Digital vs Print Photo Booth: The Pros & Cons of Each for Your Event
If you’re arranging a photo booth for your upcoming event, one of the biggest questions is whether to offer printed images or digital. The digital vs print photo booth decision is a big one, but the truth is that there’s no right or wrong decision! Both are fantastic and fun additions to any event, and your guests are sure to enjoy both choices.
You’re probably familiar with a traditional photo booth, which prints out copies of each photo for attendees. But what is a digital Photo Booth?
The difference between a digital and classic photo booth is that guests can take pictures and then send them to themselves, or friends, digitally via QR codes, text message, email, or Airdrop. A classic photo booth provides a printed hard copy, but with a digital booth, attendees get to enjoy digital copies of their images instead.
Here’s a helpful guide to help you better understand the pros and cons of both digital and print photo booths.
Print Photo Booth
If you hire a print photo booth in NZ for your event, it’s sure to attract a crowd! The print photo booth is traditional, well-known, and a great time for both kids and adults. So is it the right choice for your event?
Pros
One great reason to select a printed photo booth is that it uses a higher quality camera. With a proper camera and flash, the printed photo is going to be of high quality, accurately capturing colour, detail and lighting.
The other obvious advantage of a traditional photo booth is that guests get a printed image to take home with them, a tangible souvenir from the day. This can be a great memory to keep, and if the photo is branded with your company or event details, a printed photo can also be a powerful marketing tool that others will see. A branded printed photo also helps keep your company at the front of their mind every time they open the fridge!
Cons
Although event attendees of all ages love getting a printed photo, some might prefer a digital image that they can share on social media. (If it isn’t on Instagram, did it even happen?)
However, even digital images can be branded with your logo, so when they’re shared on social media, this is still great for brand awareness.
A traditional booth will also require a host technician to run the booth, which can result in a slightly higher cost than a digital booth.
Selfie Booth
The selfie booth is always a huge hit, especially at social gatherings like weddings, showers and birthday parties. With the touch of a button, your guests can strike a pose, flash a smile or just ham it up for the camera and take their own selfies, which go straight to their email, text messages or social media.
Pros
A selfie booth is simple and easy to use. Plus, guests can go above and beyond just taking selfies, as the digital photo booth can also create both Boomerangs and videos. Once the photo or video is taken, all your attendees need is their smartphone and they can scan a QR code or email/text the videos to themselves or friends, giving them instant access to their snaps. Plus, selfie booth hire includes unlimited digital photos, so everyone can take as many as they like!
Be sure to have an event hashtag that everyone can use, as this makes it easier for everyone in attendance to find all the photos online. Fun videos and Boomerangs can definitely go viral on social media, so if you’ve branded your digital images, your business can benefit from the extra online exposure.
Setup is easy too, and since a selfie booth doesn’t need a host to help with prints or setting up each shot, you can save on costs. This means that the cost of hiring a digital booth is less than hiring a print photo booth.
Short on space? If you hire a digital booth in NZ you’ll be glad to know that our selfie booths are small (but stylish!) and take up far less space than a printed photo booth.
Cons
A digital photo booth uses an iPad camera and ring light, rather than a professional-level camera. While these images are of a high quality and more than suitable for social media, the flash isn’t as strong, which means natural light is helpful for getting the best quality shots.
Of course, the other obvious downside is that guests don’t get a printed photo to take home. When deciding between digital or traditional photo booths, we recommend thinking about the demographics of your audience – would they love the fun and camaraderie of taking selfies together? Or would they prefer a tangible photo they could take home and display on their desk or fridge?
Still wondering “how do I choose a photo booth?” It can be helpful to read more about both the traditional and digital photo booth, then think about your attendees, budget and space constraints. For a very large event, you might even consider multiple photo booths and arranging for one traditional and one selfie booth, giving your guests multiple choices.
You might be glad to know that both options can be branded, both on the outside of the camera and on the photo overlay, so both are fantastic choices from a marketing perspective. Plus, both printed and selfie booths can be combined with fun photo props and accessories for attendees to wear and play around with as they pose for the camera.
For anyone planning a corporate or social event in or around Auckland, we’re New Zealand’s premier photo booth company, delivering stylish, modern and professional photo booths to events large or small. Give us a call or email to discuss your event needs – we’re more than happy to help!