Opaque Projectors
An opaque projector is the predecessor to the overhead projector. They display opaque materials by shining a light down onto the surface from above. A mirror and imaging lens is used to focus the image of the material onto a viewing screen or wall. They are mostly used in the classroom or for enlargements.
Kopykake Projectors
If you¡¯re looking to fill a wall with your image or even project down onto a drawing board, take a look at Kopykake projectors. Designed for muralists, sign makers, and artists who work at an easel, these opaque projectors attach to any camera tripod for easily positioning and manipulation. And best of all, these projectors work well in normal lighting conditions ¨C no more working in the dark!
The Super Prism Professional Opqaque Projector
If you are a professional artist or designer who is looking for the very best in image clarity and accuracy, then the Artograph Super Prism Opaque Projector should be your choice. It¡¯s 3- element, color corrected lens is able to handle half tones and can enlarge originals up to 20 times. And, it has a system for ensuring that your original will not overheat and get destroyed.
Opaque Projector History
The opaque projector is similar to the camera obscura of olden days. Developed in the 17th century, artists such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Vermeer, used a camera obscura to transfer their drawings from one surface to another. This simple black lined box had a tiny hole in one end through which the image was enlarged when focused from a distance.
Prolong Opaque Projector Use
Because opaque projectors use brighter bulbs and larger lens than overhead projectors, materials left in the projector too long can be damaged by the heat generated by the light source. If you are using an opaque projector, try not to leave your materials under the heat source for too long. If you are giving a long presentation or using it to transfer a detailed sketch, take your image out of the heat or shut the projector off periodically.
Saving Time With Opaque Projectors and LightBoxes
Opaque projectors or a lightboxes are a great time saving device for artists, like fabric designers, whose designs repeat. By moving the image in the opaque projector, or light box, you can transfer an image or drawing much more quickly and accurately than by doing it by hand. You can also double the image up, or move it easily to different parts of the fabric to create a pattern.
Common Opaque Projector Uses
One of the most common uses of an opaque projector in the artist studio is to transfer images. Often a painter might work from a photograph or from a sketch that can be transferred more easily and more quickly by projecting the image than by re-drawing onto canvas or a larger surface. It¡¯s a great way to make a large painting out of a small drawing, while keeping perspective and proportion intact.