Polaroid Transfers and Lifts

Polaroid was the pinnacle in instant gratification for photographers until digital came along. With a Polaroid instant camera you needed only to push the button and wait a few moments for the image to appear before your eyes. Most of us have memories of the consumer point and shoot Polaroid cameras that did not always have stellar results. However, Polaroid also makes a wide array of professional quality films and previously manufactured large and medium format cameras for those films.

Transfers and lifts are techniques by which an image is removed from one of these professional films and placed onto another object. Most commonly, this is a paper of some sort but things such as rocks and tiles have also been used. The most common film used for theses techniques is Polaroid 669 film. This film is the "peel apart" type film which is encased in a developing sleeve (the negative) that the photographer removes after making an exposure.

Polaroid transfers take this developing sleeve negative and print it onto another surface. Because Polaroid no longer makes cameras for the 669 film size, photographers must use other medium format cameras fitted with an adapter back or use a Dayslide printer or Polaroid PolaPrinter. Once the equipment is secured, the process is relatively simple.

• Expose the film
• Remove the print after a few seconds (this interrupts the developing process)
• Place the negative face down onto the desired surface
• Press the negative onto the surface
• Leave the negative in contact with the surface for a couple of minutes to allow the developing process to complete
• Lift the negative from the surface
• Allow the new image to dry completely and seal with a UV sealant

Polaroid lifts are a process in which the image is created on the Polaroid film but then the emulsion image is removed from its paper backing and placed onto another surface. This allows the photographer to stretch or crumple the image as well as piece together a collage of several images onto one sheet. As with lifts, you will need a camera or other equipment that can expose the 669 film. Other than getting the initial exposure, lifts are even easier than transfers.

• Allow the print to develop normally
• Immerse your target paper in room temperature water and then remove the excess water from the surface
• Immerse your print in very hot tap water for several minutes(at least 160 degrees according to Polaroid)
• Carefully remove the print from the hot water and place it in a tub of room-temperature water
• Carefully peel the emulsion from the backing and discard the backing
• Place the target surface under the now-floating emulsion and carefully press it (emulsion side down) to the surface
• Gently remove the emulsion and paper from the water and manipulate the print as desired
• Use a roller to carefully remove the excess water between the image and the surface
• Allow the image to dry
• Apply UV sealant