How to scan Polaroids and Instax prints without glare
Copy the full frame, test for glare and Newton rings, and check sharpness before scanning a batch. Polaroid suggests a spacer; its height must work with your scanner's focus.
Instant prints are small, glossy and often slightly curved. Those three things cause most bad scans: too few pixels, rainbow rings from the glass and a bright streak across the shine.
Scan the full frame, border and any writing on it included. Crop to the picture later, in a copy.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages.
| Format | Picture area | Scan at | Pixels and size at 300 ppi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polaroid i-Type, 600 and SX-70 | 3.108 by 3.024 inches | 600 dpi | About 1865 by 1814 pixels; 6.2 by 6.0 inches before cropping |
| Polaroid Go | 47 by 46 mm (1.851 by 1.811 inches) | 800 dpi | About 1480 by 1449 pixels; 4.9 by 4.8 inches before cropping |
| Instax Mini | 62 by 46 mm (2.44 by 1.81 inches) | 800 dpi | About 1953 by 1449, a 6.5 by 4.8-inch print |
| Instax Wide | 62 by 99 mm (2.44 by 3.90 inches) | 600 dpi | About 1465 by 2339 pixels; 4.9 by 7.8 inches before cropping |
| Any format, for a screen only | Whole frame | 300 dpi | Check pixel dimensions against the intended display; 300 dpi does not set screen size |
| Phone copy | Whole frame, filling most of the screen | No dpi setting | Depends on the phone; check the file's pixels before printing it |
Stop the rings before they start
Polaroid links Newton rings to the glossy print touching scanner glass and suggests raising it about 5 mm. Test your scanner: lifting a print can also move it out of focus.
Use a clean holder that supports the border without bending the print. Compare a test scan with and without the holder at 100 per cent, then keep the sharper result without rings.
- Cut the window a little larger than the frame so the print drops in without bending.
- Lay black card over the spacer before closing the lid, to stop light creeping round the edges.
- Wipe the glass before each batch; dust shows as white specks at 600 dpi and above.
Work out the dpi from the print you want
Dpi is a multiplier. The picture's length in inches times the dpi gives pixels, and pixels divided by 300 gives the inches it will print at 300 ppi.
For i-Type, 600 or SX-70, 600 dpi gives about 1865 by 1814 image pixels. At 300 ppi that is about 6.2 by 6.0 inches, before cropping; focus limits usable detail.
The table uses picture areas, not the outer white frames. Calculate target pixels as inches times ppi; divide by the original picture width to find the scan dpi needed.
Copying with a phone
A phone is quicker and good enough for sharing or a small print. The trouble is glare from the gloss, and a square that turns into a trapezium when the phone is tilted.
Polaroid's advice for camera copies is soft, even light, such as a room with several windows on a cloudy day. Hold the phone parallel to the print and turn the print to move a reflection.
- Switch off the flash and any lamp directly overhead.
- Lay the print on matt black card so the white border has a clean edge to crop to.
- Use an app that corrects perspective, or straighten the copy afterwards.
Keep the border writing with the file
Many instant prints carry a date or a name on the wide bottom border. Copy it into the file name or a list, because cropping to the picture removes it.
Polaroid's support page says the negative is sealed into the print and is opaque, so it cannot be scanned. The print is the only original, and the scan is your copy of it.
Steps
Sort and number
Lay the prints out in order, give each a number and note any writing on the border before the first scan.
Build the spacer
Test a clean holder under the border. Start with Polaroid's suggested height, then compare sharpness and rings at 100 per cent before scanning the batch.
Scan the full frame
Scan border and picture together at the dpi in the table. Save a TIFF or high-quality JPEG master and leave it uncropped.
Make the cropped copy
Duplicate the master, crop to the picture, straighten it and correct the colour. Give it the same number with crop added.
Questions
Can I scan Polaroids on an ordinary flatbed scanner?
A flatbed can work. Compare test scans for rings and sharpness, support the border if using a holder, and choose the resolution from the output pixels you need.
Why do my Polaroid scans have rainbow circles?
These can be Newton rings caused by contact with the glass. Polaroid suggests about 5 mm of separation; verify that your scanner still focuses sharply at that height.
Should I crop off the white border?
Not in the master. Keep the full frame and crop a copy. The border often carries a date or a name, and some page layouts use it as part of the design.