How does it work?
A lenticular is an image printed on the reverse of a sheet made of plastic material. This sheet has tiny lenses on it, all parallel to each other. Looking through these lenses, our eyes perceive different parts of the printed image underneath.
The printed image is created by interlacing two or more images. To obtain the different effects, a very thin strip of each image is printed in sequence under each lens.
EDIS is highly specialised in the graphic elaboration process, which is the basis of the lenticular technique. After we receive your digital artwork, we take care of everything from creating the effect, preparing for press, to printing and finishing the final product.
Motion effects
When two or more images are combined together, a tiny strip of image nr. 1 is printed followed by a strip of the same dimension of image nr. 2 and so on, until the image is complete. The resulting image appears scrambled and confused, but once printed underneath the lenticular sheet and viewed from different view angles it clearly shows its effect; one image or another.
The angle of the view can change by moving the lenticular itself (e.g. for small sizes, that are normally hand-held), or by the observer that moves (for posters, or other walk-by large sizes).
All motion effects follow this same principle: flip, motion, morph, zoom, etc. all work in the same way.
3D (depth) effect
In this case the extraordinary depth effect, also called 3D effect, is based on the principle of binocular vision, which to explain in a few words refers to the different angle of the view of our left and right eye and the perception and elaboration of our brain. It is basically the same mechanism through which we perceive the depth of field in real life.
The same tecnique described above for motion effects, is used here to focus the vision of the right and left eye on two different areas of the image. Seeing a printed 3D lenticular, the brain elaborates the information and creates the illusion of a third dimension.
Materials and sizes
The printing support is a transparent plastic (PETG) sheet, that has parallel lenses along one side, and is printable on the other (smooth) side.
The main parameter between different types of sheets is a number called LPI (lenses per inch). Which material to use, depends on size, effect and viewing distance.
Some of the materials EDIS uses:
- 100 LPI
Thickness: 355 micron
Recommended for: motion or 3D effects
Recommended size: max 10x15cm
Viewing distance: 20cm - 1m
Generally used for: small sized products, large quantity productions.
- 75 LPI
Thickness: 457 micron
Recommended for: motion or 3D effects
Recommended size: max 20x30cm
Viewing distance: 20cm - 1m
Generally used for: standard for small sizes (postcards, bookmarks etc.)
- 62 LPI
Thickness: 685 micron
Recommended for: 3D effects
Recommended size: max 48x68cm
Viewing distance: 20cm - 1.5m
Generally used for: larger products such as posters, displays, covers.
- 60 LPI
Thickness: 508 micron
Recommended for: motion effects
Recommended size: max 48x68cm
Viewing distance: 20cm - 1.5m
Generally used for: larger products such as posters, displays, covers.
- 40 LPI
Thickness: 838 micron
Recommended for: motion or 3D effects
Recommended size: max 48x68cm
Viewing distance: 20cm - 1.5m
Generally used for: motion effects with many frames (mini-film), large products.
Certifications
Our lenticular material is certified:
- EN-71
- REACH
- 2005/84/EC
- FDA (21CFR 177.1315 and 21CFR 174)
More information