Make Your Pictures Look Like Polaroid With Poladroid
Poladroid is a free desktop application that lets you make Polaroid-style images from photos on your computer. Why would you want to make images from your fancy pants expensive camera look like they came from an older instant film camera? Well that’s for each individual to answer, but this application is silly but great fun, and I really like the end result.
After you download and install Poladroid to your computer (and it’s available for pc and Mac), you get a little Polaroid camera icon on your desktop. You drag one of your photos onto the icon and you’ll hear the sound effect of an old Polaroid camera.
A small version of the image pops out on your desktop looking like a mini Polaroid, but at this stage the image is still not developed. You’ll see it slowly develop before your eyes, and if you want to speed up the process you can shake it like a real Polaroid picture.
When it’s fully “developed,” you get a little chime and a red scribble on the bottom. This is only a thumbnail preview. The full sized image is saved onto your hard drive. You can state where you want it to be saved in the application settings.
The original image I dragged onto the icon was a high resolution 3872 x 2592 pixels photograph. The resulting image comes out at 1392 x 1692 pixels which includes the paper border. Your original picture will be cropped into a square.
(Note: I added the black background here to make it stand out.)
The resulting full size image looks “good” or maybe I should say looks the part, with nice texture on the paper, saturated color and blurring of the image. In the program settings you can choose by how much you want to rotate the image, how much vignetting and if you want stripes on the paper or photograph.
This is a fun app to use and it might be useful for nostalgia related designs. Real Polaroid camera fans will probably hate it (or maybe love it?) but as a free app you can’t go too far wrong by downloading it and playing around with some pictures.
Frequently Asked Questions about Poladroid
What is Poladroid and how does it work?
Poladroid is a fun, user-friendly application that allows you to transform your digital photos into vintage Polaroid-style pictures. Once you’ve downloaded and installed the software, you simply drag and drop your photos into the Poladroid interface. The software then processes the image, adding effects and filters to give it the distinctive look of a Polaroid picture. The result is a high-resolution image that you can save to your computer or share online.
Is Poladroid free to use?
Yes, Poladroid is a free application. You can download it from the official website or from various software distribution platforms. However, please note that while the software itself is free, you may encounter ads or optional in-app purchases.
Can I use Poladroid on my Mac or Windows computer?
Poladroid is compatible with both Mac and Windows operating systems. You can download the appropriate version of the software from the official website or from the software distribution platform of your choice.
How can I achieve the best results with Poladroid?
For the best results, use high-resolution images. The software will then be able to apply the Polaroid effects more accurately, resulting in a more authentic-looking final image. You can also experiment with different settings and filters within the software to achieve different effects.
Can I share my Poladroid images on social media?
Yes, you can share your Poladroid images on any social media platform. The software saves your images as high-resolution JPEG files, which are compatible with all major social media platforms.
Are there any alternatives to Poladroid?
Yes, there are several other software applications and online tools that can transform your photos into Polaroid-style images. However, Poladroid is one of the most user-friendly and effective tools available.
Can I use Poladroid on my mobile device?
Currently, Poladroid is only available for Mac and Windows computers. However, there are several similar apps available for both iOS and Android devices.
Can I print my Poladroid images?
Yes, you can print your Poladroid images. The software saves your images as high-resolution JPEG files, which can be printed using any standard photo printer.
Can I use Poladroid for professional photography?
While Poladroid is a fun and easy-to-use tool, it may not be suitable for all professional photography needs. The software is designed to add a specific set of effects and filters to your images, and does not offer the level of control and flexibility that professional photographers may require.
Is Poladroid safe to download and use?
Yes, Poladroid is safe to download and use. However, as with any software download, you should always download from a trusted source and ensure your antivirus software is up to date.
Jennifer Farley is a designer, illustrator and design instructor based in Ireland. She writes about design and illustration on her blog at Laughing Lion Design.
