About Lenticular

The first lenticular image was produced in the 1930's by Victor Anderson, and thus the first lenticular producing company, VariVue was born. By the late 1940's, VariVue had become a household name producing millions of lenticular products including record album covers, Cracker Jack prizes, postcards, buttons and more. By the mid 1960's, VariVue began to license its lenticular technology to major printing companies in Mexico, Germany, Spain, Japan and Italy and soon lenticular technology became a household name worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Lenticular

1) What is lenticular and what does that odd name mean?
Lenticular images are digital files that have been specially prepared and then printed onto a lens material.  This material is a special plastic made up of lenticules, hence the name lenticular printing.  The image, viewed through the lenticules, appears to move as it is turned creating dramatic animation or depth.

2) What are the minimum/maximum order quantities?
Our minimum order is 500 pieces.  You will find that the price drops significantly starting at about 5,000 pieces.  We have yet to find an order to big to eat.  We have done jobs as big as 10 million units and would love to do one again!

3) What does it cost?
Ahh the key question.  The best way to get a quote is to call us and let us know the size and quantity of the project you are considering.  What's in the image (even the number of frames) does not affect the price.  Call us and we'll get you a quick and accurate quote.

4) What are the minimum and maximum sizes?
The smallest size (that will look good) is about 1.75" square. If a lenticular is smaller than that, small lines will begin to break up under the lens. The biggest size we can produce is A1 size.

5) What do you need to provide for source art?
This part is easy.  All we need from the client are digital files.  If it's a two-frame (flip) we need two digital files.  If it's a three frame, we need three digital files.  We trust the trend is becoming clear.  Think of a lenticular like an automatic "flip book".  What you provide are the pages of that book.  Whether the pages contain pictures, text of drawings doesn't matter to the flip book.

If you want us to produce a 3D lenticular, all we need is a Photoshop file that has all of the elements of the image on separate layers.
All files should be in PSD format and resolution should be 600 dpi or better.

Please include a 1/8" bleed. For 3D images, please include a 1" bleed left and right and 1/8" bleed top and bottom.

See?  Easy!

6) How long does it take to produce a product?
About three weeks from the time we receive your artwork to the time we ship product. 
 
What?  You need it faster?  Where were you two weeks ago?  We know your client just called you with this and they need it yesterday.

We realize it's always a rush and we do our very best to meet our clients deadlines. You'll find we're very good at it.

7) What is the maximum number of frames that can be featured in a lenticular?  How Many should I use?

The answer to this question varies from project to project and depends on what it is your trying to convey with your image. That said, we believe that you should use the least amount of images possible while still showing what you want to show.

Think of the lenticular like a pie.

Each frame is a slice of the pie.  The more frames you use, the smaller each slice is.  What this means is that each frame will be less clearly viewed and will "ghost" with the frame before and after it.  This isn't so bad if you're trying to show a baseball swing.  But if you are trying to show images that are very distinct from each other (more like a slide show), the slices err.. frames, need to be more distinct.  Short answer: somewhere between 3 and 12.

8) Does it matter if you want the animation to happen when the card is moved left/right vs. up/down?

Yes. Lenticular animates better up/down better than it does left/right.  The only time it should be necessary to do a left/right animating image is if the lenticular is stable and people are walking by it (like a POP display).  If this is a necessity for your project, you will likely want to limit your image to no more than three frames.

9) What is the difference between lenticulars and holograms: Which is right for your project?

Both lenticular and holographic images can show depth and/or motion.  After that they have nothing in common! 

Holograms are usually monochromatic (one color) and need to be lit perfectly in order to be seen.  They are produced with laser light that is reflected onto an emulsion.  When lit correctly they are stunning but when not lit correctly...not so much.  Visit Hologramproject for details on hologram manufacturing. We are specialist in that too.

Lenticular is a printing process (see FAQ #1), does not need special lighting in order to look it's best and does not scratch. In fact, one of the most popular uses for lenticular is as a direct mailer.  The card can be dropped right in the mail and arrive to your prospect in perfect shape.