Retro polaroid prints

[BrianJoseph]

Hey sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this question can you please help me get my photos ready for Polaroid prints damien is there a special method that I should be doing before sending them off for print a 4x4? Do you have a template or can you help me create Photoshop template.

[Damien Symonds]

I think this will depend where you're getting them printed. Does your lab have a special "polaroid" product?  Or are you just getting normal prints (6x4s) with appropriately aligned white space?

[BrianJoseph]

doing 6x4 with appropiately aligned white space.

[Damien Symonds]

Terrific!  We can easily set up a little action to do this for us.

Have you mocked one up?  We need to start by working out how wide the white border will be around the three thin edges.

[BrianJoseph]

i apologize damien i thought i wrote back i havent done anything yet.

[Damien Symonds]

Ok, that's your starting point. Once we know exactly how you like it, we can automate it.  But it starts with knowing the exact size of the square image, and therefore the exact size of the space around it.

[BrianJoseph]

sorry we can start with a 4x6

 

[Damien Symonds]

Yes ...

[BrianJoseph]

just created a 4x6 file now what is the next step you recommend.

[Damien Symonds]

Now design your polaroid.  Put a black square on it where you want the photo to go.

[BrianJoseph]

ok all set

 

[Damien Symonds]

Great!  So what's the exact size of the black square?

[BrianJoseph]

889px x 992px

 

[Damien Symonds]

That's nowhere near square.  Aren't polaroid images supposed to be square?

[BrianJoseph]

yeah should i see if i can find a template ?

 

[Damien Symonds]

No, it's ok, let's call it a neat 900x900, that'll work.

So, let's make this action!  Have you made actions before?

[BrianJoseph]

no but i think you have some action tutorials right buddy?

[Damien Symonds]

Well yes, there's one here that would give you the rough idea.

It's really simple.  You'll open one photo, then choose your Crop Tool and set it to 900x900 pixels at 300ppi in the Options Bar. Then you'd crop your photo square.

Then you'd make your new action (called "Brian's Polaroid" or whatever) and start recording.  You only need to record two steps and they're both Canvas Size steps:

• First, open Canvas size and leave the little square in the middle of the grid of nine squares.  Make sure the Background Extension Colour is white, and enter 1000 pixels for both the height and width, then press OK.
• Then open Canvas Size again, and this time put the little square at the top of the 9-square grid.  Change the height to 1500px and press OK again.
• Stop recording.

Voila!  That's your action.

Once you've done that, let me know and we'll discuss how to actually use it for all your prints.