If you’re in with current trends, you know that Polaroid cameras have made a comeback. While taking a picture on your phone is fast and simple, taking one on an instant camera can add some instant spice to your photo. While you’ll have to wait for it to develop fully, the anticipation of seeing your picture just adds to the fun!
There are a few different sizes of Polaroid pictures, the minis- obviously aren’t very large, only about 2″ X 3 1/2″ in total, including the white border, too! The original Polaroid picture is about 5.25″ X 6.35″ and the standard one is 2.4″ X 3.9″. No matter what size you choose, they all are relatively small.
Because of this, there are some things you’ll need to take into consideration when framing your Polaroid picture. Finding a frame with those exact dimensions might be tough! The smallest we can frame at Frame it Easy (with no matting that is, but we’ll get to that), is 5″ X 5″, which would require some mounting to have it be secure in the frame.
But let’s talk about exactly how to get your favorite Polaroid pictures inside a great-looking frame!
Matboards
Here at Frame it Easy, the smallest we can cut a frame is 5″ X 5″; this is for safety reasons. That said, we can cut matboards with much smaller openings! So if you’d like to frame a smaller polaroid with us, you’ll need to use a matboard. Colors in polaroid pictures can be a bit muted, though, so finding the perfect color matboard can be tough. Don’t worry, though! We’re here to help.
We have some tips on how to match hues based on the color wheel. But with the really softened colors of polaroids, this can take some work. That said, there are some colors that are pretty much universal. Any of the off-white colors we offer- Antique White, Cloud, or Papyrus- would match the tone of the photo really well.
That said, how do you order a matboard with an opening that small? Here at Frame It Easy, you can purchase mats that small from our “Matboard” page. The only real limit to this is that the “Outside Width and Height” must be at least two inches larger than the inside measurements. This will make the matboard at least one inch when it’s visible in the frame. Just be sure to also order “No Matting” on the home page of the website, and to set the “Art Size” of your frame to the same numbers as the “Outside Width and Height” of your matboard.
Mounting Your Polaroid
When you order matting for your frame, the opening of the frame is going to be larger than that of your matting. This means that you will need to mount your Polaroid in order for it to hold in the frame. There are a few ways to mount your photo so it will remain in your frame for years to come. The first is our “H-Mount Method“. It’s pretty simple. But let’s outline it.
- First, you are going to take three strips of acid-free framer’s tape.
- Lay one piece of tape on the backing of the frame, sticky side facing up.
- From there lay the two other, preferably longer, pieces of tape over each end of the one you placed down previously.
- The end result should be an “H”- shaped piece of tape. The sticky sides facing down should hold the horizontal piece down, and the latter should hold the Polaroid picture in place.
Of course, there are other ways to mount a photo. You could also use the “T-Hinge Method“. For this you will need to position a small piece of tape at the top of your photo, horizontally, then you will place another piece of tape vertically on top of the first piece. Next, you will want to place your matboard over your art and press firmly. And voila!
The above methods are only for one-sided pieces of tape. There are double-sided options or types of adhesive. You would just need to make sure that whatever type of adhesive you use is acid-free. This will prevent your photo from being degraded over a period of time. Our framer’s tape is acid-free, but if you’re going to source anything from a different vendor, just make sure it is acid-free.
Instantly Good Decor
There are some great ways to frame even the most spur-of-the-moment photo. It might not be the most well-thought-out or developed picture, but sometimes those turn out the best! You might want to frame things that are of monetary value, but it’s just as important to display things that have sentimental value as well. Just remember the following, and you should be on your way to framing the perfect Polaroid picture.
- You’ll likely need matting to better display the photo, as we can’t cut a frame smaller than 5″ X 5″. Don’t worry, though! The matboard will display the polaroid, and the frame will hold the matboard. Perfect!
- You’ll need to mount the Polaroid on the back of the frame. This is to prevent it from falling. You can do so with framer’s tape using the “H” method, but you can also use other forms of adhesive, just make sure they’re acid-free!
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out to us. If you have a great frame featuring a Polaroid picture, be sure to share it with us on our Instagram! We’d love to see it.
