Polaroid scrapbook ideas for i-Type, 600 and Go prints
An i-Type or 600 print is about 88 by 108 mm with a near-square picture of about 79 by 77 mm and a deep bottom border. Fix prints by the frame, write on that strip, and wait 30 days before sleeving.
Polaroid gives SX-70, 600 and i-Type prints the same size: a picture of about 79 by 77 mm on a card of about 88 by 108 mm. Go prints are much smaller.
The near-square picture and the thick strip below it decide the layout. Plan each page around the whole card, frame included, and use the frame rather than hiding it.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages.
Know which film you have
SX-70, 600 and i-Type share one card size. Go film is about 67 by 54 mm with a 47 by 46 mm picture, so a page planned for i-Type looks half empty with Go prints.
If you mix formats on one page, line up the bottom edges of the pictures rather than the cards. The borders differ, so the card edges will not agree.
The bottom border is the caption space
The deep strip under the picture takes a date, a name or a place. Try the pen on a spoilt print first, because some inks smear or bead on the frame.
Write before mounting, with the print flat on a table, and let the ink dry completely before anything rests on it.
Layouts for a near-square picture
On a 12 inch square page, six i-Type cards fit in three columns of two with small gaps. On an 8 inch page only two sit side by side, so use one or two and write beside them.
A row of three across the top with a band of writing below reads like a contact sheet. One print set slightly askew on a plain page leaves space for a longer note.
Let new prints dry before sleeving
Polaroid says prints are still drying out for the first 30 days, and that plastic archival sleeves are not suitable during that month. Leave new prints somewhere cool and airy.
After 30 days Polaroid says an album or archival sleeve is fine. It recommends dark, dry storage away from UV, so keep the finished book out of the sun.
Fix by the frame, and scan for a digital page
Use photo corners that grip the frame without covering the picture. Make a dummy card first to check that the page closes without pressure on the print.
For the sharpest copy, Polaroid recommends a flatbed scanner and an adapter to avoid Newton's rings. The scan can go into a digital book such as tbf scrapbook while the original stays boxed.
Steps
Six on a 12 inch page
Try three columns of two i-Type prints on a 12-inch page, with 8 mm gaps. Measure the remaining title and binding space before fixing anything.
One print with a wide margin
On an 8 inch page, set one print 2 cm in from the left edge. The strip to its right holds the longer story of that picture.
A row of Go prints
Four upright Go prints in a line across a 12 inch page, about 54 mm wide each, with a title band above and a notes band below.
Same place, a year apart
Two prints of one spot taken a year apart, side by side with the bottoms of the pictures aligned, and both dates on the borders.
Questions
Can I cut the border off a Polaroid for my scrapbook?
Crop a scanned copy instead and keep the original whole. A cut print cannot be put back, and the copy can be any size you need.
How many Polaroids fit on a 12 by 12 page?
Six i-Type prints fit in three columns of two with 8 mm gaps. Twelve Go prints fit in four columns of three. Subtract binding and title space before committing.
Can new Polaroids go straight into an album?
Polaroid advises against plastic archival sleeves for the first 30 days while prints dry. After that, albums and sleeves are fine.