Instant Film
About Instant Film
What is Instax?
Instax is a credit card-sized colour film that can be used in a Fujifilm Instax polaroid camera. The film produces glossy photographs that are printed instantly. Despite the small size, the picture quality is excellent and ideal for portraits and snapshots.
How does Instax film work?
Instant prints work as a result of chemistry. The actual print of your photo is made up of chemical developer, colour dyes and a positive emulsion on cellulose. When the shutter button on a polaroid camera is pressed, the film is exposed, and the photo starts to develop as soon as the camera ejects the print. As the film ejects through the camera’s rollers, the small packs of the developer get broken as they’re squeezed through the roller pens. This releases and spreads the developer over the film, therefore developing the image.
Does Instax film expire?
Over time, all undeveloped films start to lose balance and contrast. This is a gradual chemical reaction, but is affected by the conditions in which you store the film. High storage temperatures will cause your film to expire quickly, whereas low temperatures slow the process down. Similarly, humidity accelerates the rate of expiration, but dry storage can help to minimise it.
Generally, if you store your film at normal room temperature, it should create brilliant photographs, even long after it has ‘expired’. Instax film usually comes with an expiration date (also referred to as the ‘process before’ date) that is two years from when the film was packaged.
Shop our full range of Instax film and get free delivery within the UK.