Fujifilm is luring a generation born into social media by blending the tactile pleasures of its Instax instant cameras with a range of augmented reality features.

The Instax Mini Evo, launched in December 2021, and had quickly sold more than double the Japanese company’s expected numbers by the following March.

A demand for film followed, with Fujifilm investing A$22.5 million in November to expand its existing factory in Japan’s Kanagawa prefecture to increase output by 20 per cent.

The Instax Mini 12 was released last month in Japan, and is selling faster than previous models, according to Fujifilm.

It works with the Instax Square Link printer, which came out in November, and allows users to print photos taken on a smartphone onto the Instax photo.

Through the printer’s app, users can also add AR effects like drawings, text, and other augmentations to a photo, which are encoded in a QR code on the physical photo.

“By combining analog printing with digital technology, we want to expand the world” of Instax, Fujifilm President Teiichi Goto said.