Computer and printer giant Hewlett-Packard Co. introduced an application on the Apple App Store that lets iPhone and iPod touch customers print photos.

HP iPrint Photo is claimed as the first free photo printing application available on the Apple App Store. The app gives HP access to a new market with the potential to boost its printer business.

"Annual camera phone device shipments are exploding on a worldwide basis, and mobile photo printing is quickly growing," said Rob Enderle, president and principal analyst at Enderle Group, in a statement.

"Until now, customers had no easy way to print the special moments captured on their iPhone or stored on their iPod touch," he said.

The app is free to download from the Apple App Store on the iPhone and iPod touch or online at http://www.itunes.com/appstore.

Once downloaded onto the iPhone or iPod touch, the app lets users print borderless 4 inches by 6 inches photos from their device to an HP inkjet printer synced with a local Wi-Fi network.

The app is compatible with Apple's Bonjour technology that automatically recognizes HP wireless printers or other supported printers on the Wi-Fi network.

HP iPrint Photo also works in other Wi-Fi environments such as Apple Airport, Linksys, Netgear and D-Link.

HP, Palo Alto, CA, is pushing its photo papers with HP Auto Sense for iPrint Photo.