Thanks largely to the instant gratification offered by digital cameras, Polaroid Corp. sees a difficult future for film sales

Thanks largely to the instant gratification offered by digital cameras, Polaroid Corp. sees a difficult future for film sales -- a staple of its business -- but that doesn't mean the inventor of instant photography should be counted out just yet. Noting the lack of attention that's been paid to improving the creation of hard copy prints of digital images, Polaroid on Thursday unveiled two new technologies which it hopes will make it the standard-bearer for the digital printing industry. Code-named "Opal" and "Onyx," Polaroid is looking to these technologies to take itself beyond its heritage of silver halide-based film. Polaroid has had a dedicated research and development team working on the Opal and Onyx platforms -- based on thermal print technologies -- for the past two years. Opal is a two-sheet thermal print medium, which Polaroid said combines the best of traditional thermal transfer and inkjet technologies to "generate photographic-quality color prints." With a high image quality and stability, as well as fast print speed, Opal will be geared for dedicated home photo printers and the retail photo finishing market. Onyx, on the other hand, is single-sheet thermal print media with a lower cost than Opal. Onyx will find its way into the PDA and wireless phone mobile printer extensions, as well as mobile printers for one-time items and in-dash printers for GPS and mapping systems in cars. The two technologies were designed as open architecture platforms with speed, mobility, affordability and quality in mind. The company said the first Polaroid-branded Onyx consumer product should hit shelves by the end of the year. Opal products will make their entrance in 2002.