By Heather Oelklaus

4 April 2008

My favorite photographic technique is the Polaroid emulsion transfer. The Polaroid emulsion transfer is a process of lifting the delicate emulsion off of exposed Polaroid film and transferring it to another surface . I project slide transparencies or black and white negatives onto the Polaroid film with my enlarger while others choose to use a Daylab or camera for their Polaroids. Projecting the image onto the film allows me to crop and enlarge my image to just the right specifications. I use Polaroid Type 59 for my transfers, but any Polaroid ER peel apart film type that ends with the number 9 can be used for this process.

Materials needed:

Developed Polaroid

Scissors

Stove or hot plate

Small saucepan

Thermometer

5x7 tray

11x14 tray

Tongs

Cotton balls

Contact shelf paper (optional)

Surface for the final piece

Matte lacquer spray with UV inhibitor

The process:

1. Start with a fully developed Polaroid. I have found that drying it for 48 hours works best for the transfer. Cut off the white border or leave them on for the transfer.

2. Heat 1 1/2 cups of water in a small saucepan to 160 degrees. Pour the hot water into a 5x7 tray and place the Polaroid emulsion side up. Let the Polaroid sit in the hot water for 3 to 4 minutes until the Polaroid starts to blister on the emulsion. Using tongs, gently place the Polaroid into an 11x14 tray of warm water. With a wet cotton ball, start at the edge of the Polaroid and gently push the emulsion away from its backing working your way around the Polaroid to the center. Use the water to help move the emulsion and work slowly. Once the emulsion is completely removed it will resemble a wet tissue and be just as fragile. With tongs or gloved hands throw the backing away.

3. If you are intending to apply the emulsion onto a paper surface, submerge the paper into the water. Position the paper so it is under the emulsion and gently raise the paper out of the water. With your wet cotton ball, move the emulsion to the desired place on your paper. You can set a corner of the emulsion in the water while the other part is connected to the paper in order to place it in just the right spot. This takes practice and I find it to be the best part of the whole process. If you are going to adhere the emulsion to an object or do multiple transfers onto one paper you will need a 5x7 piece of contact shelf paper. Submerge the contact paper just like described with the paper. This time the emulsion has to be reversed so when you place it on the surface it will appear with the image right side up and will adhere to the surface. Once on your surface be it paper or an object, remove the air bubbles from under the emulsion be starting at the center and pushing lightly with the wet cotton ball to the edges. Now that your air bubbles are gone, you can move the emulsion to give it a wrinkled appearance, tear it, fold over the edge, or make it flat.

4. Let the emulsion dry completely. Polaroid tends to fade over time due to exposure to UV and fluorescent light so I always spray the finished piece with matte lacquer spray with an UV inhibitor.

I believe the image and the receptor surface should compliment one another.

I have applied the emulsion to numerous surfaces and found that it will adhere to everything with exception of synthetic fibers.

With Polaroid film becoming a thing of the past, I hope you give this unique process a try.

« Back to All Stories

Your turn: What do you do with your photos? Write a Post-Processing story!