# "Shake it like a Polaroid picture."  Huh?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shake-it-like-a-polaroid-picture-huh/227157>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 2, 2004, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shake-it-like-a-polaroid-picture-huh/227157 "2004-02-02T06:30:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![International\_Playboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/48db29/32.png) [@International\_Playboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/International_Playboy)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shake-it-like-a-polaroid-picture-huh/227157/21 "2004-02-11T22:24:17Z")

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> [@TheInterruptingCow](#):
>
> From what I remember, shaking the picture did absolutely nothing to speed up development. Once the negative was peeled off, you had to apply a kind of sealant with the applicator, or the image would degrade. I think it gradually got kind of sepia-toned without the sealant. That’s when you had to shake the photo, to dry the alcohol-based sealant. Smelled real bad, too.

I didn’t mean that the shaking was used to speed up development, but rather that some people might think it would help the residual chemicals dry/evaporate. I do remember they had to dry before they could be handled.

I think the sealant was what I remember my dad wiping on the pictures after separting the pieces.

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