3D Lenticular Printing: What It Is and How It Can Benefit Your Business

Lenticular: A funny word indeed, strange & unfamiliar to most people.

A lenticular is a series of images (minimum of two) that are combined or interlaced into one final file and then printed on a plastic lens. The lens has tiny tactile ridges that refract light in such a way as to create motion or depth effects when the lenticular is turned.

How does a lenticular differ from a hologram?

Lenticulars are currently much more common in the medium of print advertising. But many customers, when searching for a lenticular printer, will use the more familiar term "hologram". Unfortunately, this is a misnomer. A hologram is typically monochromatic and created with laser light reflected onto an emulsion. The finished product needs to be properly lit to achieve the ideal effect.

On the other hand, lenticular printing reproduces full color, photographic-quality images in a range of effects from morphs to animations to 3D Depth.

So what effects are available?

1. Flip: Perhaps the most basic (and popular) effect, this lens flips from one image to the next with a quick turn of the wrist.Flip lenticulars are also typically the most affordable as the set-up includes only 2 images.

2. Animation: This effect offers up to 12 frames of animation. All frames should be designed with continuity & fluidity. For example, 12 frames consisting of completely different designs would not reproduce accurately.

3. 3D Depth: This effect is the equivalent of creating real 3D Depth on a card without the use of 3D glasses. This is currently very popular with the recent influx of 3D films.

4. Zoom: Zoom images leap out at your audience in stunning 3D.

5. Morph: This effect offers a more detailed flip, where one image literally transforms into the next.

Where have I seen lenticular printing?

Chances are you've seen lenticulars hundreds or even thousands of times. Many gift cards use a "flip" or "3D Depth" effect. Visit any major retailer and scan the DVD section, you'll see a good percentage of these are produced with lenticular covers. Many film releases are now promoted with large lenticular posters and lobby displays. The Guinness Book of World Records® certified a 98-feet long by 13-feet tall lenticular mural in the Mandalay Bay Casino to be the largest lenticular piece ever.

How expensive is lenticular printing?

New advances in technology have brought down the prices of lenticulars tremendously. Most manufacturers, until recently, offered minimum quantity orders of 2500 pieces starting at around $1-$5 each. Minimum quantities and pricing has dropped significantly over the past decade. Lenticulars are now full color offset or digitally printed in quantities starting as low as 250 pieces. In addition, pricing has dropped to as low as.18 each on larger quantity orders of lenticular business cards.

What other advances have been made?

Years ago, lenticulars were on much thicker lenses and the clarity was substandard. Printers advised against using much text on the lenticular side, as most likely it wouldn't reproduce accurately. Contact info was generally printed on the reverse side, if required. Today, with new technological advances, the clarity of lenticulars has improved greatly. Text reproduces more accurately and image sequences are clearer. In addition, today's lenses are thinner and not so awkward or bulky (so they'll fit better in your wallet).

How long do lenticulars typically take to produce?

Most manufacturers advertise a minimum of 3 weeks to produce professional, offset printed lenticulars. The set-up and interlacing is time-consuming & labor-intensive and typically a full gang run has to be filled before your lenticulars can be produced.

Lenticulars are available in a variety of sizes, from 3D business cards to 3D postcards to full size posters.

Are they worth the price?

Professional marketers are constantly looking for new ways to stand apart from the plain, the mundane and the boring. Nondescript, one-color business cards & flyers are quickly going the way of the Dodo bird. From foils to plastics to metals, printing is moving into the 21st century. Making 3D lenticular printing a part of your overall marketing plan is surely a savvy decision.