How To Preserve Your Polaroid Photos
Polaroid cameras are a fun way to instantly acquire antique-feeling prints of photos that appeal to many retro aesthetic enthusiasts. Lovers of photos and historical aesthetics alike come together to enjoy Polaroid photos—whether with new nostalgic versions of Polaroid products or photos that are decades old. This instant format of photo is more fragile than you might think; knowing how to preserve your Polaroid photos during their resurgence is key information if you want them to last generations.
Polaroid Photos Need Time To Dry
Instantly printed photos rely on chemical reactions to provide you with a quickly recognizable image. Though the photo may fade into existence nearly immediately, its chemicals aren’t finished working yet. After you’ve printed a polaroid photo, let it sit flat to dry for a month. It may seem like a long time but giving the chemicals time to settle and finish their reactions will prevent damage to the image. You can still look at the photo during this time—it just needs to sit flat.
Dark, Dry, and Cool Storage
Just like many kinds of physical photo prints, Polaroid photos require the proper storage space. Similar to how you let the photos dry, you must keep them flat and not on their sides. Instead of stacking photos on top of each other, place them in acid-free photo books or sleeves. Store them in a safe place that’s dark, dry, and cool.
Avoid exposure to UV light or extreme heat—those two elements alone will rapidly destroy any film or photo. Keep your photos safe in the darker areas of your house or in containers that protect them from the sun. When possible, choose a cooler room to store them in—basements work, if they’re dry. An unfinished basement or cellar may keep the air too moist for proper Polaroid storage and deteriorate the film.
Handle Polaroid Photos Carefully
The way you handle an instant photo is an essential part of how to preserve your Polaroid photos. Never touch the image, especially if it’s still drying. Your touch might not just smudge the photo, but ruin the chemical reactions taking place. Whenever you pick up an instant photo, touch only the white borders whenever possible.
Avoid cutting instant photos right away, even if you want to use them for scrapbooking. If you cut them while they’re drying, the chemicals inside may leak and harm you—the caustic material inside the bottom border can burn you! Once you’ve let the photos dry for at least 30 days, you can cut into them—but be warned, cutting into polaroids will make them deteriorate faster.
Scan and Digitize Your Photos
As always, the best advice for preserving any kind of photo is to keep a digital copy of it in your archives. Leave the scanning to the professionals for the highest quality digital copy and you’ll be able to print the image out again if anything happens to the original.
At DiJiFi, we understand the importance of your fragile Polaroid photos and are happy to provide you with a careful, high-quality scan photos to digital service that will truly protect the images.