Disposable and instant camera prints (like Polaroids) digitise the same basic way as any print — photograph or scan them flat under good light — but instant prints in particular benefit from extra care, since they’re often the only copy that will ever exist.
What you need
- The disposable or instant camera prints
- A phone camera or flatbed scanner
- Good, even lighting
- A plain, non-reflective surface to place the print on
Why instant prints need different care
Unlike a photo printed from a negative, an instant camera photo (like a Polaroid) usually has no negative at all — the print genuinely is the only original, which makes digitising it properly more important, not less.
How to digitise the print
- Handle instant prints by their white border, not the image area. Instant prints can be more prone to fingerprints and smudging on the image surface, especially older ones.
- Place the print flat on a plain surface under even lighting. Avoid direct, harsh light that creates glare, particularly since many instant prints have a slightly glossy finish.
- Photograph or scan directly from above, filling the frame with the print. Keep your camera parallel to the print to avoid a skewed, trapezoid-shaped result.
- Include the white border in your shot, then decide whether to crop it later. The border is part of the original’s character for many people, so it’s easier to capture it now and decide on cropping afterwards than to have to reshoot.
- Check for glare on the glossy surface before moving on. Slightly angling the print or your light source, rather than shooting perfectly straight-on, can eliminate reflections on a glossy print.
- Note any handwriting on the back before storing the original. Instant prints and disposable-camera photos are often annotated by hand on the back; photograph that too if there’s writing, since it’s easy to lose track of later.
Check colour and detail look right
Zoom into the digitised image and check the main subject is sharp, colours look natural, and there’s no glare obscuring part of the image.
If the print has started to fade or shift colour
If a print has a particularly stubborn glare no matter the angle, try photographing in open shade outdoors rather than under an indoor light, which often gives softer, more even lighting.
Next step
If you have a mix of prints and negatives from the same rolls, it’s worth deciding what to keep for both — see What to do with negatives once the prints are already digitised.
Sources and date checked
General digitising technique based on common photography advice for glossy prints and glare reduction; not tied to a specific product. Checked 22 September 2026.