By Tim King · Updated
Polaroid Frame Maker
Add an Instant-Film Border With a Handwritten Caption and Drop Shadow
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How the Polaroid Frame Maker works
This Polaroid frame maker wraps a photo in the instantly recognisable instant-film border, with narrow sides, a deep bottom strip for a handwritten caption, a slight tilt and a soft drop shadow on a transparent background.
How to use the Polaroid frame maker
Drop in a photo and it appears framed. Classic square crops the centre of the photo to a square like original instant film, while Keep photo shape frames the whole picture. Type a Caption for the bottom strip, change the Frame colour for a coloured or black border, and use Tilt to angle the print as if it had been dropped on a table. Download the result as a PNG.
Transparent background
The framed print is saved as a PNG with a transparent background around it, so the tilt and shadow sit naturally on top of whatever you place the image on, from a slide deck to a scrapbook page or a social media story. Set the tilt to zero for a straight print.
Captions
The caption uses a handwriting-style font installed on your device, so it can look slightly different between Mac, Windows and phones. Long captions shrink to fit the width of the frame. Leave the caption blank for a clean, unlabelled print.
Private by design
The photo is framed on a canvas in your browser and never uploaded.
FAQ
How do I make a photo look like a Polaroid?
Drop the photo in, keep Classic square selected and add a short caption. The tool crops it square, adds the thick bottom border instant film is known for, and tilts it slightly with a shadow underneath.
Can I keep my whole photo instead of cropping it square?
Yes. Choose Keep photo shape and the full photo is framed at its original proportions, with the same narrow side borders and deeper bottom strip for the caption, so nothing at the edges gets cut off.
Why is the background transparent?
The tilted print and its shadow are drawn on a transparent PNG so it can be layered on any colour or design. If you need a solid background, place the PNG on a coloured slide or canvas in any editor.
Can I change the colour of the frame?
Yes. Use Frame colour to pick any colour. Light frames get a dark caption and dark frames get a light caption automatically, so the text stays readable whichever border colour you choose for the print.
See also: all Images tools, Audio, Video & Screen, PDF, SVG, Simulations & Screensavers, Generative Art, Chart Makers, 3D Model Viewers, Drawing Pads, Mockups & 3D Making, Diagram Makers, 3D Science, Tracker Music.
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