Polaroid photos still work on old-school chemicals and engineering

In the 1970s, Polaroid made instant photography irresistibly simple: Press one button 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—computer science degree jobs.

• Press the shutter button to expose the top film square in an eight-count pack. A ­photo-­sensitive coating on the sheet’s bottom layer captures the image.
• Rollers squeeze open a pod of chemicals and disperse them ­between the film’s two layers as it ejects, developing the negative version of the picture.
• The resulting ­reaction activates dye on the negative and transports it to the clear surface on the top section of your print, producing the final image you see.