Introduction: How to Turn a Photo Into a Polaroid With Photoshop (Photojojo Contest !!)
Ever wondered how you could turn a digital photo into a Polaroid? Here is an easy way to do it with Photoshop.Please vote if you like this entry.
Step 1: Adjust the Picture Size
Open your photo with Photoshop and then use the crop function on the tool bar or go to Image > Image Size to resize your picture in order to fit it into a Polaroid
Step 2: Make a Frame
You need to make a frame with white border so that it would look like a Polaroid. Here are the steps:
- File > New (set width: 800, height: 600, transparent background as an example) > OK
- Drag your image to the new window
- Use the rectangle tool to draw out a Polaroid frame
- I renamed my image from layer1 to Test photo and the rectangle from Shape1 to Frame to avoid confusion
- After you drew the rectangle, you would notice that the white frame is on top of your image. To avoid that, drag 'Test photo' on top of 'Frame' under Layer panel at the bottom right corner.
Step 3: Add Shadow to the Frame
To enhance the 3D effect, you need to add some shadow to the frame
- Right click on the 'Frame' under Layer Panel > Blending Options
- Choose Drop Shadow (Opacity: 80, Distance: 8, Spread: 10, Size: 30)
- Choose Stroke (Size: 1, Opacity: 40, Color: Black) > OK
For the 'Test photo', you might want to add the Stroke effect to it as well. (Optional)
- Right click on the 'Test photo' under Layer Panel > Blending Options
- Choose Stroke (Size: 1, Opacity: 40, Color: Black) > OK
Step 4: Make a Background and Add Some Writings
You may fill your background with different images or even with a pile of Polaroids. In this example, I used a simple pattern for my background
- Fill > Pattern > Custom Pattern > Choose any > OK
To enhance the Polaroid effect, add some writings on your photo as well.
- Use the Text tool on the tool bar > use the font Handwriting -Dakota (I personally prefer this because it looks like real handwriting.)
Step 5: Rotate Your Photo
- Select 'Test Photo', 'Frame' and the 'Text' layers under Layer Panel
- Edit > Transform > Rotate
Use your mouse to rotate the angle of the Polaroid that you want
Step 6: Stick Some Sellotape
You might notice that just a Polaroid on a background looks a bit plain. Therefore I made some sellotape in order to make it more realistic.
- Use the rectangle tool to draw an rectangle in Black (set opacity: 40)
- Filter > Distort > Ripple (With this effect, your rectangle would look like sellotape)
- Make another copy of the rectangle
- Place your sellotape onto your Polaroid and then rotate it.
You might want to use Fill > Transform > Warp to adjust the shape of the sellotape
You are now done!! Please make a Vote if you like this instructable!! Thanks!!

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23 Comments
13 years ago on Introduction
=NICE=
15 years ago on Introduction
;)
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
how you do big?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Example:
That should come out as:Eggs
Eggs
If you want any other codes, ask me.
Eggs: superscript
Eggs: superscript
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
==i== would love to know some more tricks
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
The more = the smaller it gets
See
See
See
See
See
Stops after five on each side and it does go 12345.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
what is small =?= and what is that tiny
Grey writing with instructables scribble?
thanks
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
If you somehow don't know what an orangeboard is, just click the link and scroll down until you see something doing with Instructables format or text.
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
Oh Rly
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
They disabled tbig text, b/c people were spamming...
14 years ago on Introduction
shes hot
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
its j - lo , me thinks
14 years ago on Introduction
it well good i dunno how 2 do it myself tho someone come roung to ma house and help me thanks ...x
14 years ago on Step 6
This is a nice Instructable, but there are a number of steps to accomplish the goal. Or... If you are driving a Mac you could just download Poladroid UK for free and accomplish much of the same in about 5 seconds (without owning Photoshop) with any digitized photo you've got.
Reply 14 years ago on Step 6
yeah, I get your point of taking shortcuts but then it's always better to know how to do it on your own, isn't it?
15 years ago on Introduction
Cool
15 years ago on Introduction
eggs
15 years ago on Introduction
I have a setting on my camera that does this. It was an $89 camera.
15 years ago on Introduction
Aren't Polaroid images traditionally square?
Reply 15 years ago on Introduction
You can make it square but I just want to show how roughly it can be done with Photoshop. There are some polaroid images that are in rectangle shape, don't know if you have seen it.