Welcome to this Polaroid Photoshop Tutorial. We will learn
how to make a collage of polaroids that made by a single image. Each polaroid
containing a small section of the overall image. You can use this effect with
lots of different types of images.
This is a very easy Photoshop effect to create, only simple
steps to take for a very fun result. Check this out and try it!
Below is the image that we will working with:
Here is the image will look like.
Step 1: Duplicate The Background Layer
The first thing we
need to do for this effect is duplicate our Background layer. With our image
open in Photoshop, we can see in the Layers palette that we currently have just
one layer, the Background layer, which contains our original image.
To quickly duplicate the layer, use the keyboard shortcut
Ctrl+J (Win). Photoshop creates a copy of the Background layer for us, names it
"Layer 1", and places it above our Background layer in the Layers
palette:
Step 2: Add A New Blank Layer Between The Two Layers
Next, we need to add a new blank layer between our
Background layer and the copy of it that we just created. Currently the copy is
selected in the Layers palette (we can tell the layer is selected because it's
highlighted in blue). Normally when we add a new layer, Photoshop places the
new layer above the layer that's currently selected, but we want our new layer
below "Layer 1", not above it. To tell Photoshop to place the new
layer below "Layer 1", hold down your Ctrl (Win) key and then click
on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the Layers palette:
Photoshop adds a new blank layer named "Layer 2" between "Layer 1" and the original Background layer:
Step 3: Fill The New Layer With Black
We're going to use black as the background for our effect,
so let's reset our Foreground and Background colors if needed by pressing D on
your keyboard. This sets black as your Foreground color and white as your
Background color, as we can see in the Foreground and Background color swatches
near the bottom of the Tools palette:

Step 4: Add A New Blank Layer
With "Layer 2" (the layer we just filled with
black) selected, click once again on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the
Layers palette.
Photoshop will add a new blank layer between the black-filled layer and the copy of the original image above it:
Step 5: Drag Out A Rectangular Selection As The Inside Of Your First Polaroid

Then, with the Rectangular Marquee Tool selected, drag out a
selection inside your image which will become the inside of the first polaroid
(the part which contains the photo). I'm going to drag my selection around the
baby's face. It doesn't really matter where you make this selection since
you'll be able to move it anywhere you like later:
Step 6: Fill The Selection With Black
We need to fill the selection with black at this point.
Technically, it doesn't matter which color we fill the selection with, but to
keep things simple and since black is currently our Foreground color, let's use
black. Make sure you have the new blank layer selected in the Layers palette,
and then use the keyboard shortcut Alt+Backspace (Win) to fill the selection
with the Foreground color, which is set to black. Again, nothing seems to have
happened in the document, and that's because the image on "Layer 1"
at the top is still blocking everything else from view, but if we look at the
thumbnail for the blank layer in the Layers palette, we can see that the
selected area has indeed been filled with black:
Step 7: Create A Clipping Mask From The Filled Selection

Either way, Photoshop "clips" the image on "Layer 1", keeping only the area above the black-filled shape below it visible and hiding the rest of the image, revealing our black background on "Layer 2" in its place:
If we look in the Layers palette now, we can see that "Layer 1" is indented to the right with a small arrow pointing downward on the left. This indicates that the layer is being clipped by the layer below it:
Step 8: Add Another New Blank Layer Above "Layer
2"
We need to add another new layer, and we need it between the
black-filled layer ("Layer 2") and the layer containing our filled
selection ("Layer 3"). To do that, click on "Layer 2" to
select it and then click once again on the New Layer icon at the bottom of the
Layers palette:
Step 9: Drag Out Another Rectangular Selection As The Border
Of The Polaroid
With your Rectangular Marquee Tool still selected, drag out
another rectangular selection, this time around the outside of the original
selection, which will become the white border of the polaroid. Keep in mind
that polaroid photos have some extra space at the bottom of the border, so add
some extra space at the bottom of your selection:
Step 10: Fill The Selection With White
Since the border of a
polaroid is usually white, let's fill our selection with white. Make sure that
you have the new blank layer, "Layer 4", selected in the Layers
palette. Then, since white is currently our Background color, let's use the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Backspace (Win) to fill the selection with the
Background color (white). Press Ctrl+D (Win) when you're done to deselect the
selection. We now have our first polaroid in our image.
Step 11: Add A Drop Shadow Layer Style
We have our first polaroid, and we're going to use it to
easily create as many polaroids as we want. But before we do anything else,
let's add a slight drop shadow to it. We won't be able to see the drop shadow
just yet, since we're using a black background, but we will see it once we
start piling polaroids on top of each other. To add our drop shadow, with
"Layer 4" selected, click on the Layer Styles icon at the bottom of
the Layers palette:
This brings up Photoshop's "Layer Style" dialog
box set to the Drop Shadow options in the middle column. I'm going to set my
shadow Angle to about 120° and then lower the Opacity value at the top all the
way down to about 30% so my shadow isn't too intense:
Click OK to exit out of the Layer Style dialog box. As I
said, we won't be able to see the drop shadow just yet thanks to our black
background, but don't worry. We'll see it soon enough.
Step 12: Rotate The Polaroid

Then with both layers selected, I'm going to bring up Photoshop's Free Transform handles around my polaroid using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T (Win). To rotate it, all I need to do is drag my mouse cursor anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles. The mouse cursor will change to a "rotate" cursor with curved arrows on either end of it. As I drag my mouse, the polaroid will rotate:

When you're happy with the location and angle of the
polaroid , press Enter to apply the transformation.
Step 13: Group All Three Layers Which Make Up The Polaroid
We have our first polaroid created and rotated into place.
Now we're going to use it to create as many polaroids as we want. Before we can
do that though, we need to group all three layers which make up the polaroid ,
which are the top three layers in the Layers palette. "Layer 1"
contains the image itself, "Layer 3" contains the inside of the
polaroid , and "Layer 4" contains the outside of it. In order to
group them, we need them all selected. We already have "Layer 3" and
"Layer 4" selected, so once again hold down your Shift key and click
on "Layer 1" to add it, so all three layers are selected and
highlighted in blue:
Then, with all three layer selected, use the keyboard
shortcut Ctrl+G to group them. You'll see all three layers disappear from the
Layers palette and be replaced by a layer named "Group 1", which
contains a folder icon to indicate that it's a Layer Group. If you click on the
right-pointing triangle to the left of the folder icon, the group will open and
you'll see your three layers inside of it:
Step 14: Duplicate The Layer Group
We're going to use this Layer Group to create our second
polaroid , and we're going to do that by duplicating the group. First, click
once again on the triangle to the left of the folder in the Layers palette to
close the group so your Layers palette doesn't get too cluttered. Then simply
click on the group and drag it down onto the New Layer icon at the bottom of
the Layers palette:
When you release your mouse button, you'll see the copy of
the Layer Group appear above the original:
Now we have our second polaroid.
Step 15: Move And Rotate The Second Polaroid With The Free
Transform Command
Just as we did with the original, we're going to move and
rotate this second polaroid using Free Transform (I didn't actually move my
first one, but you may have, so let's pretend I did as well). First, twirl open
the newly created copy of our Layer Group by clicking on the triangle to the
left of its folder icon. Just as before, you'll see all three layers inside of
it which make up the polaroid . We need to select the bottom two layers which
make up the inside and outside of it, so click on one, then hold down Shift and
click on the other to select them both:
Then with both layers selected, press Ctrl+T to bring up the
Free Transform handles around the polaroid . At the moment, it looks like
there's only the one polaroid in the image, and that's because both of them are
directly on top of each other. Click inside the polaroid and drag it to move it
to a new location, and you'll see that you do in fact have two. Drag this
second one to wherever you like in your document, and then rotate it just as
before, by moving your mouse anywhere outside of the Free Transform handles and
dragging your mouse to rotate it left or right. You'll see that once again,
we're only moving the polaroid itself. The image inside of it remains fixed in
place, and now that we've added a second polaroid , we're displaying more of
the full size image:
You'll also notice that with the second polaroid overlapping the original, we can now see the drop shadow, which gives the image a bit of depth. When you're happy with the location and angle of your second polaroid , press Enter to apply the transformation. We now have two polaroids completed.
Step 16: Add, Move And Rotate More Polaroids As Needed
At this point, we just repeat the exact same process over
and over until we've added enough polaroids to reveal enough of the original
image. First, drag the top-most Layer Group down onto the New Layer icon at the
bottom of the Layers palette. This will create a copy of the last polaroid you
made. Then twirl the new Layer Group open by clicking on the arrow to the left
of its folder icon and select the two bottom layers which make up the inside
and outside of the polaroid. Press Ctrl+T to bring up the Free Transform
handles, click inside them and drag the image into a new location to reveal
more of the overall image, then move your mouse outside of the handles and drag
to rotate the new polaroid. Press Enter to accept the transformation, then
repeat the process again until you've added enough polaroids that you're happy
with the results. There's no "right or wrong" placement of the polaroids
, so don't be afraid to play around with it, and you can always go back and
move or rotate any of the polaroids at any time by selecting its Layer Group,
twirling it open, selecting the two bottom layers, then using Free Transform to
move and/or rotate it again.
This is my final result!
I hope you enjoy this tutorial. Thank you!
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