[photo-3d] Re: Vectograph Primer

[Herbert C Maxey <bmaxey1@xxxxxxxx>]

The basic Vectograph process, as developed by Dr. Edwin Land is simple to
explain but hard to do without practice. I learned the process from the
head of the U.S. Air Force's Vectograph school that operated during the
war.

Basically, you expose something called Matrix Film (Discontinued by
Eastman Kodak) using the left and right eye stereo views. This leaves you
with a stereo positives that have a raised emulsion. Rather than dark and
light and shades of grey as would be seen with a normal negative, the
image is thicker or thinner,  corresponding to dark and light.

These matrices then hinged together like a sandwich, spread apart with
the Vectograph Film going between them. The sandwich is then rolled
through a set of pressure rollers and allowed to sit. 

Vectograph Film is coated on both sides but molecularly oriented at
angles. What happens is you create an images that are in effect, 
polarizers. When viewed using polarized glasses, and because the images
on each side are also polarizers, the left only sees the left eye view
and the right eye sees only the right eye view. You will see a double
image without viewers. The stereo window can be placed easily depending
on your needs.

One sheet of film with 2 polarized images. No need for special projectors
to view and the images can be either transparencies or prints; the latter
being a Vectograph with a backing paint. When done correctly and with
precision, the results are outstanding - far better than stereocards, and
less effort to view. 

Color was tried by Polaroid (As were movies experimentally), but it
proved to be very expensive and not commercially viable. The images that
were produced experimentally were said to be beyond compare. That's 3
separation negatives, 3 matrices for the left eye view and 3 separation
negatives and 3 matrices for the right view - 6 separate films for each
image plus a black printer most likely, printed in perfect registration.
This could never be offered commercially.

Stereo Jet Prints use an Ink Jet Printer to lay down the left eye image
on one side and the right view on the other side of the Vectograph Film.
This is why the process can be offered commercially. Doing the printing
using the standard Vectograph process would require that the left eye
view be color separated into yellow, cyan and magenta, producing a matrix
for each color and repeating the process for the other view. There are
patents for the process and can be found easily on the Web. The
developers of the Stereo Jet process are brilliant folks who know the
Vectograph process well. They licensed  the SF Slide Factory(SP?).

I came across the color vectograph process long before it was licensed. I
followed link after link looking for as much info on inks that could be
used to make color Vectographs as well as info about sources and formulas
for Matrix Film and finally stumbled across the Rowland Institute. I read
about them and their work to develop Color Vectographs using Ink Jet
Printers - something I had thought about. After learning that the
institute was created by Dr. Land and the people involved with the Color
Printing Process were experts within Polaroid who intimately understood
the Vectograph process, I realized that it may become a commercial
process at last. Then later I found out about the San Francisco Slide
Company (At least I think that is the correct company name).

Vectograph Film is still produced by Polaroid and they still offer their
lab guide giving formulas for the printing solutions. However, there is
no longer a source for Matrix Film except through The Dye Transfer
Company, in Texas, as I recall. Very expensive and last time I checked,
high minimum order requirements. If you can get Matrix Film and the
required Tanning Developer, there is no reason why you can't make
spectacular Vectographs. 

Consider this: The printing solutions are easily made and most likely can
be loaded into ink jet printing cartridges; although the iodine is
corrosive and this can lead to a host of other problems. Vectographs can
then be easily produced at home in black and white. These images could be
printed in any size and displayed without the need for any special
projectors. 

I am glad this process is being looked at, but I fear that until the cost
comes down and the quality gets better it will not be widely used.
However, there is no reason why black and white images cant be produced -
we have good technology to do this fast and cheap.

Bob