Creative Polaroid Films

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

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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

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Digital Techniques Scanning and printing techniques for Polaroid materials

Worldwide Director Professional Photography

☎

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Contact Where to contact your local Polaroid office

Front cover Davis Freeman: Contact +1 206 284 1767

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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

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• 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

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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 Jürg 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 80°C/180°F), 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

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• 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 print’s 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 José 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 negative’s 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

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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

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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

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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

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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 Polaroid’s 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

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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).

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35mm Instant Slides There are five films in Polaroid’s 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

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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)

100°F/38°C

250

60

not recommended for use

80°F/27°C

160

60

320

120

70°F/21°C

125

60

400

120

60°F/16°C

125

120

400

120

50°F/10°C

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 PolaPan’s and PolaGraph’s exposure speed and processing time (see table).

software manipulation - which can cause a clash between the film’s 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

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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

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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 75-95°F (24-35°C), 45 seconds at 65-75°F (18-24°C), 50 seconds at 55-65°F (13-18°C). 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

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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

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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 camera’s exposure meter sensor. Fine adjustments for print density can then be done using the camera’s lighter/darker slider.

Type 669 Solarisation Pier Nicola D’Amico: 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.

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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

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• 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 print’s image area. Compose and focus the image for printing.

Tungsten Melvyn Vincent: Contact +44 171 490 2890

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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

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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 scanner’s 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 manufacturer’s 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.

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