High-Quality 35mm Slides from Computer Display Screens

Abstract

The declining costs and advancing capabilities of microcomputers during the past five years have firmly established the computer's place in the biological classroom and laboratory. Microcomputers are replacing mainframe computers for word processing, data collection and analysis, and production of graphics for teaching and research. Powerful graphics software and improved computer displays have made possible the portrayal and interpretation of data on the computer screen. Unfortunately, preparation of these graphics for use in lectures, seminars and conferences is often a complicated and time consuming process. Usually the graphic must be printed, and edited, redrawn or traced by hand before photographing for white-on-blue diazo slides. Sites and Akre (1984) outline an alternate method for producing multicolored slides of hard copy graphs and tables that involves hand coloring and custom gel filters. Their results are of high quality, but the method is very time intensive. To reduce cost and minimize turnaround time, we have developed a method to produce 35mm color slides directly from the display screen of a computer, using familiar techniques and equipment available to most teachers and researchers.