iPro® FAQ’s

First, do you have the correct type of light fixture? The only four fixtures that Rosco has tested and approved for use with the ImagePro are:

Altman Shakespeare - HX600, CDM150
ETC Source Four - HPL 575, HPL375, HID150
Selecon Pacific - GLC600, MSR575, 80v,
Strand SL - GLC 600 ("Broadway Series" preferred)

The unique shape of the backplate is designed so that the ImagePro will fit into all four of these lights. If you are using a Selecon Pacific and having troubles, make sure the the plate is aligned with the guide tracks in the iris slot.

If you are using one of these fixtures, check to make sure that you are installing the ImagePro correctly, so that the long length of the fan box "points" towards the front of the light fixture. Otherwise the top shutter of the light will be in the way and prevent the ImagePro from seating all the way into the iris slot.

Lastly, you may need to tip the light down slightly so that you clear the fixture's hanging yoke and can directly insert the ImagePro into the iris slot. Once the ImagePro is properly seated into the iris slot, the light can be focused in any direction without further obstructions.

You should NOT use the ImagePro with the 750w lamp. The additional heat and IR energy generated by the 750w lamp (which is reflected back by the Z-glass in the ImagePro) can damage the reflector in the Source Four. Ironically, the life of the iPro Slide is not significantly reduced by this higher wattage lamp.

At this time, we do not have an ImagePro model that will fit into the smaller gate of the Source Four Jr. We are evaluating whether there is enough demand to justify developing one.

Yes, but only lamped to 575 watts.

The ImagePro will physically fit into the Altman Shakespeare, ETC Source Four , Selecon Pacific, and the Strand SL. At the time of this writing, the following options had been tested:

Altman Shakespeare CDM 150 - Fine. Normal lifespan of slide.
ETC Source Four HID 150 - Fine. Slide lifepsan increase by approx 20%.
ETC Source Four MSD 250 - Too hot. Slides burns out.
Selecon Pacific MSR 575 - Fine. Normal lifespan of slide.
Selecon Pacific 80v - Fine. Normal lifespan of slide.

The iris slot in the Selecon Pacific has narrow guide tracks towards the back of the slot. On the backplate of the ImagePro, you will see tabs that fold out towards the back of the unit, like wings. These tabs should guide into the rear tracks of the Pacific's iris slot. Make sure that both the bottom and top sets of tabs on the ImagePro go into the tracks.

Due to variations in the paint thickness on the ImagePro, your iPro Slide may seem too loose or too tight on the mounting pins.

Too Loose - Apply strips of cloth tape (gaffer or spike tape) to the plate of the ImagePro just to the inside of the mounting pins. The additional thickness of the tape will push the slide up slightly and make for a tighter fit.

Too Tight - Apply pressure to the slide in a downward motion to force the iPro Slide to "snap" down over the mounting pins completely. Then push the slide back up and remove it. Repeat this a few times to wear down any excess paint thickness that is creating too much friction.

Make sure the ImagePro is seated all of the way down into the iris slot. You may have to wiggle the unit to get it drop all the way down and seat properly into the light. Also make sure that the iPro Slide is snapped all the way down onto the mounting posts. Lastly, make sure you haven't bumped one of the shutters when you installed the ImagePro.

The ImagePro can be two-fer'd together into the same circuit as the light fixture. Either create your own cabling or use Rosco's Hybrid Two-Fer (part number 265-25500-0000) which has both a female 2pin+ground connector as well as a female Edison connector for the ImagePro. This allows the ImagePro and your fixture to plug into the same dimmer. The transformer on the ImagePro will be dimmed along with the light fixture. The fan will reduce in speed as the voltage drops, but sufficient airflow is maintained to keep the iPro Slide cool.

An International version of the ImagePro is available for voltages other than 120v (product number 265-25100-0240). This international unit uses an auto-sensing transformer compatible with all voltages from 100v - 240v , 50-60hz.

No. Without the fan blowing, the iPro Slides will burn out immediately.

Check to make sure that you have power to the transformer. If so, you have to determine if the problem is with the fan or the transformer. Make sure the unit is unplugged. On the underside of the fan box, remove the four screws holding on the cover. (These are the 4 screws closest to the edge of the fan cover.) With the cover removed, check that the barrel connectors powering the fan are seated together tightly.

If they are not loose, pull them apart. Using a voltage tester, test the transformer by plugging it in and carefully testing the pins of the barrel connector for 12v power. (You will be to plug the transformer back into the mains power. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL since you now have exposed live electricity.) If the transformer is working, you can conclude that the fan needs to be replaced. Rosco has replacement fans available for sale wired with barrel connectors for easy installation (part number 265 25101 0000).

If the voltage tester does not indicate power on the leads, you will need to replace the transformer. Rosco has replacement transformers available for sale wired with barrel connectors for easy installation (120v part number 265 25000 0005; 100-240v part number 265 25000 0006).

No. Without the Z-Glass the ImagePro system will fail and the slide will burn out immediately. Replacement Z-Glass is available from Rosco or Rosco dealers (part number 120 38070 0860.)

When a slide is heated in a light for the first time, a small amount of smoke may develop as excess dust and ink burn off the surface of the slide. This should stop after a minute or so and in no way affects the quality of your projection.

One of two things has happened:

a) Either the fan is not working; Check the circuit and then trouble shoot the fan as described above.

b) Or you have installed the ImagePro backwards in the light, with the fan box pointing towards the back of the light. Installed this way (very difficult to do, by the way) the slide is completely unprotected from the direct heat of the lamp and will burn out in just a few minutes. Re-install the ImagePro properly oriented to the front of the light. You may need a new slide if you did not catch the problem in time!

Yes. Layering steel or glass gobos in the gobo slot is a good way of creating interesting composite effects.

Very carefully! The iPro Slide cartridge has two layers of plastic, the protective hear barrier film, and the printed image film.

The heat barrier film is a very fragile plastic, susceptible to fingerprints and dirt and easily scratched or damaged. Using a soft, lint free cloth, gently wipe off fingerprints and dirt. Do NOT use cleaning fluids of any sort. Be careful not to press in against the film so hard as to pull it away from the slide mount. Do not attempt to disassemble the slide to clean the inside surface of the heat barrier film.

The image is ink printed on plastic film. The inks used are NOT waterproof so no liquid should be used to clean the image. The printed side of the film is mounted on the inside of the slide and so should be relatively protected from random dirt and debris. Clean fingerprints off the exposed side of the image film using a soft, lint free cloth, gently wipe off finger prints or dirt. Do NOT use cleaning fluids of any sort. Be careful not to press in against the film so hard as to pull it away from the slide mount. Do not attempt to disassemble the slide to clean the inside surface of the image film.

If there is dust or debris trapped on the inside of the slide, gently blow between the slide mounts to try and dislodge the particles. Be careful not to spit on the slide and the water may damage the image coating. Do NOT use a compressed air can as the liquid propellant may damage the slide.

Do NOT try to open the slide cartridge to clean the film. The iPro Slide is not designed to be re- opened and you may damage the film or the slide mount.

Fingerprints and smudges that are not cleaned off right away will damage the heat barrier and eventually show up as these blotches. There is no way to correct this once the spots have appeared. In addition, a slide nearing the end of its life span (15-50 hours) may develop these spots just from the excessive heat breaking down the plastic film. This is a good indication that it's time for a new slide.

Compared with glass gobos, PANI projections or digital video projections, iPro Slides are grainy. However, the image quality should be completely acceptable in most situations. You should not see excessive "dithering" in colors, noticeable banding from the printer heads, or significant pixelization showing tiny clear voids. Your projection from an iPro Slide should have smooth color blends, solid opaque blacks and rich color fields. If you have printed your own iPro Slide you may need to adjust your artwork or printer settings.

Images in the iPro Slide library are available for purchase from Rosco. The library is available to help you select the proper image before buying. To get an iPro Slide of the image you want, contact Rosco or a Rosco dealer to place your order. Please make sure to write down the identifying P-Number of the slide.

When your design is printed onto the image film, it will be oriented so as to allow for FRONT projection. (The projected image will read properly, left to right)

If you want to rear project your design, the digital artwork should be flipped horizontally before printing. Then the film can be assembled properly and the REAR projected image will still read properly when viewed from the front.

Use an InkJet printer. Laser printers are not acceptable since the laser toner will not stand up to the heat. Virtually any consumer inkjet printer will work, though different models will give different quality results.

You may use most brands of consumer inkjet transparency film found at local office supply stores. Again, different brands will give different results.

Rosco has a proprietary iPro Slide Film that will be available for sale in Fall 2002. This film gives superior print results.

Despite the fact that making an iPro Slide seems easy, making a good iPro Slide is somewhat complex and may require a lot of trial and error on your part. You will need to determine what combination of printer settings and digital adjustments yield the best results on your printer. Also remember that what makes for a good print, may not make a good projection.

a) To get bright colors, make sure the printer you have selected allows you to increase color saturation before printing.

b) If the gradients and color blends appear "dotted" or dithered, adjust the printing settings to print at a higher resolution. Do NOT increase the resolution of the digital file. File size greater than 233 dpi will not result in smoother projections.

c) You may need to increase contrast and decrease overall brightness to maintain the correct "exposure" of the projected image, otherwise it may appear washed out when projected.

d) Make sure that your digital image is 233 dpi before printing. Even though a smaller file may look acceptable on screen, lower resolutions images will not project well. Be especially aware that typical jpg and gif files are only 72dpi and do not make acceptable iPro Slides.

Rosco's iPro Slide Service is fast, dependable and inexpensive. We encourage you to order your slides from Rosco whenever possible. Our graphic artists will make the necessary artwork and printing adjustments required to give you the best possible projection.

The iPro Slide is a one-time use product. It is not designed to be taken apart and re-used.

Slides made from "recycled" slide mounts will not have the rated life span. The slide mount warps under sustained exposure to the heat of the light and begins to block the airflow through the slide, causing premature failure. In addition the heat barrier film will degrade after about 50 hours and lose its effectiveness at protecting the image.

Based on real world testing, we expect the typical iPro Slide to last between 15-50 hours. There are a wide range of variables that can affect the actual lifespan of your slide.

a) Make sure that your light fixture is properly bench focused with a flat field and minimal hot spot.

b) Designs with substantial solid black or dark blue area will absorb more heat and cause the slide to fade more quickly.

c) Focusing the light straight up or nearly so will allow excess heat to be trapped against the iPro Slide and cause it to fade more quickly.

d) Variations among fixtures mean that a given slide may last longer or shorter in one light fixture versus another.

e) Variations among printer inks will make home made iPro Slides more likely to fade prematurely.

We are currently working on a long-life solution for the ImagePro that would be applicable for permanent installations. We expect a product to be ready by 2Q 2003. In the meantime, Rosco Spectrumgobos can create stunning photographic quality projections and can be used in virtually any modern fixture. Spectrumgobos are perfect for long term installations and can be used for years without any degradation of the image. Contact Rosco for more information on Spectrumgobos.

For guidelines about creating artwork, altering designs to make good projections and preparing files for output as iPro Slides, see our webpage containing detailed artwork instructions.