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Common BPA substitutes, often used in "BPA-free" products, include Bisphenol S (BPS), Bisphenol F (BPF), Bisphenol AF (BPAF), and Bisphenol Z (BPZ). While marketed as safer alternatives, these analogs often share similar endocrine-disrupting properties and structural similarities to BPA, raising concerns about "regrettable substitution".
I don’t let my kids come in contact with anything “BPA Free” and we avoid plastics as much as possible.
Has anyone actually measured dermal absorption from handling a small photo vs a receipt? The studies I've seen focus on cashiers handling paper for hours. A photo you glance at then frame seems like a different exposure order of magnitude.
It's been regulated since 2020 in Europe at least.
> As part of the EU’s REACH Regulation Annex XVII, a restriction banning Bisphenol A (BPA) content in thermal paper above 0.02% by weight came into effect on January 2, 2020. This prohibition was implemented due to health concerns associated with BPA exposure
bpa free thermal paper is pretty easy to source from anywhere now because of this.
Worth noting that BPA-free does not automatically mean safe — many manufacturers switched to BPS or BPF, which have similar endocrine activity. The "BPA-free" label mostly addressed regulatory liability. Still, for occasional hobby prints the exposure is pretty minimal.
Of course, I don't know how those bubbles are made or how they are made to collapse from heat, so for all I know that layer still uses chemicals that currently slip through regulations. But I can also imagine that it is doable to create such a "functional layer" with safe materials.
Yeah I was excited about such a project concept until I saw it was thermal printer. Would love a little Polaroid type camera with inexpensive film for my kids to play with, but I don’t want them playing with thermal paper, kids put literally everything in their mouths.
Sure, but what about other costs. You can pick up a poloroid for about $50-75 on ebay. With this one, you will need to buy things like a 3D printer (and the necessary accessories, like filament), the rasperry pi, battery pack, printer, etc. Yes, the thermal paper is cheaper over all, but the cost will be a lot more up front, even if it work out over time.
Don't get me wrong, this is a cool toy, but the title is definitely a bit off.
Nice build. There are cheap (<$20) commercial versions, often targeted at kids. They make fantastic gifts, I thought it would be a bit of a gimmick but having instant printouts capturing happy moments added a fun dynamic to a few family trips, and our fridge is covered with an ever-rotating cast of family pics. And because they're ~free, it overcomes the blocker of a polaroid having to be 'special' while still keeping some constraints vs just snapping a cellphone pic.
Front page HN usually means a few thousand uniques in a day -- curious if they saw any real sign-ups or if it's mostly tire-kickers. That's always the question after a spike like this.
Note it's just a 3D printable stand for tiny printer labels (16mm wide). It was a literal 5 minute project but I liked the retro and restrictive aesthetic enough to share..
Such printer as shown is an absolute bargain at £15
Funny story comes to my mind, I bought my daughter Instax because I was pretty sure it is digital, i.e. has a printer inside. However, I had trouble finding the resolution of the printer there... When we got it, I understood this is real photography paper, not a printer at all!
If you got a recent digital one it actually does print on the photography paper. I'm guessing it works like a line scanner but in reverse, using color LEDs to "print" light dots in high resolution on the paper.
(1) So many people have told me they thought Polaroid film was crazy expensive
(2) There are the BPA concerns other people talk about but thermal prints don't age well at all. I made some prints of Pokemon characters about 5 years ago like this one
and these are barely legible now. (Pokemon sample art is designed on the assumption that their art is going to be viewed on horrible screens, I'm going to argue that Lusamine respects Ansel Adams' "Zone Theory" really well which makes it work great as a thermal print)
> As part of the EU’s REACH Regulation Annex XVII, a restriction banning Bisphenol A (BPA) content in thermal paper above 0.02% by weight came into effect on January 2, 2020. This prohibition was implemented due to health concerns associated with BPA exposure
so unless you're buying old rolls, or from non reputable sources, it shouldn't be an issue in the EU at least.
Is it free of all phenols or just free of Bisphenol A? I ask because there are very similar Bisphenols (S and F) that are at least suspected of being just as bad as BPA and they are not banned or limited by REACH Annex XVII.
We ran into this and switched to BPA-free rolls — most label suppliers carry them now. The receipts feel slightly different but print fine. Worth checking if your supplier has them before assuming all thermopaper is the same.
Looking at all ready-made options on Amazon and elsewhere - anyone who will roll out an adult-oriented well-made single-button camera that takes in standard thermal paper rolls will make a fortune. This is such a great thing to have for get-togethers and parties. But it's essential to not being bound by $X/shot proprietary cartridges and be able to shoot and snap without thinking. Mementos for everyone!
* ... without thinking of costs involved. $2 per polaroid with half of them not even developing properly is a bit too high for spontaneous photography urges.
I bought such a thing for my daughter and it's great fun but this old codger will never cease to be amazed at how much tech is available for such a small amount of money - the digital camera functions normally, takes video too, the system has basic games and a vivid LCD screen and there's a thermal printer - all in a cute moulded package. £25 ours cost.
One of my kids just got a $13 “smart watch” which has a touch screen, camera with filters/editor, microSD storage, plays MP3s, records voice memos, has games, and more I’m probably forgetting.
It absolutely blows my mind how cheap tech is these days.
- Paper is BPA free, got it from here https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0932QVYBQ
- Photos do have a lifetime, although no idea how long, the ones I have for a while seem to do better than the average store receipt
- It's not really _poor man's_ polaroid, but as someone else mentioned, price difference is not that big, while a single photo is a LOT cheaper
And there's a permalink for english language, in case OP or someone else can update it - https://boxart.lt/en/blog/poor_mans_polaroid