Siemens star

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A Siemens star.

A Siemens star is a device used to test the resolution of optical instruments, printers and displays. It consists of a pattern of bright "spokes" on a dark background, which radiate from a common centre and become wider as they get further from it. Theoretically the spokes only meet at the exact centre of the star; the spokes and the gaps between them become narrower the closer to the centre one looks, but they never touch except at the centre. When printed or displayed on a device with limited resolution, however, the spokes appear to touch at some distance from the centre. The smallest gap visible is limited by the smallest dot of ink the printer can produce, making the Siemens star a useful tool for comparing two printers' resolutions (DPI). Similarly, it can be applied to a camera's optical resolution by taking photographs of a Siemens star printed at high resolution and comparing photographs from different cameras to see which retained the centre detail the closest.

In the field of video production, where it is often called a "back focus chart", the Siemens star is widely used to adjust the back focus of removable lenses. It also used during film or video shoots to help setting the focus in special situations.

Siemens stars are similar to the sunburst pattern used as a background in graphic design, as in the Japanese Naval Ensign. They are useful in drawing the eye to a point on the page.

The Siemens star was developed in the 1930s by the German industrialist Werner von Siemens to set up the focus on the film cameras he was manufacturing at that time.