News

New kiosks can turn film into prints in a flash

October 28, 2002

AUSTIN, Texas -- A new self-serve kiosk created by Applied Science Fiction can make a roll of 35-mm film into prints in about 10 minutes, according to a report in Time.com.

Similar kiosks already on the market make prints from digital cameras, but this is the first to work for both digital images and film. Working from a touchscreen, users can rotate, zoom, crop, adjust brightness or contrast and remove red eye, according to the report.

Applied Science Fiction, based in Austin, Texas, holds 28 patents for the new technology, called dry film processing. It uses nontoxic chemicals, unlike the traditional wet method, which requires plumbing and ventilation.

"Most people who know about chemistry and film told us it was impossible," Applied Science Fiction CEO Dan Sullivan said.

Sullivan's company has raised nearly $100 million from investors, including Rho Ventures of New York City, and IBM. The kiosks will sell for about $60,000 to retailers, resorts and cruise ships.

Joel Paymer, co-owner of New York City's Camera Land, where a kiosk is being tested, is excited about the kiosks' potential.

"It's going to change the way consumers develop film forever," Paymer said.

The kiosks are also being tested at seven CVS drugstores in Boston. Applied Science Fiction plans to begin mass production in 2003 and turn a profit by mid-2004, according to the report.