15 Jamadil Akhir 1431H
Official Polaroid dimensions
SX70 Polaroid
Frame dimension: 3 1/2" x 4 1/2"
Photo dimension: 3 1/8" x 3 1/8"
Spectra Polaroid
Frame dimension: 4" x 4 1/8"
Photo dimension: 3 5/8" x 2 7/8"
Source: http://www.escrappers.com/polaroid.html.
Results
Pic 1 - My first GIMP Polaroid result. Also, the result from my
twisted Polaroid measurements.
Pic 2 is affected as well.
Pic 2 -
Wau bulan. Did i already mention about my twisted polaroid measurements? :D
The Old Malay text is written using the Arabic script as seen on the bottom right-hand side corner. The Old Malay script is referred to as Jawi.
The New Malay text is written using the Roman script, shown in the lower left-hand side corner. The New Malay script is referred to as Rumi.
Blogger isn't doing me any justice with PNG's. Blogger strips away the transparency and replaces it with an ugly white background :(.
To read a discussion about transparency and PNG's, see here:
.png alpha-channel (transparency) stripped. To see the real
Pic 2, go here:
Does LiveJournal support PNG?.
Pic 3 - Result using the Spectra Polaroid dimensions.
Pic 4 - Result using the SX70 Polaroid dimensions.
Note
If this
guide (
tutorial sounds formal) looks long and tedious, you've been deceived. The steps are pretty simple and details are provided as much as possible. Give the guide a try. If this notice doesn't change your mind, go to the end of this post -- in the
Goodies section -- to download files and straightaway get to editing.
Update 2011-8-7: Files in the
Goodies section have been removed by
RapidShare since i'm a
free user and the files have been inactive over 30 days. So let me know if you want the files, *
insya-Allah* i'll email them. For 3 *
.zip files, the total file size is 19MB.
I learned some Polaroid-making basics here:
Turn a digital photo into Polaroid with GIMP. After getting the idea, went on and did some experimenting using
GIMP 2.6.8 to produce
Pic 1.
How to create your own Polaroid template
Throughout the guide, dimensions are based on the Spectra Polaroid. Where i think important, note on the SX70 format is included.
1. Run
GIMP Image Editor. In the upper panel, click
Applications >
Graphics >
GIMP Image Editor. Refer
Pic 5.
Pic 5 - Refer Step 1. Run GIMP.
I accidentally left the cursor out of the screenshot ;p.
2. Once GIMP has loaded and is up and running, we start creating from scratch. Click
File >
New..., as shown in
Pic 6.
Pic 6 - Refer Step 2. Creating a new GIMP file.
3. In the
Create a New Image pop-up window, input the measurements in
inches as follow:
- Width: 4.000
- Height: 4.125
Expand the
Advanced Options section. Set the resolution dimension to
pixels/in. Then see that the
chain icon is linked (instead of broken). If the chain is broken, simply click to connect. Change the
X resolution to
107. The
Y resolution will change proportionally to
X resolution (that's because the chain is linked). See
Pic 7. Finally, click the
OK button.
Pic 7 - Refer Step 3. Image dimensions for the Spectra Polaroid.
Pic 8 - Image dimensions for the SX70 Polaroid.
4. Save the work. Click
File >
Save As..., as shown in
Pic 9. It's good to save early and often to avoid losing data if something like power outage happens.
Pic 9 - Refer Step 4. Saving the image for the first time.
5. In the
Save Image pop-up window:
- Name: give your file a name. I named the file "Spectra Polaroid frame".
- Places: select a location to place the file. For the time being, i put it on the Desktop.
- File Type: select the format GIMP XCF Image.
This is the
native format for GIMP. The extension in the file name will be
*.xcf. Refer to
Pic 10. Then click the
Save button. For the SX70 Polaroid, save the file as "
SX70 Polaroid frame".
Pic 10 - Refer Step 5. Naming the file and setting the format.
Example of native format of other graphic editors
See here for comparison,
Comparison of raster graphics editors.
6. By default, the current layer is named
Background. We'll let the name be as it is, then change it later on. Click
Layer >
Transparency >
Add Alpha Channel. See
Pic 11.
Pic 11 - Refer Step 6. Adding
alpha channel to the current layer.
7. To start making the Polaroid frame, click
Layer >
New Layer....
Pic 12 - Refer Step 7. Adding a new layer to make the Polaroid frame.
8. In the
New Layer pop-up window:
- Layer Name: Polaroid frame
- Layer Fill Type: Transparency
Leave the
Width and
Height as it is. Refer
Pic 13. Then click the
OK button.
Pic 13 - Refer Step 8. Naming the new layer.
9. Hide the
Background layer by clicking the
eye symbol (shown in
Pic 14) in the
Layers tab.
Pic 14 - Refer Step 9.
Background layer hidden.
10. Now to give color to the Polaroid frame. For this step, make sure the
Polaroid frame layer is active (selected); check the
Layers tab.
In the
Toolbox tab, click the
Blend Tool icon, like in
Pic 10.
Pic 15 - Refer Step 10.
Blend Tool icon.
11. Still in the
Toolbox tab, further below the
Blend Tool icon is the
Foreground & Background colors icon, like in
Pic 16. Click the Foreground square (in this case, the black square).
Pic 16 - Refer Step 11.
Foreground & Background colors icon on the
Toolbox tab.
Black square: the Foreground square. White square: the Background square.
A
Change Foreground Color pop-up window, like in
Pic 12 will appear.
I prefer a white frame, however, in sync with Nicu's Polaroid tutorial, we give it a light-grayish hue. Also, if you want a different color for the Polaroid frame, it is at this step here where to do it.
- HTML notation: e3e1e1 (see Pic 17)
Pic 17 - Refer Step 11. Picking a color for the Polaroid frame.
Then click the
OK button. The
Toolbox tab will look something like in
Pic 18.
Pic 18 - Refer Step 11. Before applying the blend color to the Polaroid frame.
12. Click+hold the mouse from the
bottom right corner, then drag across the canvas to the
upper left corner, as shown in
Pic 19. Then release the mouse button.
Pic 20 shows the blend result. The reason to apply this way is for the blend to compliment the
Drop Shadow (coming up in Step 17).
Pic 19 - Ok. Refer Step 12. Applying the blend direction.
Pic 20 - Refer Step 12. After applying the blend.
13. Now to cut-out a hole in the
Polaroid frame layer for the photo. In the
Toolbox tab, click the
Rectangle Select Tool icon, as shown in
Pic 21.
Pic 21 - Refer Step 13.
Rectangle Select Tool in the
Toolbox tab.
Create a temporary rectangle on the
Polaroid frame layer, then alter it to the following dimensions in
inches (in):
- Position: 0.187 x 0.187
- Size: 3.625 x 2.875
Press the
Enter button upon each input. Step 13 is summed up in
Pic 22.
Pic 22 - Refer Step 13. Dimensions of the photo frame for the Spectra Polaroid.
Pic 23 - Dimensions of the photo frame for the SX70 Polaroid.
14. Remove the selected area by clicking
Edit >
Clear, as done in
Pic 24. Deselect by clicking anywhere outside the selected area. The canvas will look something like in
Pic 25.
Pic 24 - Refer Step 14. Deleting the selected area from the
Polaroid frame layer to make way for the photo.
Pic 25 - Refer Step 14. After removing the selected area from the Polaroid frame.
15. Now, to enlarge the canvas to make room for the
Drop Shadow around the perimeter of the Polaroid frame. Click
Image >
Canvas Size.... See
Pic 26.
Pic 26 - Refer Step 15. Enlarging the canvas to make room for the
Drop Shadow.
16. In the
Set Image Canvas Size pop-up window, set the measurement to
inches, and see that the chain is linked. Set the
Height to
5; the
Width will change proportionally.
Click the
Center button to center the previous canvas on the new canvas. Then click the
Resize button. Refer to
Pic 27 which captures this whole step. Dimensions for the SX70 Polaroid is shown in
Pic 28.
Pic 27 - Refer Step 16. Dimensions for enlarging the canvas of the Spectra Polaroid.
Pic 28 - Refer Step 16. Dimensions for enlarging the canvas of the SX70 Polaroid.
Pic 29 - Refer Step 16. After changing canvas size of the Spectra Polaroid.
17. Now to add the earlier mentioned
Drop Shadow to the Polaroid frame; to give the frame some sort of levitating look. Click
Filters >
Light and Shadow >
Drop Shadow.... Refer
Pic 30.
Pic 30 - Refer Step 17. Adding the
Drop Shadow to the Polaroid frame.
In the
Script-Fu: Drop Shadow pop-up window like in
Pic 31, set the shadow properties as follows:
- Offset X: 8
- Offset Y: 8
- Blur radius: 15
- Color: Black (HTML notation: 000000)
- Opacity: 80
- Allow resizing: leave tick box empty.
i actually don't know what it does :D
Update 2010-11-25: if you check the resizing box, it will actually do what you're doing in step 15 and 16 for you. It enlarges the canvas size just large enough to contain your desired shadow. ~Katie
Update 2011-8-7: Reinstated
Step 15 and
16 after note from
Shallot. Click following links to see screenshot of result:
Pic 31 - Refer Step 17. Setting the
Drop Shadow properties before applying.
Then click the
OK button. Notice changes in the
Layers tab. There's a new layer below the
Polaroid frame layer named
Drop Shadow.
Pic 32 - Refer Step 17. The generated
Drop Shadow layer in the
Layers tab.
18. Now to create the lightened area you see on the outer-side of the Polaroid frame in
Pic 3 and
4. Create a new layer; see how in Step
7 and
8. Name this new layer
Outside frame, like in
Pic 33.
Pic 33 - Refer Step 18. New layer to place the lightened area on the outer perimeter of the Polaroid frame.
In the
Layers tab, arrange the
Outside frame layer to be below the
Drop Shadow layer.
Pic 34 - Refer Step 18. Arrangement of the
Outside frame layer in the
Layers tab.
19. This step is to give color to the
Outside frame layer. Make sure the
Outside frame layer is selected in the
Layers tab, otherwise another layer will be colored.
Select the
Bucket Fill Tool icon. For contrast, change the Foreground square (refer to
Pic 11) color to
white (
HTML notation: ffffff), as shown in
Pic 35. Then click the canvas to fill the
Outside frame layer with the selected color.
Pic 28 shows the result.
Pic 35 - Refer Step 19. Before applying the
Bucket Fill Tool.
Pic 36 - Refer Step 19. After applying the
Bucket Fill Tool.
20. Now to clear-out the photo area, again, this time on the
Outer border layer. Select to activate the
Polaroid frame layer in the
Layers tab. Select the
Fuzzy Select Tool (see
Pic 29) on the
Toolbox tab. Then click inside the inner rectangle that represents the photo area.
Pic 29 - Refer Step 20.
Fuzzy Select Tool in the
Toolbox tab.
Once the picture area is selected, click the
Outside frame layer to go to it. Click
Edit >
Clear. The result is shown in
Pic 37.
Pic 37 - Refer Step 30. After removing the photo area in the
Outside frame layer.
21. On the
Layers tab, drop the
Opacity of the
Outside frame layer to
30. See
Pic 38. The result is shown in
Pic 39.
Pic 38 - Refer Step 31.
Opacity of
Outside frame layer dropped to
30.
Pic 39 - Refer Step 31. The canvas after lowering the opacity of the
Outside frame layer.
22. Now to prepare a place for captions on the frame. Click the
Polaroid frame layer in the
Layers tab to activate that layer. Click the
Text Tool icon (
Pic 40) on the
Toolbox tab. Then click on the canvas to initiate text field. Type in your text. Adjust text field to fit in the lower part of the Polaroid frame. Adjust font type, font size, and text field to suite.
Pic 40 - Refer Step 22.
Text Tool icon on the
Toolbox tab.
i prepared two rows for text with properties as such:
- Font: Century Schoolbook L Italic
- Size: 35 px
- Put a tick in the Hinting and Antialiasing box
- Color: blue, HTML notation: 044094 (see Pic 43)
- Justify: Centered
- Adjust line spacing: -10.0
The
Place caption here fjkl (see
Pic 41) is as such to predict where the heads of
f j,
k and
l, and tails of
f and
j will fall.
Pic 41 - Refer Step 22. Caption placement on the Spectra Polaroid.
Pic 42 - Refer Step 22. Caption placement on the SX70 Polaroid.
Pic 43 - Refer Step 22. Picking the font color.
23. In the
Layers tab, rename the
Background layer to
Place pic here layer, so that some other time if you forget, you know where to place the picture. Make the eye symbol of this layer visible. See
Pic 44.
Somehow, i prefer to keep the Outside frame layer invisible, and the Place pic here layer empty. Result is show in
Pic 45 for the Spectra Polaroid, and
Pic 46 for the SX70 Polaroid.
Pic 44 - Refer Step 23. Renaming the
Background layer to
Place pic here.
Pic 45 - Refer Step 23. Result for the Spectra Polaroid.
Pic 46 - Refer Step 23. Result for the SX70 Polaroid.
Polaroid template, done!
How to use the Spectra/SX70 Polaroid frame
1. Open the
Spectra Polaroid frame.xcf or
SX70 Polaroid frame.xcf file.
2. Drag and drop a photo into the canvas area. Rearrange layer in the
Layers tab if required.
3. Adjust photo size, placement, color, etc. Crop if necessary.
4. Type in caption. Modify text size, color, etc if necessary.
5. If somehow you want the area outside of the Polaroid frame to be clear of any pictures and graphic effects:
- crop or resize your photo to be smaller than the Polaroid frame
- hide the Outside frame layer (eye symbol in Layers tab)
6. Save your work in the
PNG image format (
*.png). As for
Pic 47 and
48; I don't know much about formats, so usually i just accept the default settings. Note that Blogger does not fully support PNG'; see
Pic 2.
Pic 47 - Refer Step 6.
Pic 48 - Refer Step 6.
Polaroid editing, done!
Goodies
Here are files to choose from for download.
Polaroid_frame_for_GIMP.zip (18.6 MB) contains:
- "Raw frames" folder
- contains two files ready for use
- Spectra Polaroid frame.xcf
- SX70 Polaroid frame.xcf
- "Sample" folder
- contains two folders
- Edited frames
- Finished frames
- "Edited frames" folder
- contains two files
- [Spectra] Corak wau bulan (with Outside frame).xcf
- [SX70] Corak wau bulan (with Outside frame).xcf
- "Finished frames" folder
- contains two files
- [Spectra] Corak wau bulan (with Outside frame).png
- [SX70] Corak wau bulan (with Outside frame).png
Spectra_Polaroid_frame.xcf.zip (138.3 KB) contains:
- ReadMe
- Spectra Polaroid frame.xcf
SX70_Polaroid_frame.xcf.zip (130.8 KB) contains:
- ReadMe
- SX70 Polaroid frame.xcf
Have fun experimenting! :D
And spread the fun! :D
