Some 3D Fun with Stereograms

Stereograms are some of the coolest optical illusions around, however you have to stare at them a certain way before you will see the 3-D effect. Once it happens, you won't be able to take your eyes away! It involves trying to unfocus your eyes. So hard to explain, but once it happens, everything will be so clear.

A stereogram is an optical illusion of depth created from flat, two-dimensional image or images. Originally, stereogram referred to a pair of stereo images which could be viewed using stereoscope.


They were re-popularized by the creation of autostereogram on computers, where a 3D image is hidden in a single 2D image, until the viewer focuses the eyes correctly.

Autostereograms produce an illusion of depth using only a single image. The image is usually generated by computer by repeating a narrow pattern from left to right. By decoupling eye convergence from focusing operations, a viewer is able to trick the brain into seeing a 3D scene.

If a stereogram is viewed with the wrong method, the depth information is seen ‘backwards’; points intended to be in the background appear in the foreground and vice versa.

For some non-fail techniques on how to look at stereograms and some very interesting information about them, please click here.