The animation photo transfer process (APT process) is a photographic transfer system that can photographically transfer lines or solid blocks of colors onto
acetate
An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. alkaline, earthy, metallic, nonmetallic, or radical base). "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called ...
sheets (
cel
A cel, short for '' celluloid'', is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate and camphor) was used during the first half of the 20th cent ...
s). A similar process is used to make the
stencils for
silk screen printing. The process relies on
UV-sensitive
inks that cure when exposed to light and stick to the plastic sheet, while the ink in the non-exposed areas is chemically removed from the sheet.
Advantages
Compared to the earlier
xerography
Xerography is a dry photocopying technique. Originally called electrophotography, it was renamed xerography—from the Greek roots , meaning "dry" and , meaning "writing"—to emphasize that unlike reproduction techniques then in use such as c ...
process used by Disney, the lines can be controlled better, and multiple copies can be made quickly. The drawings are photographed on high-contrast
sheet film
Sheet film is large format and Medium format (film), medium format photographic film supplied on individual sheets of acetate or polyester film base rather than rolls. Sheet film was initially supplied as an alternative to Photographic_plate, glas ...
, and these negatives are then exposed onto the cels. A line on an animated character can be in color instead of just black. This is known as self-colored lines. (Xerographic lines were rendered in color too, when colored toners became available.)
Examples
This process was used on
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
's animated features, such as ''
The Black Cauldron'', ''
The Great Mouse Detective
''The Great Mouse Detective'' (released as ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries and ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' during its 1992 re-release) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produced by W ...
'', ''
Oliver & Company'', and ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...
''.
See also
*
The Black Cauldron
*
Timeline of CGI in film and television
*
Traditional animation
Traditional animation (or classical animation, cel animation, or hand-drawn animation) is an animation technique in which each frame is drawing, drawn by hand. The technique was the dominant form of animation of the 20th century, until there wa ...
References
External links
''The APT Process'' on the ''AllExperts'' forum''US Patent Number 4569577'' on ''Google Patent Search''
Visual effects
Animation techniques
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