Choose a photo, pick a frame and a film look, and download it at print size or for social media. It all runs in your browser, so your photo is never uploaded.
The print-size file is 300 dpi at the real size of the film, so it prints as big as a real Polaroid or Instax when you choose 100% in the print dialog. The social file is 1080 x 1350 pixels, a 4:5 portrait shape for social posts, with the frame on a plain background.
How to make a photo look like a Polaroid
Put the photo in a frame with thin borders on three sides and a deep strip at the bottom, crop it to the near-square Polaroid window, and soften the colour. The maker above does all three in a few clicks:
- Choose a photo from your phone or computer. A JPEG or PNG works. It stays on your device.
- Pick a film format. Polaroid i-Type / 600 is the classic Polaroid shape. Polaroid Go is the small version, and the three Instax sizes are there too.
- Pick a film look. Polaroid colour is warm and soft, Instax colour is cooler, and black and white drops the colour. Choose Off to keep the photo as it is.
- Frame the shot. Drag the photo, or use the zoom and position sliders. "Fit whole photo" keeps all of it in the window, with frame colour around the edges.
- Add a caption if you want one. It goes on the bottom border in a handwriting font, like a note written on a real print.
- Download the print-size file to print it, or the social file to post it.
What makes a photo look like a Polaroid
Mostly the shape. A Polaroid i-Type or 600 print is 88.47 x 107.52 mm, and the picture on it is 76.8 mm wide and 78.94 mm tall, a little taller than it is wide. The borders on the sides and top are thin, and the one at the bottom is deep. Get those proportions wrong and the photo looks like it is in a generic white frame. Every frame here uses the print and picture sizes Polaroid and Fujifilm publish.
The wide bottom border
The bottom strip is there for a reason. It holds a small pod of developing paste. As the print leaves the camera, two rollers burst the pod and spread the paste across the picture. Instax film works the same way, which is why an Instax Mini print, 54x 86 mm with a 46 x 62 mm picture, also has a deeper border on one side. That strip is also where many people write a name or a date, so the caption goes there.
The colour
Instant film colour shifts with the conditions. Polaroid says photos taken below 13°C tend to come out over-exposed and low in contrast with a blue, cyan or green cast (its pages differ), and colour photos developed above 28°C tend to pick up a yellow or red tint. It also says film more than 12 months past its production date is unlikely to meet its standards: expect lower contrast and colour shifts.
The film look borrows that general character without copying a particular film. Each option changes the photo only, never the frame or the caption:
- Polaroid colour: a warm tint, faded blacks, softer contrast and slightly muted colour.
- Instax colour: a cooler tint, lightly lifted blacks and contrast close to the original.
- Black and white: neutral grey with soft blacks and a little more grain.
All three add a light vignette, so the corners darken a touch, and a fine grain. The grain stays put while you drag the photo, so it does not flicker.
Blank frames and real instant cameras
Need an empty frame for Canva, Photoshop or a scrapbook? Our Polaroid frame PNG templates have transparent white and black frames in every film shape and coloured Polaroid frames, plus print sheets for US Letter and A4. Every film format, with print sizes and what it costs a shot, is on the instant film sizes page.
Prefer the real thing? Polaroid colour film takes 10 to 15 minutes to develop, and Fujifilm quotes about 90 seconds for an Instax Mini print. Our best Polaroid camera and best Instax camera guides pick the cameras worth buying.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Polaroid maker free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark, and you can download as many framed photos as you like.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The Polaroid maker runs in your browser. Your photo is drawn on a canvas on your own device, the film look and the PNG are made there too, and your photo is never sent to a server.
Can I print my photo at the size of a real Polaroid?
Yes. Use "Download print size" and choose 100% or "actual size" in the print dialog, not "fit to page". The file is 300 dpi, so the 1045 pixel wide i-Type frame prints 88.47 mm wide, the same as the film.
What size is a Polaroid picture?
Polaroid gives the i-Type, 600 and SX-70 print as 88.47 x 107.52 mm. The picture inside it is 76.8 mm wide and 78.94 mm tall, so it is a little taller than it is wide. An Instax Mini print is 54 x 86 mm with a 46 x 62 mm picture.
What is the difference between the Polaroid and Instax film looks?
Polaroid colour is warmer and softer, with faded blacks and muted colour. Instax colour is cooler and a little crisper, with near-normal saturation. Both add a light vignette and fine grain. They are filters in the spirit of instant film, not copies of any real film.
Can I add text to a Polaroid picture?
Yes. Type up to 40 characters in the caption box and it appears on the bottom border in a handwriting font. The text shrinks to fit the border, and it turns light on a black frame.
Does the Polaroid maker work on a phone?
Yes. It works in a phone browser. Choose a photo from your phone, drag it with a finger to move it inside the frame, and download the result.
Can I get a blank Polaroid frame with a transparent window?
Yes. Download the frame without choosing a photo and the window stays see-through. For ready-made blank frames in more colours and shapes, see our free Polaroid frame PNGs.