Lenticular

Lenticular - A special effects printing process

 

Lenticular is a dynamic, special effects printing process which doesn't need any special lighting to view the 3D or special effects

 

As far back as the late 1600’s, artists experimented with various techniques to create the optical illusion of 3D on a flat surface. In 1692, French painter Gois-Clair discovered he could achieve a multi-dimensional effect on canvas by interposing a grid of vertical laths between the viewer and the painting.

 

The first images to be described as "lenticular" were produced in the 1930s by Victor Anderson. By the late 1940s, Mr. Anderson's company was producing millions of simple lenticular images a year for everything from postcards of women winking at the viewer to Cracker Jack prizes, political campaign buttons and magazine inserts.

 

The basic process used to produce these lenticular images was quite simple: the printer first printed the image on paper, then laminated that paper to thick vinyl lens material

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_printing

 

With modern day lenticular processes, we can produce 3D effects, 2 image flips, (left to right image changes) or multi flips (if vertical, (up and down) image changes), morph effects (suitable for vertical, (up and down) viewing), animations, and 2D/3D effects (where some elements are 3D and 2D).

 

Please note, we can’t show the 3D effect as your computer monitor is only 2D

 

The type of effect that will work best is usually determined by how the image is going to be viewed. e.g. a big poster situated where people

gather around it, would be best as a 3D image, as the viewers will have time to admire the 3D, but if people are walking past the poster, going somewhere else, then the flip effect is very good as the movement catches the eye and makes people stop to look at the poster

 

Hand held images work well using the morph effect and or animations / multiple image flips, (as long as they are viewed by moving the lenticular hologram up and down on the vertical axis).  3D is also good for hand held images.