[photo-3d] New Realist slide mounts under development

[Paul Talbot <ptww@xxxxxxxxx>]

Buried in Gabriel's excellent report on the Mesa
convention (thanks, Gabriel!) was a note about new
stereo mounts:

> Paul was also handing out free samples of a new high
> quality self stick mount (and slip-in, heat seal,
> etc.) These look very interesting and I'm eager to
> try them out. Hopefully they will be my mount of
> choice. Imagine, no ironing, no taping, and no
> slipping! 

At Rocky Mountain Memories we have been working for
many months on some new options for quality, easy-
to-use, affordable stereo slide mounts.  The package
we distributed at Mesa contained pre-production samples
of:
  - 5P Realist format self-stick mounts
  - 5P Realist format heat seal mounts
  - 2x2 slip-in mounts

If you would like a free sample and did not get some
at Mesa, please send your postal mailing address to
me at mailto:samples@xxxxxxxxx  (Some of you may find
that a representative of your local club brought back
samples to distribute at your club.  Lawrence Kauffman
and Mary Ann Rhoda are two that come quickly to mind.)

Please note that these are pre-production samples;
additional design improvements are expected before
the first production run.  Anticipated availability
is late fall.

There are several exciting advantages to the new designs:
  - Our heat seal mounts will include a "register" to
    guide placement of the chips.  Use of a register is
    standard in the billions of 2D cardboard mounts used
    every year in this country.  Personally, I think one
    of the many reasons that "Kodak" mounting has been of
    low quality is that their mounts, which appear to be
    the same as those used by home mounters, do not have
    a register.  (The pressed tabs are not as effective
    as a register, and have the added disadvantage of
    allowing significant light passage through the mount.)

  - Self-stick mounts will be quicker to seal than either
    heat seal or tape-shut mounts.  They will also include
    a register.

  - The 2D slip-in mounts demonstrate the style of 5P slip-in
    mount currently under development, but not yet ready.
    These mounts will be made from the same card stock as
    the heat seal and self-stick mounts.

  - All three styles of mounts will feature a grey inner
    coating on the cardboard that a) is pH neutral; and
    b) helps improve the opacity of the cardboard mount.

These mounts will supplement our existing offering of the
Australian-made "precision tape-shut mounts" designed by
Steve Spicer.  Steve Spicer's mounts will continue to be
the highest quality cardboard mount on the market.  The
new mounts offer new conveniences, especially intended for
those of us who have not achieved DrDave's level of mounting
efficiency with the Spicer mounts!  ;-)

Again, please note that these are pre-production samples,
and actual availability of the first production run is
still several months away.  I cannot yet give a specific
date.  Initially the mounts will be offered with normal
5P apertures.  Additional sizes will be added in the future.

Paul Talbot