The Straits Times goes 3D

TODAY'S edition of The Straits Times comes with a little something extra: An added dimension, if you will.
Scattered throughout the newspaper are news photographs, information graphics and advertisements that have been printed in 3D.
All told, there are more than 30 pages with 3D elements in today's paper.
To view the extras - which are marked with a logo bearing the words 'Best viewed in 3D' - a pair of disposable 3D glasses has been provided, and you will find it stuck to Page 3 of the Life! section.
This foray into 3D makes The Straits Times the first English newspaper in the region to tap into such technology on such a large scale.
The 3D elements were all rendered by journalists and other staff of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) using the latest technology, and enhanced for newspaper publication.
The process of rendering images in 3D is a time-consuming one, said The Straits Times' art editor, Ms Angelina Choy.
For example, the image of characters from the movie Toy Story 3, which appears in Page 7 of the Life! section, took about 1-1/2 hours to process.
For photographers, getting shots that were suitable for 3D required a trained eye - they had to look for subjects that were set against a clean background, for instance.
Besides allowing ST's 1.4 million readers to get the news from a different perspective, the 3D issue is one way the paper is constantly looking to improve, said its editor, Mr Han Fook Kwang.
'The Straits Times has introduced many new features over the years, and we are continually trying to improve the paper to keep up with our readers' needs and expectations.'
He said ST will gauge the response from readers and advertisers and decide how best to make use of the new feature: 'It is a new area for us, and we intend to find out what works and what does not.'
A 3D newspaper also opens up new avenues for advertisers, said Mr Leslie Fong, SPH's senior executive vice-president of marketing.
He said: 'Our foray into 3D publishing is another example of our determination to show that the game is far from over for print.
'There is still a lot of fight left in newspapers yet - and our newspapers will continue to deliver the kind of unrivalled reach and impact our customers have come to expect of us.'
Source: Straits Yimes Singapore