34 SPRING 2020 / POPSCI.COM
IN THE 1970S, POLAROID MADE INSTANT
photography irresistibly simple: Press one but-
ton to capture and print a cherished memory (or
questionable decision). To this day, the Polaroid
Originals company relies on the same dual-layer
film, chemicals, and clever engineering as those
early cameras did to develop each square. This
is how shots come about—no shaking necessary.prints
charming
HOW IT WORKSBYSTAN HORACZEK1
Press the shutter
button to expose
the top film square
in an eight-count
pack. A photo-
sensitive coating
on the sheet’s bot-
tom layer captures
the image.2
Rollers squeeze
open a pod of
chemicals and
disperse them
between the film’s
two layers as it
ejects, developing
the negative ver-
sion of the picture.3
The resulting
reaction activates
dye on the negative
and transports it
to the clear surface
on the top section
of your print, pro-
ducing the final
image you see.