In this paper we describe the development of new 3D and moving image printing technology that employs a specially prepared printer engine, newly developed dye transfer materials and a postcard-size lenticular lens sheet.This printer engine consists of a flat platen on which the lens face of the lens sheet is fixed, a moving uniaxis stage with high feed precision that holds the flat platen, a printing device with an edge-type line thermal print head and an ink sheet roll, and a laser device for detecting the lens position. The engine is set up so that it is possible to print images onto the lens sheet and detect the lens position by operations carried out on the reverse side of the lens sheet. The line of the print head is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lens.The printing process on the lens sheet can be conducted at an actual lens pitch of 503 mm in spite of using a print head with a resolution of 300 dpi. This system allows six different image-signals to be printed within the width of one lens after detecting the lens position.Postcard-size high-quality 3D images with a high degree of stereoscopic effect and moving images with six different picture frames can be achieved by employing simple printer construction and print processes.
Nobuyoshi Taguchi, "Postcard-Size 3D and Moving Image Printing Employing Thermal Dye Transfer Technology" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies (NIP15), 1999, pp 247 - 250, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.1999.15.1.art00064_1