52 cents. All of them are paper with a printed border.
How can I get real instant film prints from my phone without buying a printer?
Order them from a service that prints on real Instax, like us. We print phone photos on genuine Fujifilm Instax Mini or Square film and mail them, from $18 for 5 with US shipping included. Otherwise you'll need an Instax printer, a Polaroid Lab or an instant camera.
Is it cheaper to buy an Instax printer than to order prints?
Only if you print a lot. An Instax Mini Link 3 lists at $116.95 and film is about $1.20 a print, so it beats ordering 10-packs after about 73 prints and 20-packs after about 98. For a gift or a one-off set, ordering costs less.
Are Walgreens retro prints the same size as a Polaroid or an Instax Mini?
Not quite. Walgreens prints two retro prints on a 4x6 sheet: either 2.16 by 4 inches with a 2.14 by 2.89 inch picture, or 3 by 4 inches with a 2.5 inch square picture. A real Instax Mini is 2.1 by 3.4 inches with a 1.8 by 2.4 inch picture, and a classic Polaroid is about 3.5 by 4.2 inches.
Which is better for a gift, drugstore retro prints or real Instax film?
Real film, if the prints will be handled. Instant film is stiff and glossy with a physical frame, so it feels like a keepsake, and we can mail it straight to the person. Drugstore prints are a good choice for a wall or a banner, where nobody picks them up.
What should I use for a wedding guest book or a party wall?
For a guest book, use real instant film: guests hold each print and write on it, and the frame gives them room. For a big party wall, paper retro prints from an online lab cost the least. We print 50 or more on real film at bulk pricing, from $2.00 a Mini print.
How we checked
Every price in the table came from the company's own website on October 16, 2026, and the Source column links to the page we checked. We list regular prices, not sales or coupons, and per-photo cost before shipping unless a row says otherwise. Instax printer and film prices are Fujifilm’s US list prices; stores often sell them for less. CVS didn’t list a retro print online, so its row has no price. We re-check every row in the first week of each month and whenever our own prices change. If something here is out of date, email [email protected] and we'll fix it.
October 16, 2026: first published.
Want the real-film version?
Your phone photos on genuine Instax film, from $18 for 5, shipped within 2 business days with free US shipping. Printing 50 or more? See bulk pricing.
Print My Photos →Polaroid is a trademark of Polaroid and Instax is a trademark of Fujifilm. We use "polaroid" to describe a style of print; Instant Film Prints isn't affiliated with or endorsed by either company, or by any store named on this page.