CreativeTechniques

A guide to the creative potential of Polaroid films

Inside
Image Transfer
Emulsion Lift
Positive/Negative
B&W Films
Positive/Negative
Special Effects
Paper Negatives
35mm Instant Slides
Sepia Options
Colour Manipulation
Projection Printing
Digital Techniques

Polaroid joiner Lucio Valerio Pini: Contact +39 6 5800871

Creative Techniques

All professional photographers know that

Polaroid materials are an essential part

Image Transfer
Step-by-step guide, together with new hints for successful transfers

of proofing: professional photography as

6

we know it today simply could not exist

without instant prints. Rather fewer

Emulsion Lift
How to release colour and b&w images from instant print media

people know about the creative potential

8

of Polaroid materials, and even those

who are aware often think that the

Positive/Negative B&W Films

Your complete guide to getting the best results from instant negatives

gamut of possibilities is limited to

10

emulsion lifts and image transfers.

In reality, and as this newly expanded

Positive/Negative Special Effects

Sabattier Effect negatives, aged prints and chemical manipulations

booklet will reveal, these techniques are

12

merely the tip of the creative iceberg.

Paper Negatives
Previously, these would have been consigned to the bin, but no more

Photography has been a magical process

14

ever since the first pictures were recorded

and fixed. Today, Polaroid materials are

35mm Instant Slides

Colour and b&w films, in normal and high contrast versions

intrinsic to that magic, not only as a

16

means of experimentation but also for

producing final art images that paying

Sepia Options
Cross-tone processing, chemical toning and Sepia Film

clients recognise as being totally without

18

equal. The pages that follow explain

how you can enjoy more of - and, it is

Colour Manipulation
Distorting Polacolor tonal renditions, and the morphology of SX-70 images

to be hoped, profit from - the ever

20

growing world of instant imaging.

Projection Printing
How to make use of Polaroid materials in the darkroom

22

Digital Techniques
Scanning and printing techniques for Polaroid materials

Worldwide Director Professional Photography

24

Contact
Where to contact your local Polaroid office

Front cover Davis Freeman: Contact +1 206 284 1767

Image Transfer
Image transfer involves prematurely
peeling apart a colour print film, then
pressing the negative half in contact with
a new receptor sheet. When this is done,
the image transfers onto the receptor
sheet just as it would normally have
transferred onto the Polaroid print except that the image now displays a
quality defined by the receptor
medium used.

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Step-by-step
Before you begin you will need to
arrange three separate areas. One
will be for the exposure unit; one
will be for treating the receptor
sheet prior to image transfer;
one will be a flat surface where
the negative can be pressed in
contact with the receptor. For the
purpose of this explanation,
it will be assumed that you are
using a DayLab daylight
exposure unit.

area if so desired. (This gives a

neater image, but loses some of
the unique Polaroid edge pattern.)

Any Polacolor ER film (Types 669, 59, 559, 809) can

be used. Image transfers can be created either live
in the camera, or in the darkroom using
projection printing - see page 20. Alternatively,
you can use a DayLab daylight exposure unit, or a
Vivitar slide printer, or a Polaroid Polaprinter
(the latter two now being available secondhand only).

Whichever film and method of exposure is used,

the greatest effect on the final image comes from the
surface texture of the receptor. Most commonly,
the receptor is paper, but other absorbent surfaces can
also be tried for alternative effects.

In the receptor preparation area,

you should cut the paper sheets
to the desired size (typically
around 8x10in for medium
format images). If the paper has
a rough surface, it will need to
be wetted by immersion in warm
water, followed by blotting to
remove surface liquid. Smoother
surface papers (hot pressed) are
easier to use, but produce less
textured images.
Having made your exposure in
the normal way, wait for 5-10
seconds, then peel apart the film
and discard the print, which will
appear rather faint and orange.
The more picture there is on the
discarded print, the less there
will be remaining on the negative
to make the transfer. Press the
negative in contact with the
receptor sheet, previously cutting
off the chemical pod and receptor
areas above and below the image

Image Transfer Pedro Luis Ormazabal: Contact +34 915 428386

With a medium-hard rubber ink

roller, apply pressure to the back
of the negative in order to ensure
intimate contact between the
negative and the receptor. Be
warned, however, that applying
too much pressure can squeeze
out the chemical gel that carries
the image from the negative to
the receptor, so ruining the
picture. Excessive rolling,
especially when using smoother
papers, can also cause the image
to move slightly, so reducing
sharpness. It is normally best to
roll about four times, working in
one direction only.
Leave the print for one minute,
then peel off the negative to
reveal the transferred image on
the receptor sheet. Peeling
carefully helps to ensure image
integrity. In addition, gentle heat
applied to the back of the
negative (using a hair drier) will
help to stop black areas from
lifting-off and showing as
mid-blue.
The finished image transfer
should be put to one side on a
safe, flat surface, and left to dry
naturally. After drying, the print
can be sprayed with a clear UV
protective coat to seal the image.

Image Transfer Tips

Avoid pictures that rely on fine detail,
because this can be lost during the
image transfer process.

Variations
Experiment with different papers.
If the paper is very smooth and
has a well sealed surface, the
image may not take - or may
look almost the same as a
normal Polaroid print (except for
a slight blue colour cast caused
by orange dye having been lost
prior to peeling the film). If the
paper is too coarse, the image
will appear blotchy. Between
these two extremes is a whole
host of useable surfaces, so try
out a few to see what effects
they give.

Cloth, wood and even unglazed

clay surfaces can all accept
image transfers.
Surfaces can be manipulated
before accepting image transfers.
One possibility is to spray on a
very thin coating of metallic
paint, which can make highlight
areas glisten.

Minor image defects can often be

retouched using suitable dyes or
watercolour inks. Be sure to work
carefully in order to avoid ruining
the image transfer.
Rather than distributing valuable
originals, you may want to copy
your image transfers onto
transparency film.

Image transfers tend to come out

slightly cyan, so where possible it can
be useful to filter the image slightly
red during exposure to compensate for
this in advance.
When peeling the negative from its
print prior to transferring, be sure to
peel quickly and smoothly in one

After an image transfer has dried,

it can be scraped away and/or
coloured in local areas.

For ease of use, Polaroid supplies

an all-in-one kit that contains
everything needed for Image
Transfer (and Emulsion Lifts - see
page 6), except the Daylab Junior.

continuous action.
Ensure that the medium-hard rubber
roller has a totally clean surface,
otherwise it will leave unsightly
patterns on the image when it is
employed to press the back of the
negative in contact with the
receptor sheet.
As with all Polaroid processes, the
ambient temperature has a significant
effect on the speed of reaction. For
maximum control, always work under
the same conditions.
If water is used to dampen the
receptor sheet, use distilled water for
greatest consistency. Variations in
water quality from one geographic
region to another can sometimes
explain difficulties encountered when
attempting image transfers. Similarly,
such variations (and the deliberate
addition of liquids that are weak
alkalis or weak acids) can sometimes
explain slight differences in image
quality.
To reduce the chances of image
damage when peeling-off the
negative after transferring, work
carefully from one corner, looking to
check for lifting of black areas in
particular. Warming the back of the
negative can help to reduce lift-off in
black areas, but it is better still to
select original pictures that do not
contain large, dark areas.
Always leave image transfers to dry
fully before packing for storage or
mounting for display. Framed
transfers should be window mounted
to avoid having the image in direct
contact with the glass.

Image Transfer Pedro Luis Ormazabal: Contact +34 915 428386

Emulsion Lift
Emulsion lifts are the easiest and most
exciting Polaroid creative technique to
master. All they entail is soaking a print
in warm water until the image comes
loose, then redepositing the freed
emulsion on a new receptor sheet.
Because emulsion lifts involve separating
the image from the Polaroid support,
there is enormous potential for
manipulating the picture to create
different shapes.
Traditionally, emulsion lifts are done using colour prints
from Polaroid ER films (Types 669, 59, 559, 809), but the
same technique also works in b&w using Polapan Pro 100

Emulsion Lift Joiner Jrg Kummer: Contact +41 71 923 7475

films (Types 664, 54, 554 and 804) - albeit with the need
to use boiling, rather than just hot, water.

Prints must have fully dried before being subjected to

emulsion lifting. Sometimes drying is very quick, or can
be accelerated using a hair drier, but to be safe it is often
best to allow at least overnight drying of
prints before use.

Step-by-step
There are several different ways
to perform an emulsion lift (see
Variations), but a well proven
method is as follows. Before you
start, have a kettle or other
source of hot water on hand, and
arrange your working area with
two processing trays on the wet
bench, plus a smooth flat area
on which you can manipulate
the emulsion.
Put a fully dry Polacolor print
into a tray of hot water
(typically around 80C/180F),
and leave it to soak. After about
5 minutes, the edges of the
picture should loosen. Wearing
rubber gloves to guard against
the hot water (or using a long
handled, soft bristle brush), rub
the print to encourage complete
separation of the emulsion.
When the emulsion has come
totally free, it can be picked up
using a sheet of Mylar as a
support, then transferred to a
second tray containing warm,
rather than hot, water.

Emulsion Lift Jon Tarrant: Contact +44 181 771 5749

In the second tray, the image is

floated off the Mylar sheet and
onto the final receptor. Because
the water is only warm, it is safe
to use your hands to arrange the
emulsion on the submerged
receptor (normally a sheet of
textured paper). The best
temperature for the second tray
is just on the warm side of room
temperature. When you are
satisfied with how the emulsion
looks on the paper, carefully
slide the entire assembly out
of the water.
With the paper on a flat surface
(located so as to prevent excess
water from spilling onto the
floor), you can gently move the
emulsion to refine your intended
arrangement. A roller can be
used to spread the emulsion out
if necessary. Moderate force will
cause the emulsion to stretch,
but greater force will make it tear.
When everything is as you want
it, place the artwork somewhere
safe to dry. Afterwards, it is a
good idea to fix the image with
a clear UV lacquer spray.

Variations
Some workers dislike using very
hot water because it can cause
the emulsion to bubble. Instead,
they use hand-tolerable warm
water, and leave the print to soak
for up to 15 minutes. In this
case, the emulsion does not float
free, but rather can be slid off the
print using a rigid smooth
scraper, such as the edge of a
credit card. Scraping is done in
towards the centre of the image,
finally producing a heap of freed
emulsion in the middle of the
print. This heap can then be
picked up and transferred to a
second warm water tray for
arrangement as usual.

Another method is to use hot

water, but to do so only briefly to
free just the edges of the
emulsion. The entire print is then
moved to a hand-tolerable warm
water tray where the edges of the
image are grasped between
thumb and forefinger so that the
picture can be peeled very
carefully from the print.
The receptor sheet is then slid
under the peeled image to
receive it as usual.
B&W lifts
It is also possible to perform
emulsion lifts using coaterless
b&w Polaroid Polapan Pro prints,
though to obtain separation it is

necessary to immerse the print

in boiling water for up to 15
minutes. After this time, the
edges of the print will have
loosened, and the print can then
be moved to a just tolerable
hand-hot tray in which the
emulsion can be pulled carefully
from the print. Compared to
colour, b&w emulsions are
relatively tough and can
withstand considerable force.
On the other hand, they bond
less well to new receptor sheets,
and therefore should always be
spray coated afterwards to
ensure permanent fixing.

Emulsion Lift Tips

If a Polaroid print is left in hot water
for too long, the backing layer starts
to come away, so clouding the water
and contaminating the emulsion.
To prevent this, the back of the print
can be spray coated or sealed with
an adhesive plastic film before
immersion.
Some practitioners report adding
secret ingredients to the water.
If such additives have any real effect,
they are likely only to be countering
other naturally occurring ingredients
in local water supplies. For those
who are inclined to experiment,
a more alkaline solution makes the
emulsion soft, whereas a more acid
solution makes the emulsion harder
and also more prone to tearing. Some
users also employ wetting agents, but
in most cases the best answer is
simply to use pure distilled water.
For best results, the image itself

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

must be sympathetic to the technique.

Emulsion lifts can be applied on top
of one another, or above existing
images or patterns. The base
substance is normally a medium
texture watercolour paper, but other
surfaces (such as wood and metal)
can also be tried.
The pinkish goo surrounding the
outside of the image area can be
used to frame the picture.
Alternatively, if it is not required it
can be removed by trimming off the
prints white borders before immersion.
In addition, removing the white
border can make separation of the
emulsion from the backing easier.
Once fully dried, emulsion lifts can
be retouched to remove blemishes or
to enhance the picture.
Finished emulsion lifts should be
fixed with a protective spray to
prevent peeling. If the emulsion is
applied to a smooth surface such as
metal or Perspex, spray coating is
especially important to ensure a

Emulsion Lift Darren Burton: Contact +44 1392 218494

permanent bond.
7

Positive/Negative B&W Films

It is not widely appreciated that there are
three b&w Polaroid instant films that
generate reusable negatives. Type 665 is
a medium format film that comes in ten
sheet packs; Type 55 is a 4x5 inch sheet
film that fits 545 series holders; Type
51HC features a high contrast print with
a slower (normal contrast) negative also for 545 series film holders.
The negatives all possess a wide tonal range and are
capable of producing beautifully subtle images on
conventional printing papers. As well as their great
beauty, the negatives have enormous practical value in
providing immediate confirmation that the
photographed subject has been captured on
film exactly as required.

Pos/Neg Black and White Film Jos Aragon

Pos/Neg Working Methods

Optimum exposure conditions
(effective exposure speeds) differ
slightly between the print and the
negative of each film type. This
difference is greatest for Type
51HC, where the print has a
speed rating of ISO 640
compared to the negatives rating
of ISO 80. The other two films
have negatives that are around
half a stop slower than their print
speeds. This means that for
optimum negative quality, the
instant print will generally be
slightly too light.
In all cases, these exposure
ratings are nominal, and must be
adjusted to take account of the
ambient temperature. Details are
given on data sheets included
with each box of film.
Additionally, contrast can be
adjusted slightly by altering the
exposure given and the
processing time. As usual,
prolonged development increases
contrast whereas curtailed
development reduces it - though
the shifts are less extreme than
can be obtained with
wet-processed film.
Once exposed, processed and
peeled apart, the negatives must
be cleared to remove all traces of
chemistry (see below). On
location, however, it can be more
convenient to delay clearing, and
to keep negatives in the Polaroid
PN-10 Clearing Tank filled with
plain water.

Positive/Negative B&W Film Jon Tarrant: Contact +44 181 771 5749

Clearing is best done using the

Polaroid PN-10 Clearing tank
filled with a solution containing
one pound of sodium sulphite in
70 fluid ounces of water (450g
in 2 litres). Negatives are
immersed in this solution for as
little time as it takes for the
chemical gel to loosen and free
itself from the film. The gel
should then be scooped out or
filtered off: if this is done, the
solution can be reused over a
considerable period of time until
it ceases to become effective.
After clearing, negatives should
be washed in running water for
at least 10 minutes. If they have
been cleared for longer than the
minimum time, the washing time
will also need to be extended.
Adding wetting agent (Kodak
Photo-Flo) to the final wash will
decrease the appearance of
drying marks on the film.
Alongside their negatives, all
three films generate conventional
prints that need to be coated to
fix their images. Impregnated
coaters are supplied with the
films: failure to use the coaters
will cause the image to age and
fade, eventually disappearing
completely.
When printing Polaroid negatives,
use of an over-sized negative
carrier will allow the films
distinctive borders to be shown.
For many photographers, these
edges are an intrinsic part of the
appeal of Polaroid negatives.
Because Polaroid negatives tend
to have soft tonal gradations,
they print well onto normal paper
grades, and are also well suited
to lith printing.
A further important property of
Polaroid negatives is their very
high resolving power (see table),
which makes them extremely
well suited to proofing
applications that demand critical
sharpness checks.

FILM CHARACTERISTICS
Polaroid Code

Type 665

Type 55

Type 51HC

Film Size (inches)

3.25x4.25

F4x5

4x5

Print Speed

ISO 80

ISO 50

ISO 640

Print Resolution lp/mm

14-20

22-25

22-25

Negative Speed

ISO 50

ISO 32

ISO 80

Negative Resolution lp/mm

160-180

150-160

120-140

Print Tonal Range

Medium

Wide

Narrow

Delayed processing technique

Because it is best to clear
negatives as soon as possible
after processing, it is useful to
know how to remove a 4x5 inch
Polaroid sheet from a 545 series
film holder after exposure without
initiating processing.
Load the holder, withdraw the
sleeve and make the exposure as
normal, then replace the sleeve
over the film in the conventional
manner.
To process the film, the mode
lever would be moved to the P
position before the sheet was
removed. To avoid processing,
keep the lever in its L position,
but press the small release
button that would be depressed
by the lever if it were moved to
the P position. With pressure
still on the button, grip the sheet
firmly and withdraw the envelope.
If this method does not work,
there is another fussier but more
foolproof method that is as follows.
Load the film, make the exposure
and replace the sleeve as usual.
Then, move the mode lever
across to its P position and
retract the envelope no more
than half an inch. This done,
move the lever back to its L
position and pull the entire
envelope free of the holder. If it
snags close to the top, slide the
lever back across to the P
position and pull hard. The
envelope will then come free.
To avoid double-exposure problems,
be sure to mark the envelope as
exposed but not processed.
This is best done by applying a
coloured sticker. You must not
write directly on the envelope as
this could mark the film within.
At a later stage, the previously
exposed sheets can be processed
simply by loading them back into
the 545 series holder as normal,
then immediately turning the
mode lever to P and extracting
the envelope in a smooth
movement as normal.

Type 55 Sheila Rock: Contact +44 171 730 4788

Positive/Negative Film Special Effects

As well as giving outstanding quality in
normal use (see previous pages),
Polaroid positive/negative films can
also be used to obtain a number of
interesting special effects.
The best known technique is the Sabattier Effect
(sometimes referred to as solarisation). Alternatively, the

Sabattier Effect
In essence, this technique
involves shooting a b&w Polaroid
film as normal, then peeling
apart the positive and negative
prematurely: immediately, a
flashgun is fired at the negative
part. Because the negative is still
covered with processing gel,
development effects cause partial
tone reversal and the creation of
delineating boundaries between
areas that have reversed and
those that have not.

instant negative can be left uncleared, so producing a

distressed look that ages with time.
A third possibility is to use wet chemistry to change
the image on the negative. All of these options
are explored in detail here.

Different photographers have

different ways of working, and
obtain different effects as a
result. Sabattier Polaroid
negatives can look anything from
virtually normal, to almost totally
reversed (with the appearance of
low contrast b&w transparencies).
Primary factors that affect the
final result are the amount of
subject exposure, the time
allowed for processing prior to
peeling, and the brightness/
distance of the flashgun used.
EXPOSURE: Although it is often
best to give generous exposure
when using Polaroid pos/neg
films under normal conditions,
the situation is slightly different
when employing the Sabattier
Effect. In particular, a side effect
of Sabattier exposures is that
modest levels of flash boost
shadow detail in Polaroid
negatives without affecting the
highlights. Therefore, it follows
that contrast is reduced. To help
counter this, subject exposures
should be the minimum that
records all the required detail
AFTER the Sabattier exposure is
added. Therefore, for Sabattier
Effect images pos/neg films can
often be rated at their full print
speeds (rather than half to one
stop slower, as is more usual
when the negatives are
conventionally processed).
TIME: The art here is to allow
enough time for the image to
start to develop, yet to catch the
process when the developer is
still active. Peeling apart too soon
causes low contrast, while

Type 55 Chemical Deterioration Denis Defibaugh: Contact +1 716 475 7401

10

peeling too late reduces the

Sabattier Effect. Typically,
pos/neg films should be peeled
apart after approximately onequarter to one-third of the normal
processing time. So if the
ambient temperature would
normally suggest 30 seconds for
the film being used, then that
film should be peeled apart for
the Sabattier Effect just 8-10
seconds after being pulled from
the film back.
FLASHGUN: Here is where the
greatest amount of variation is to
be found between different
photographers methods of
working. Using a hand-held
flashgun, the brightness level can
be anything between 1/64 power
and full power depending on the
desired effect. Low levels of flash
give very subtle effects, whereas
the highest levels can cause
almost total reversal of the
image. The only way to know the
right level for your own use is to
experiment!
VARIATIONS: Other things to
consider revolve around what is
done with the negative after
flashing. For example, if the
negative and print are squeezed
back together again, rosette
patterns will be formed on the
image. Some photographers like
to leave the negatives in the dark
for up to one minute to finish
processing, while others go
straightaway into the clearing
bath. If a high power flash is
used from close range, clearing
should definitely be done as
quickly as possible because the
bright burst of light dries the
processing gel. If it is not
removed immediately it may
never come off.
Type 665, Type 55 and Type
51HC behave slightly differently
when subjected to the Sabattier
Effect: you should try all three to
see which best suits your own
needs and photographic style.

Chemical Treatment
Polaroid positive/negative films
have negatives that are
composed of silver grains just
like the emulsions of wet-process
films: the thing that separates
instant films from conventional
types is mostly just the chemistry
in which they are developed.
Because of this, Polaroid instant
negatives can be bleached and
toned in conventional print
chemistries after development to
produce coloured or tonedistorted effects depending on
the solutions and methods used.
To produce such effects, use
combined sepia or copper toning,
with development in an ordinary
print developer. If sepia toner is
used, the image will show local
bronzing after partial bleaching an effect that may in itself be
useful in some instances.
If copper toning is used, you will
find that unlike the print case,
contrast tends to go down rather
than up (owing to the lower
density of brown tones).
Thorough washing must be
used between all stages, and
the negative must be handled
only at the edges to avoid
leaving fingerprint marks on
the image area.

Partly cleaned Type 55 negative printed on colour paper Steve Barston: Contact +1 716 256 3595

Uncleared Negatives
The reason for clearing Polaroid
negatives is to remove the
processing gel. If left on a
negative, the gel will continue to
act, albeit very slowly. In normal
photography, this is undesirable,
but for more artistic images such
deterioration can add to the
overall effect of the photograph.
Because Type 665 negatives
have a backing layer that is
dissolved during clearing, and

which would prevent

enlargement printing if not
removed, the medium format film
is less well suited than Type 55
and Type 51HC to being left
uncleared.
Negatives that are not cleared
must be allowed to dry in a
dust-free environment, and can
then be aged in sunlight to
obtain progressive deterioration.
Depending on the conditions,
ageing might take anything from

Because b&w printing papers are

relatively insensitive to brownish
colours of light, split toning of
negatives can cause changes in
printed density values. If this
effect is not wanted, and colour
distortions are preferred, print the
toned b&w negatives onto colour
paper. In this case, the colours
will, of course, be reversed.

two weeks to three months.

Prints can be made at various
stages along the way, but it is
not possible to fix the negative
when it reaches the perfect state
without changing its appearance.
If multiple prints are anticipated
over a period of time, it is best
either to re-photograph the printed
image, or to make a duplicate
negative (via an interneg, or by
copying onto transparency film).

Type 55 Sabattier Effect Jon Tarrant:

Contact +44 181 771 5749

11

Paper Negatives
Polaroid peel-apart films contain both a
positive and a negative. Normally, the
positive (the print) is kept, and the
negative is discarded. The exceptions to
this rule are Polaroids three b&w
positive/negative films
(Types 665, 55 and 51HC), all of which
provide high quality negatives that can
be recovered for subsequent printing
in a conventional enlarger see pages 8-11.

The paper negative technique

Choose an appropriate film type
(see suitable films list). It is
generally true to say that the
most commonly used peel-apart
films are not the ones that yield
the most interesting paper
negatives, so you should expect
to try out films that you might
not have used before.
Expose an image, process and
peel-apart the film as normal,
but take great care not to
damage the paper negative
during handling. The best way to
do this is to keep your eyes on
the negative, not the print, when
peeling the two apart. Adjust and
repeat the exposure as necessary
to produce the optimum negative
image.

(see High Contrast Copying).

Digitally, contrast can be adjusted
using Photoshop or a similar
software package.

High contrast copying

Copying is best done using
conventional copy lighting - with
two lights arranged one to each
side of the paper negative, both
aimed in at an angle of 45.
In terms of camera format, the
lower magnification ratios required
when working full-frame on small
film sizes make it easiest to copy
Polaroid paper negatives onto
35mm film, for which format
close-focusing lenses are readily
available in a range of focal
lengths.

But even films whose negatives are not intentionally

recoverable can sometimes give interesting reverse-toned
images. However, because these opaque paper negatives
are not intended for salvaging and re-use, some degree of
ingenuity is required to turn them into pictures
that can be exploited in their own right.

These two pages highlight some of the Polaroid films that

give the most interesting paper negative images.

If the negative image is to be

acquired photographically,
copying can take place either
immediately, while the picture is
still wet with processing chemistry,
or at any time after the negative
has dried. If the negative image
is to be acquired digitally using a
scanner, it is normally best to let
the film become fully dry before
proceeding in order to avoid
marking the scanner glass (but
see also the wet scan technique
explained on page 22).
Dried negatives tend to exhibit
lower contrast than wet ones.
In addition, they can show a
surface scum caused by the
dehydrated processing chemistry.
This can be removed by soaking
the negative in warm water, and
gently rubbing the surface.
Washed negatives lose some of
their colour, but give smoother
textured images that can be
copied either wet or dry.
Whichever method of capture is
used (photographic or digital),
the paper negative is a low
contrast image that will need
enhancement of some sort to
produce a more workable final
picture. This can be obtained on
film by employing a high contrast
b&w film or by using a colour
cross-processing technique

Emulsion Lift Davis Freeman: Contact +1 206 284 1767

12

When copying at near life-size

reproduction ratios (such as when
rephotographing a 3.25x4.25 inch
Polaroid paper negative on 6x7cm
film), it is best to mount either the
camera or the image on a moving
stage, so that fine focus can be
achieved by varying the camera-tosubject distance, rather than using
the lens movement.
Because the Polaroid negative has
reverse tones, copying onto a
conventional negative film will give
a positive transparency as the final
result. If a copy negative is required,
the camera should be loaded with
positive transparency film: Polaroid
PolaGraph (see page 14) may
prove useful in this context.
A high contrast b&w transparency
result can be obtained using Line
film, or by employing Kodak
Technical Pan in combination with
a standard film developer,
such as D-76 or HC-110.
For colour images, try crossprocessing an E6 transparency film
to give a C-41 negative, which will
show a positive image of the
original Polaroid negative.
Cross-processed films have a base
tint colour. This can sometimes
work in favour of the final positive
image, but can otherwise be

Suitable films
The best films give not only bold
negative images, but also localised
Sabattier Effect tone-reversal and
boundary lines. Amongst the films
most suited to this technique are:
Polacolor ER films
Types 669, 59, 559 and 809.
Type 53
ISO 800 b&w medium contrast film
(also available as Type 553 pack film
and Type 803 8x10 inch film)
- very bold negative images.
Type 667
ISO 3000 b&w medium contrast film
(also available as Type 57 5x4 inch
film and Type 87 8x10 inch film)
- not as bold as Type 53.
Type 672
ISO 400 general purpose proofing film,
also useful for bold negative effects.

Emulsion Lift Davis Freeman: Contact +1 206 284 1767

corrected with filtration either on

film or when making reversal
prints.

Digital enhancements
As well as boosting contrast and
removing blemishes, electronic
manipulation can also be used to
apply false colour to b&w paper
negatives. Images can be
scanned either as greyscale
(then converted to RGB for
manipulation), or as RGB originals.

Noise can be added to the image

to give a grittier look if this is
appropriate to the subject.
Printing onto Polaroid Watercolor,
Polaroid Matt or Polaroid Canvas
inkjet media can further improve
the appearance of digitally
enhanced images taken from
Polaroid paper negatives.
(Polaroid inkjet media are
available in Europe and
Canada only).

13

35mm Instant Slides

There are five films in Polaroids 35mm
instant slide range; two b&w, two colour,
and one white-out-of-blue.
All are sold complete with chemistry pods
that fit the same manually operated
daylight processor.
For normal contrast colour pictures, the film to use is
PolaChrome CS - an ISO 40 emulsion that can be bought
in both 12 and 36 exposure lengths. For higher contrast
results, use PolaChrome HCP - also rated at ISO 40 and
also sold in 12 and 36 exposure lengths.

ISO 125 PolaPan CT is the film to choose if you want

normal contrast b&w pictures, with ISO 400 PolaGraph
HC available for higher contrast results.

Finally, there is PolaBlue BN. This is a slow speed,

high contrast film that produces negative images where
original areas of light tones are recorded blue, and

PolaGraph HC Frank Tielemans: Contact +31 40 461319

original dark tones are recorded white.

PolaBlue is rated at ISO 4-8, and has orthochromatic
sensitivity: it is available only in 12 exposure lengths,
and is properly intended for creating slide show titles but can also be used to produce eye-catching,
semi-abstract, experimental images.

Handling Hints
Because the surface of Polaroid
35mm films is highly reflective,
exposure and film loading
problems can arise in respect of
some cameras. Use a hand-held
meter and manual exposure
settings if necessary.
Polaroid 35mm instant films
have relatively fragile emulsions,
so they should always be
handled with great care.
Photographers who shoot
commissioned work on these
films often elect to supply their
clients with reversal prints rather
than film originals.
Although the films run through
the cassette lips several times
(twice in the camera, and twice
in the daylight processor), you
should avoid repeated drawing
and withdrawing after processing
as this may cause scratches.

PolaChrome CS Christopher Thomas: Contact +49 89 723 4516

14

If possible, mount individual

frames in slide holders or black
card masks immediately after
processing.
The edges of the film should be
clear after processing. If they are
not, and are instead black from
adhering backing film, use a strip
of sticky tape to remove the black
layer. Failure to do so risks
having bits of the black film fall
into the image area, so
damaging the picture.
If Polaroid 35mm films are to be
used for proofing, do not attempt
to judge the images simply by
holding the film up to the light.
Instead, you should use a pocket
lightbox and shade the film so
single pictures can be examined
individually, without stray light
reflecting from their shiny
surfaces and causing flare.

Ambient Temp

PolaPan
EI Rating

PolaPan
Process
(seconds)

PolaGraph
EI Rating

PolaGraph
Process
(seconds)

100F/38C

250

60

not recommended for use

80F/27C

160

60

320

120

70F/21C

125

60

400

120

60F/16C

125

120

400

120

50F/10C

160

120

500

120

Colour Tips and

Techniques
Colour information is held in fine
lines on Polaroid 35mm instant
colour films - rather like the way that
colour is composed on a television
screen. Because of this, very high
enlargements can show a lined
structure, though normal sized
reproductions reveal only a
distinctive, somewhat gritty

Monochrome Tips and

Techniques
Although PolaPan has normal
contrast overall, it is especially
good at recording highlights and
mid-tones, with a slight tendency
to compress shadow tones.
Marginal over-exposure is therefore
better than gross under-exposure.

For medium contrast, over-expose

PolaGraph by one stop (rate it at
EI 200) and reduce the
processing time from 120
seconds to 60 seconds.
When using PolaGraph at its full
speed (ISO 400), exposure is
critical: just half a stop of
adjustment will produce a very
different image on the film.
Therefore, bracketing is essential.

Both PolaPan and PolaGraph can

be printed onto colour reversal
paper, either with neutral filtration
or, more commonly, with a slight
tint that is analogous to
conventional chemical toning.

appearance.
Because they have a lined structure,
35mm Polaroid colour films should
be aligned as accurately as possible
if they are to be scanned, so reducing
the need to rotate images using

Temperature has a significant

effect on PolaPans and
PolaGraphs exposure speed and
processing time (see table).

software manipulation - which can

cause a clash between the films
structure and the scan pattern.
The same problem can sometimes
arise during magazine reproduction:
the best way to avoid any such
difficulties is to supply the client with
a reversal print (see Handling Hints).
If this route is to be taken, it is often
better to under-expose the image very
slightly to provide the best tonal
values for printing.
When printing PolaChrome slides,
colour bands may sometimes been
seen in white areas. This effect
should disappear if a small lens
aperture is used on the enlarger.
The colour screen that exists within

PolaBlue BN Karen Ollson Charle:

Contact +33 153 4089 59

PolaChrome films can be used to

create deliberate colour fringes by
placing a plain piece of emulsion
over the lens. Experimentation will
be necessary to find the optimum
conditions.

PolaPan CT Dale Durfee:

Contact +44 171 735 8766

PolaChrome HCP Allert & Hoess Fotodesign: Contact +49 89 609 5082

15

Sepia Options
Sepia pictures have long attracted
photographers by virtue of their classic,
yet out-of-the-ordinary appearance.
It also happens that the earliest Polaroid
films, those made for the Model 95
camera before 1950, gave sepia tinted
monochrome prints, but this was more by
way of necessity than choice.
Today, there are three different ways in
which Polaroid materials can be
used to give sepia results.
For dedicated sepia images, there is 4x5 inch Polaroid
Sepia Film, which is purpose designed for old time
photography at theme parks and special events, though it
also works well in portrait, fashion and some location
photography applications. Users of 8x10 inch Polaroids
can obtain a softer sepia effect by using cross-tone
processing, in which a Polapan Pro 100 Type 804, or Type
803, b&w print is processed in combination with a
Polacolor ER Type 809 colour negative sheet.
In addition, for users of all formats, there is the
option to use chemical (selenium) toning.

Chemical Toning
Sepia Film and cross-tone
processing are both particular to
specific formats - 4x5 inch and
8x10 inch respectively. The
beauty of chemical toning is that
it can be applied to Polapan Pro
100 prints of all sizes (Types
664, 554, 54 and 804).
Chemical toning can also be
performed on prints that have to
be coated, but only if the toning
is done prior to coating
(see below).
To get sepia images on Polapan
Pro 100 prints, use selenium
toner that is made up exactly as
for use on conventional
photographic papers. The
solution can be applied either by
swabbing the surface of the print
using a cotton wool ball soaked
in toner, or by immersing the
print in a small tray of working
solution. In both cases, remember
that selenium toner is toxic, so
take all necessary precautions to
ensure your personal safety.
Toning occurs quite quickly, but
even so the Polaroid sheet can
curl. A swabbed sheet can be
kept flat by being stuck to a
sheet of glass using adhesive
tape. Polaroids that are toned in
trays can be sealed on their
back, sides and front borders
using similar adhesive tape to
reduce curling.
In any case, the curl will
straighten out if sheets are dried
with weights attached. The
finished surface will have a slight
semi-matt appearance in place of
the original smooth gloss.
Other single-bath toners can also
be used on Polapan Pro 100
prints, but to less effect. Blue
and copper toners both give the
expected colours, but only slowly
and to subtle degrees.
Although Polapan Pro 100 prints
do not respond to conventional
sepia toners, they are attacked by
sepia bleaches in a manner that
can produce an interesting
distressed look reminiscent of the

Cross Tone Jon Tarrant: Contact +44 181 771 5749

16

Sabattier Effect (see page 10).

This technique can be especially
useful when using the 8x10 inch
format, for which there is no
Polaroid positive/negative film and therefore no means of
producing Sabattier Effect images
via interrupted negative
processing.
Selenium toned Polapan Pro 100
images are quite stable, but other
chemically treated prints should
be copied onto transparency film
for maximum permanence.
To selenium tone Polaroid prints
that require coating (Types 665,
55, 51HC and 52), mix a
solution that contains one part
Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner,
one part isopropyl alcohol
(2-propanol), and four parts
distilled water. Spray the mixture
onto the uncoated print: toning
will proceed rapidly. Squeegee
lightly when the desired tone is
achieved, then use the coater
(supplied with the film) to seal
the print.
Important note: When handling
photographic chemicals, be sure
to take all the appropriate
precautions. Work in a wellventilated area, and always wear
protective clothing, gloves and
safety glasses. Store all
chemicals correctly in properly
labelled containers that are kept
out of the reach of children in
secure locations. Dispose of
spent chemistry responsibly and
in accordance with the
requirements of your local
water authority.

Sepia Film
Introduced in 1994, Polaroid
Sepia Film was originally a test
product that was made available
on a limited production basis.
Many years later, it still carries
the Limited Manufacture Film
tag, but now enjoys a proper
code number - Type 56.
Rated at ISO 400, 4x5 inch Type
56 Sepia Film has high
sharpness and a subtle tonal
range. It gives very rich, warm
browns in less than a minute:
specific processing times are 35
seconds at 75-95F (24-35C),
45 seconds at 65-75F
(18-24C), 50 seconds at
55-65F (13-18C).
No coating or after-treatment of
the print is required.
Sepia Film does not respond to
the image transfer technique
(see page 4), but can be
emulsion lifted (see page 6).
If treated with selenium toner
(see below), Sepia Film images
lose their colour.
The tint of sepia obtained
depends on the exposure level,
the ambient temperature and the
freshness of the film stock.
Because Polaroid Type 56 Sepia
Film is panchromatic, it can be
used for making sepia copies
directly from colour slides using
projection printing (see page 20).

Type 55 Bleaching Brad Miller: Contact +1 312 243 1930

Cross-Tone Processing
This technique can be used on
8x10 inch Polaroid films only.
The reason is that in this format,
negative (exposure) and print

(final image) sheets are supplied

separately, and are combined
during processing. Therefore
it is possible to unite one type
of negative with another type
of print.
To get the sepia cross-tone effect,
expose onto a Polacolor ER Type
809 colour negative sheet, then
process the image in contact with
a Polapan Pro 100 Type 804, or
Type 803, b&w print sheet.

effects can be very attractive in

their own rights (giving as they
do a split-tone look to the
image), they can be avoided by
choosing subjects that are rich in
mid-tones, with little by way of
bright highlights and deep
shadows.

Depending on the final image

quality required, it may be
necessary to over-expose the
colour negative by up to 2 stops
relative to its normal exposure.
A slight pinkish colour may be
seen in the highlights, and
bronzing may be apparent in the
blackest areas. Although these
Cross Tone Frank Tielemans: Contact +31 40 461319

17

Colour Manipulation
Polaroid colour prints can be
manipulated using either light or physical
means depending on the type of
medium used.
Peel-apart colour films can be subjected
to a version of the same interrupted
processing treatment that is applied to
b&w positive/negative films when
creating Sabattier Effect images
(see page 10). In colour, however, there is
a more critical dependency on timing.
Self-developing Time Zero/SX-70 film
can be manipulated using physical
deformation either by applying local
pressure to the surface of the print or by
cutting the print open to separate the
image-bearing plastic front layer from
the white backing behind.
Of all the Polaroid techniques explained in this booklet,
Time Zero/SX-70 manipulations produce the most surreal
results. Although distortions can be applied to
conventional images using digital manipulation, there is
nothing in the electronic arena that gives the same level
of local control as a Polaroid Time Zero/SX-70 print.

Interrupted colour processing

Using a peel-apart colour film,
make an exposure. Subjects with
good contrast and bold areas of
dark tones tend to work best.
Part way through the processing
time, peel the film apart, subject
it to a relatively dim light source,
then immediately recombine it
and leave to finish processing
as usual.
When recombining the film, use
a medium-hard rubber roller to
restore intimate contact between
the negative and the print.
Peeling the film earlier in the
processing cycle (within the first
15-20 seconds) tends to give
magenta highlights without
double-image ghosting: peeling
later (after about 40s) will give
cyan highlights and an increased
tendency for ghosting.
As well as colour and image
effects arising from the processing
chemistry, the final result is also
affected by the ambient lighting
conditions when the film is
peeled apart.
Unlike b&w Sabattier Effect
negatives, which can be created
using a wide variety of different
brightness light sources, colour
re-exposures are best done under
relatively dim lighting conditions.
Indoor daylight from a small
window, or the light of a typical
desk lamp, is about the right
intensity.
A certain amount of
experimentation will be needed
to discover the optimum
conditions for any given image.

About Time Zero/SX-70 film

Time Zero/SX-70 prints are
self-developing, with an image
area just over 3 inches square on
a print that measures 3.5x4.25
inches. The film is sold in
ten-sheet packs that fit dedicated
Time Zero/SX-70 cameras.
Professional quality Time Zero
SX-70 film is sold as Type 778.
Type Zero/SX-70 Barbara Cole:
Contact +1 416 599 5822

18

Although Time Zero/SX-70

cameras are no longer made by
Polaroid, they are relatively easy
to find secondhand. In addition,
it is possible to load Time
Zero/SX-70 film into current
600-series cameras (see Box
Panel).
Note that it is important to
expose Time Zero/SX-70 film at
the right temperature: if the film
is too cold its images will have a
blue/cyan cast.

Manipulating Time Zero/SX-70

images
The image-bearing gel within a
Time Zero/SX-70 print can be
deformed using local pressure
that is applied via a rounded-tip
instrument such as a claymodelling tool.
Manipulations are only possible
up until the time when the gel
sets solid. Depending on the
conditions and the state of the
film, the window of opportunity
varies from about 10 minutes to
half an hour.
Warming the print, using a hair
drier for example, makes the gel
softer while it is still malleable,
but also accelerates the chemical
reaction that makes the gel set
solid.
It is easiest to apply local
pressure by working on the front
of a Time Zero/SX-70 print. The
clear plastic outer is quite tough,
so you need not worry about
cutting through it - though it will
become scored. If you would
rather not have scores on the
front of the print, apply pressure
from the back. To see what
effect the pressure is having,
tape the print face-down on a
small sheet of glass and view
the image via a mirror arranged
in front.
Darker areas are often difficult to
deform with subtlety. However,
by pressing very hard it is
possible to penetrate right
through dark colours to the white

Using Time Zero/SX-70 film

and a 600-series camera
To insert Time Zero/SX-70 film into a
600-series camera, lay a piece of
thick paper or thin card on the
bottom of the film chamber, then
slide the Time Zero/SX-70 pack in
over it, pulling the paper/card out as
you do so to prevent a jam. The
purpose of the paper/card is to
depress a small metal hook that
would otherwise obstruct the
Time Zero/SX-70 film pack.
Because Time Zero/SX-70 film is
roughly 2 stops slower than
600-series film, you must fit a
0.6 neutral density filter over the
cameras exposure meter sensor.
Fine adjustments for print density
can then be done using the
cameras lighter/darker slider.

Type 669 Solarisation Pier Nicola DAmico: Contact +1 215 923 8878

base beneath. This can be done

deliberately either to make
outlines around an object, or to
write text onto the image area.
Separating Time
Zero/SX-70 prints
Wearing thin rubber gloves to
protect your skin from the caustic
processing gel inside, cut around
the border of an Time Zero/SX-70
print and separate the imagebearing plastic front half from the
white, opaque backing.
Type 669 Solarisation Jon Tarrant:
Contact +44 181 771 5749

If you hold the separated image

up to the light, you will see that
it is semi-transparent, and looks
rather like a sheet of back-lit
photographic film. In addition,
when the sheet is placed face
down, you can see a faint echo
of its image from the back.

Using a sharp, curved scalpel

blade, scrape away at the back
of the image to remove unwanted
areas of the picture. Those areas
will then be totally clear.
If the scraped Time Zero/SX-70
image is then sandwiched with
another picture, the latter will
show through the clear areas of
the former. Alternatively, a
uniform colour, abstract pattern
or representative design can be
painted directly onto the back of
the scraped Time Zero/SX-70
image - remembering to build-up
the image in reverse, with
foreground elements painted
on first and backgrounds
applied last.
See also page 20 for darkroom
uses of Time Zero/SX-70 film.

19

Projection Printing
Although Polaroid films are primarily
intended for use in-camera, serving both
technical (proofing) and creative
functions, they can also be used under
the enlarger specifically for
creative imaging.
In comparison with other darkroom
media, Polaroid films are of considerably
higher sensitivity, and are mostly of
smaller size. They are also much quicker
and easier to process, of course.
Darkroom applications include providing the starting
points for all the techniques explained elsewhere in this
booklet, as well as a few others that have no
direct in-camera equivalents.

A certain amount of ingenuity is needed when using

Projection Printing Emmanuel Gaffard

Polaroid films under the enlarger, but all the necessary

tricks are given here.
Suggested applications
Making b&w copy negatives
from b&w or colour slides using
Polaroid pos/neg films.
Checking the b&w tonality of
colour images prior to their
reproduction in monochrome.
Using b&w or colour slides to
make Polaroid prints that will
provide the starting point for
image transfers, emulsion lifts or
interrupted colour processing.
Exposing directly onto SX-70 film
to experiment with pressuredeformed images.
Creating photograms that are
achieved by placing fully or
partially transparent objects
directly on top of the Polaroid
film, then making one or more
exposures using coloured light.
Projection Printing Emmanuel Gaffard

20

Making multiple selective

enlargements of a b&w or colour
slide image, then assembling
these components to make a
Polaroid joiner.

Step-by-Step (peel-apart films)

Place an original transparency
into the enlarger, with the image
side uppermost. This is upside
down for normal printing, but is
necessary because of the nature
of Polaroid peel-apart films.
Position the film holder flat under
the enlarger head. If a 4x5 inch
film holder is used, place a box
or other suitable platform under
the holder so that the processing
lever is held clear of the
baseboard to avoid tilting. If a
medium format or 8x10 inch film
holder is used, the holder will lie
flat directly on the baseboard.

 Set the enlarger using the

appropriate lens aperture and
filtration (see Exposure
Suggestions).
Compose and focus the projected
image using a piece of white
card placed as close as possible
to the plane in which the film
will lie during exposure
(see picture).
Turn off the lights, including all
safelights, then withdraw the film
holder darkslide, or the outer
envelope of the 4x5 inch film
sheath, ready for exposure.

The following comments apply

to both peel-apart and Time Zero/
SX-70 films, except where specified

In the dark, remove the Time

Zero/SX-70 film pack from the
camera (open the film chamber
door and pull the same tab that
is used to remove the pack when
it is empty). Place the film pack
into the frame on the baseboard,
being sure to orientate it the
same way around as was the
focusing block.
Make the exposure.

Switch on the lights and process

the film as normal.

Still in darkness, slot the Time

Zero/SX-70 film pack back into
the camera and close the film
chamber door. The freshly
exposed sheet of film will be
ejected and start to develop.
The lights can now be turned on.

If the print is too light it is overexposed, so reduce the exposure

time. If it comes out too dark,
increase the exposure time.

If the print is too light it is overexposed, so reduce the exposure

time. If it comes out too dark,
increase the exposure time.

Make the exposure, then re-insert

the darkslide or push down the
film sheath as appropriate.

Exposure Suggestions

Remove the focusing block and

switch off the lights, including
all safelights.

otherwise.

Step One

It will normally be necessary to close

the enlarger lens right down to its

Joiners
Rather than producing one small
print of the entire projected
image, you could try making a
series of selective enlargements
that cover the picture in parts.
After the prints have been
processed, they can be joined
together to depict the complete
scene. For a more artistic effect,
allow a small amount of (variable)
overlap, and make minor
adjustments to the height of the
enlarger to give a more surreal
effect that will make some parts
of the image seem to leap out of
the picture. More commonly,
joiners can be made in-camera,
when slight mismatches may
arise either incidentally, or by
deliberate design.

Step-by-Step
(Time Zero/SX-70 film)
Place an original transparency
into the enlarger, with the image
side facing down, as for
conventional printing.

minimum aperture. This is especially

true when working with medium and
large format originals that are printed
almost life-size onto Polaroid films.
Precise exposure times will vary with
the degree of enlargement and the
type of enlarger used. Typical times
will be around 1-10 seconds.
Polaroid b&w films and Polaroid
Polacolor 64T can normally be used
under the enlarger without any
filtration.
If peel-apart Polacolor daylight films
are used unfiltered, the final image
will have a slight orange cast. This
can be corrected using CC30B, or by
dialling in equal amounts of cyan and
magenta light if a dichroic head is
fitted. The amount to be dialled in
will vary with the scale markings
used, but try 30 units of each to
start. If the picture is still too orange,
increase the filtration: if it has turned

Prepare the Time Zero/SX-70

film by loading it into an SX-70
camera (or a modified 600-series
camera - see page 18). The card
darkslide ejects automatically when
the film chamber door is closed.

slightly blue, reduce the filtration.

If a peel-apart Polacolor daylight
print is to be used for image transfer
(see page 4), it is possible that no
corrective filtration will be needed as
the natural orange colour of the

On the enlarger baseboard, place

a firmly mounted frame that
marks out exactly where the film
pack needs to be positioned for
the exposure.

enlarger light will probably

compensate almost exactly for the
blue cast that the technique normally
provokes.

Set the enlarger using the

appropriate lens aperture and
filtration (see Exposure
Suggestions).
Place into the frame a focusing
block that is the same thickness
as the film pack, with a white
square painted to correspond
with the prints image area.
Compose and focus the image
for printing.

Tungsten Melvyn Vincent: Contact +44 171 490 2890

21

Digital Techniques
There is a natural association between
Polaroid instant films and digital
techniques. Both provide immediate
feedback on the image, and both open
the door to their own creative
techniques. It is therefore only natural
that Polaroid is involved with the
digital medium.
Polaroid offers a broad range of digital hardware and
consumables that can be used in conjunction
with both instant and conventional images.
As well as scanners and film writers, Polaroid offers
innovative inkjet papers with glossy, matt, watercolor
and canvas surfaces (Europe and Canada only).

Importantly, there are certain creative techniques that can

only be exploited by combining digital technologies
with instant film images. These techniques form
the core of this section.

Wet Scanning
As has already been mentioned
in the section that discusses
Polaroid Paper Negatives (see
page 12), the intermediate image
that forms the final print can
itself have interesting properties.
But to make the most of these
intermediates, it is necessary to
copy their images in some way.
Page 12 considered photographic
techniques: here the emphasis is
on scanning those paper
negatives for enhancement within
Photoshop or another image
manipulation software package.
The most interesting b&w
Polaroid paper negatives are
obtained from Types 53/553/803
and Types 667/57/87. In colour,
Polacolor ER films (Types 669,
59, 559, 88 and 809) are the
best ones to choose.
Paper negatives have better
colour and definition when they
are wet. When rephotographing
such images onto film, it is
relatively easy to keep the
Polaroid negative damp: when
scanning the images, rather more
ingenuity is required.
To wet scan a Polaroid paper
negative, first use bath sealant to
draw the outline of a rectangle
on the glass plate of a flatbed
scanner using white silicone
rubber. The outline should be
drawn using a single continuous
movement, with special care
taken to ensure that the two ends
of the perimeter line make a
perfect join. The area enclosed
must be rather larger than the
size of negative that is to be
scanned.
Separately, soak a suitable
Polaroid paper negative in water
until it is thoroughly wet. It is not
necessary to use a freshly
exposed image: previously
exposed negatives that have been
dried and carefully stored also
work well.
Carry the drenched negative to
the scanner and place it face
down on the scanner glass within

Digital enhanced Polaroid image Michael Berger: Contact +1 781 386 6542

22

the rectangle. The white silicone

rubber rectangle will contain the
water that is squeezed out as the
negative is pressed into contact.
Keep a vigilant eye to make sure
that no water seeps through the
white silicone rubber rectangle.
With the flatbed scanner lid left
up, define the image capture
area within the scanners
software, then capture the image
as usual.
If tide marks are seen on the
scanned image, add a small
amount of water into the
rectangle and lift the paper
negative to get it fully soaked
once more, then rescan.
Rather than scanning the
Polaroid as a negative (and
therefore seeing on the computer
screen an automatically inverted
image), scan in positive mode
instead. You will then get a
negative displayed on the screen:
for interesting effects,
experiment with adjusting the
RGB curves to alter the tonality
of the picture prior to inversion.
Take the greatest care when
using water on the scanner:
electricity and water can be a
dangerous combination. If your
scanner has a focusing function,
it may be possible to place the
paper negative inside a glass
container with a very thin base,
rather than drawing a silicone
rubber containment rectangle
directly on the scanner glass.

Digitised Polaroid images

Because 35mm PolaChrome CS
and PolaChrome HCP are both
composed of fine lines, it is
important to align the slides
squarely with the scanning
direction. Failure to do this will
mean necessary software rotation
of the image after scanning, and
this can cause interference
patterns to appear.

Type 59 Wet Scanning Gary Sloan: Contact +1 617 964 4570

The pointillist quality of an

over-enlarged or highly magnified
PolaChrome image suggests a
certain artistic quality. This can
be enhanced using Photoshop
filters, or using a separate
software package such as Painter.
The optimum scan resolution to
use is the lowest resolution that
will suit your intended purpose.
Scanning at higher resolutions
does not offer any better quality,
but only makes image processing
slower and uses up more
storage space when archiving
the images.
With peel-apart films, it is also
possible to relate the maximum

useful scan resolution to the

resolution of the Polaroid image.
For Polaroid colour print films
(and also for Time Zero/SX-70
prints), the resolution is around
10 line-pairs per millimetre; for
Polaroid b&w prints it is around
25 lp/mm; for Polaroid b&w
negatives it is around 160
lp/mm. The maximum useful
scan resolution is twice the
lp/mm figures. This works out at
approximately 500dpi, 1200dpi
and 8000dpi respectively.
When recording images in the
camera for artistic effects after
scanning, experiment with
double exposures and combined
in-focus/out-of-focus components.

For a more painterly digital

effect, experiment with reduced
colour palettes by selecting
256-colour mode.

Inkjet printing
Before you print a digital image,
consider which surface of paper
would best suit the subject and
the treatment given. Polaroid offers
inkjet papers with glossy, matt,
watercolor and canvas surfaces
(Europe and Canada only).
Adjust the printer driver settings
to suit the chosen paper.
Different papers (and even some
same-surface papers made by
different manufacturers) will

require different printer settings.

In general, automatic settings are
optimised for the printer
manufacturers own products,
and you should expect to have to
refine these settings when using
Polaroid papers.
After the inkjet print has fully
dried, it can be sprayed with a
UV protective lacquer to extend
its life. Even so, prints produced
using current inkjet technology
will not last as long as silver
halide prints. Be sure, therefore,
always to keep digital files of
your finished images so that they
can be reprinted as technology
improves in the future.

23

Europe/Africa/Middle East
Polaroid Austria
+ (43) 01 502 485 300
Polaroid Benelux
- Belgium + (32) 02 713 2000
- Netherlands + (31) 020 504 0513

North America/
South America/Caribbean
Polaroid Headquarters USA
+ (1) 781 386 2000
Argentina
+ (54) 1 312 7061

Polaroid Czech Republic BV

+ (420) 2 302 4947

Brazil
+ (55) 21 262 1303

Polaroid Danmark a.s

+ (45) 3525 8200

Canada
+ (1) 416 675 3680

Polaroid Dubai
+ (971) 4 816879

Columbia
+ (571) 629 2502

Polaroid Espana SA
+ (34) 91 662 5882

Mexico
+ (52) 5 703 1111

Polaroid Export Europe

+ (44) 01582 632000

Peru
+ (51) 1 440 4266

Polaroid France SA
+ (33) 01 56 38 3600

Puerto Rico
+ (1787) 756 0722

Polaroid Germany GmbH

+ (49) 069 66 90 1800
Polaroid Hungary
+ (361) 2462033
Polaroid Italy SpA
+ (39) 0 248 237000
167 820052 Servizio Assistenza
Clienti Linea Verde
Polaroid Norge A/S
+ (47) 2305 0905
Polaroid Poland
+ (48) 22 8264149
Polaroid Trading BV (Russia)
+ (7) 501 7252700

Asia Pacific
Australia
+ (61) 2 99 50 7000
Polaroid Far East
+ (852) 2894 0333
India
+ (91) 22 284 4949
Japan
+ (81) 3 34 38 8811

Type 55 Lith Developing Angus Brown: Contact+44 973 145820

New Zealand
+ (64) 9 377 3773

Polaroid Slovak Rep BV

+ (421) 7 802485
Polaroid South Africa
+ (27) 11 314 3800
Polaroid Switzerland AG
+ (41) 01 212 5055
Polaroid Svergie AB
+ (46) 8 703 9781
Darfilm A.S. (Turkey)
+ (90) 212 293 7500
Polaroid (U.K.) Limited
+ (44) 0141 333 4141
0800 010119 Freephone

PID Code: 104150 AC0202 EN0699

Polaroid is a registered trademark of the
Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, MA.02139, USA
Web site: http://www.polaroid.com