What is ChromaDepth^®  3-D?

ChromaDepth^® is American Paper Optics' patented process for encoding holographic 3-D information into images using color, and using optics (High Definition Glasses or Standard Glasses) to 'play' the holographic image into your eyes.  See our ChromaDepth ^TM Primer for more.


What are High Definition Glasses and Standard Glasses?

These glasses, collectively referred to as ChromaDepth^®  Glasses, incorporate micro-optic lenses that optically convert CyberHolograms^TM and Sta^ndard images into true holographic images.  Chromatek Inc. is the only manufacturer of these lenses in the world.

Is there a correct viewing distance for using High Definition Glasses and Standard Glasses?

There is no 'correct' viewing distance.  Either of the ChromaDepth^®  Glasses can be used over a wide range of viewing distances.  You may notice that the image appears deeper as you move further from it.  This effect enables you to choose the viewing distance you need to get the degree of depth you want to see.


What's the difference between High Definition Glasses and Standard Glasses?

High Definition Glasses incorporate ChromaDepth^®  optics which are optimized for use with computer graphics.  They are usually preferred by adults for most applications, including movie viewing, technical and medical applications, and the Web.  C3D ^TM Glasses incorporate ChromaDepth^®  optics which are optimized for use with printed images, such as magazines, food packaging, and direct mail pieces.  Children almost always prefer the Standard glasses for all types of viewing, from looking at their own 3-D drawings to watching TV, video, and movies.

 Standard Glasses provide the strongest 3-D effect, but may make an image appear blurry if it is viewed from more than a few feet.  High Definition Glasses provide a sharper image than Standard Glasses but don't produce as strong a 3-D effect for images viewed at close range. High Definition Glasses are usually preferred by adults for viewing computer graphics, slide shows, TV, and video.  Adults usually prefer Standard Glasses for viewing printed graphics. Pure Color Laser Shows (such as those produced by AVI in Orlando, FL) use Standard Glasses effectively, while Composite Color (RGB) Laser shows (such as those produced by Laser Images, LA, CA) usually use High Definition Glasses.


How do the High Definition and Standard Glasses work?

They optically transform color information into holographic 3-D using the world's most precise micro-optics ever mass produced.  The ChromaDepth^®  Glasses are a general purpose hologram that displays the holographic content of color images.  An image designed to be viewed in this way is called a CyberHologram^TM .  The Glasses optics plus a CyberHologram^TM image form a complete hologram.  For more information see our ChromaDepth^®  Primer and CyberHolograms^TM pages.

Are ChromaDepth^®  Glasses polarized?

No.  They are also not tinted.  They are water-clear micro-optic lenses.

Can CyberHolograms^TM be printed?

Yes; in fact, CyberHolograms^TM can be created in any color medium.  They can presented as computer imagery, on the Web, in print, on video and TV, in laser shows, and even printed on T-shirts.

What is the difference between a CyberHologram^TM and a C3D^TM image?

There are two differences: the medium of display and the field of application.  CyberHolograms^TM are generally computer generated ChromaDepth^®   images which are displayed on a computer monitor or are converted to video or film.  They are usually viewed using High Definition Glasses.  Standard images are generally ChromaDepth^®  images which have been designed for print.  The world of commercial printing and the world of CGI and the Web don't overlap very much, so different terms have arisen to best fit the language of each world.  There is no technical distinction between CyberHolograms ^TM and Standard images;  if a Standard image is posted on the Web it has become a CyberHologram^TM, and if a CyberHologram^TM is printed then it is either a hard copy CyberHologram^TM or a Standard image.  For more, see our CyberHolograms^TM page.

Is special software required to produce CyberHolograms^TM and C3D^TM images?

 No.  Any graphic design, drawing, or rendering software can be used.  See our Image Design page for details about creating your own images, and go to out Crayon CyberHologram^TM page to see how to create a CyberHologram^TM in one minute with three crayons and a piece of paper.

Are special inks required for printing CyberHolograms^TM and C3D^TM images?

No.  Some of our customers have been told by freelance "consultants" that they had to use special inks to create ChromaDepth^®  images, but this is not true.  Good process printing can be used quite effectively.  The proof of this is to look at magazine ads with a pair of Standard Glasses on - you'll be amazed at how many of them show great 3-D.  Sometimes process printing results in 'muddy' reds and blues.  Since red and blue are critical colors to the ChromaDepth^®  process it is important to keep the quality of red and blue high.  If spot colors are available in addition to the process colors, they should be used to get stronger blue and red tones.  Extremely good results have been obtained using the Pantone® Hexachrome six color printing system.  It produces a broader range of colors than traditional process color printing.  For more information on printing C3D^TM images jump to the last question in this FAQ by clicking here.

Are ChromaDepth^®  3-D Glasses available in a more durable style?

Yes - we have both High Definition Glasses and Standard Glasses available in a Professional grade plastic frame.  These glasses are designed to last and are preferred by avid ChromaDepth^®  enthusiasts and professionals.  Call 901-381-1515, fax 901-381-1517 or email c3d@3dglassesonline.com to order!


I've shown these glasses to all my friends, and now there are fingerprints
all over them. How can I clean them?

The micro-optic structures incorporated into ChromaDepth^®  Glasses are very, very small. Skin oils from your fingers form drops that are easily ten or twenty times the size of these optical structures, so fingerprints easily fill and cover them.  Fortunately, the micro-optics are also quite durable, so the glasses can safely be cleaned with mild detergent (hand dishwashing soap), rubbing alcohol, or even glass cleaner (such as Windex® brand).  Cleaning plastic frame Professional ChromaDepth ^TM Glasses is easy.  Cleaning cardboard framed ChromaDepth^®  Glasses is a bit more difficult;  the trick is to avoid messing up the cardboard by getting it wet.

We recommend using a Q-Tip® swab for the cleaning. If you use detergent, make a weak solution of detergent in warm water.  If you use rubbing alcohol or glass cleaner use it full strength. Dip the Q-Tip® in the cleaner, shake off the excess solution, and gently rub it over one side of the glasses optics, being careful to not get the cardboard wet around the edges. Dip a fresh Q-Tip® in some clean water and use it to rinse off the cleaner, then dry the optic with the other end of the Q-Tip®. Turn the glasses over and repeat this process, and your ChromaDepth^®  glasses will be in top form again.


Are there any special requirements for printing Standard 3-D images?

Any good printer should be able to print your ChromaDepth®  3-D images and do them justice. Excellent Sta^ndard images have been printed onto plastic cups, T-shirts, posters, comic books, brochures, buttons, plastic bandages, baseball caps, and mousepads.

If you follow the guidelines in our Image Design page, your image should look great with the Standard Glasses. What you see on the computer screen as you design an image, or on your palette as you draw it, is sometimes difficult to reproduce in print.  In general, there are no particular printing requirements special to ChromaDepth^® 3-D, other than the normal requirements of high quality printing.

C3D^TM images tend to have bright, saturated colors, since that leads to the greatest depth effects. Computer monitors use the primary additive colors, red, green and blue, in different combinations of brightness to create the appearance of a (nearly) full spectrum of colors. Conventional four color printing, or process printing, uses the primary subtractive colors, cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus black for contrast control (called the CMYK system), in various combinations to represent a smaller spectrum of colors. Saturated reds and saturated blues are difficult to get with CMYK, so spot colors are sometimes used to make up the difference. Spot colors are inks that provide a pure color that is difficult to get with the CMYK system. Spot colors can be used to boost the red and blue end of the ChromaDepth^TM spectrum.

The new Pantone® Hexachrome® color system is very good at representing about 90 percent of the colors available in the RGB system (this is much better than CMYK can do). The extra colors are obtained by adding green and orange to the CMYK mix, making this a six color process (hence the name).  This therefore requires at least six printing stations, instead of the traditional four, but this is now common in the printing world.

Here are a few more tips for getting the best printing results:

     A varnish overcoat keeps the saturation of the printed colors high by killing the contrast-reducing light which scatters from an uncoated paper surface.
     Make sure the printing plates are well registered and well 'trapped' (ask your printer) to avoid any unwanted white lines or spots showing through. White can be used as a design element in Standard images, but unwanted white can destroy the 3-D effect.  If necessary, add black borders around regions of different color to prevent this.

Use black patterns over large areas of color to give the viewer's eyes the edges it needs to perceive 3-D. See our Image Design page for more information on the use of black.

If you have other questions, send us an e-mail (c3d@3dglassesonline.com) or contact us at the address below.