"Lenticular" means "relating to lenses." Lenticular graphics are made up of two components: a lenticular screen (or lens), and a flat printed image. The lens feels like grooved Plexiglas. The grooves and ridges of the lens are actually lenticules which focus your sight on different parts of the underlying picture. The printed picture is actually made up of multiple pictures which are printed in alternating lines. A narrow band of each image will be printed sequentially with narrow bands of each additional image. If three images will be combined, the composite print will include a narrow band of image #1, followed by a narrow band of image #2, then followed by a narrow band of image #3. That pattern of printing is continued (1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3) for the entire composite print. Viewed in this state, the image is fuzzy. However, viewed under the lens pattern of the lenticular screen, a different view of the image is received from different angles. This creates the special effect. The lens pattern is described in terms of lines per inch. The composite is printed to match the lens pattern, or "pitch." Optimum viewing distances for large format graphics are three feet to infinity.

Flip images are the most basic. They can also be the most dramatic, catching people's attention from across the room or as they walk by. The basic "flip" has two images printed on the same page. Once the graphic is properly aligned and laminated to the lens, the viewing angle determines which of the images is seen at any given time.

A good example of a company using lenticular images for a national campaign. Look for our work in a bank near you.

Animated images are glorified flip images. However, there may be ten or more different images interlaced together. Most of the visible image will be a template used in all frames. (Think of animation cells.) The background image may remain constant, but the objects which appear to be moving will be printed at different positions. (Design hint: Create your stationary image as the background layer in Photoshop or Illustrator. Place different stages of motion on different layers. As you select different layers, motion will be perceived. That is also how the printed frames will be exported.)
The multiple images are combined/interlaced in the same way described for flips. As the angle of viewing the print through the lens changes, different frames of the animation are seen. This effect is great for product demonstration or video action sequences.

This animated effect uses a 3D background and four different frames simulating motion.

3D Depth images are a little more complicated. Parallax is the bio-physical phenomenon that allows us to perceive the world in three dimensions. Normally, parallax is produced by the separate viewing angles of our eyes. Our brain compares the different views, from right and left eyes, processes the data, and creates what we see as a three-dimensional world. Think of stereoscopic viewing. Remember looking through a ViewMaster? Each eye would see a different slide. Each slide would be a different viewing perspective of the same subject matter. We can't perceive a three dimensional field of depth with a normal image on a flat viewing monitor. However, the effect can be recreated on a flat screen using anaglyph technology and the old red and blue 3D glasses. Remember: you don't need special glasses to view our printed images in 3D, only when previewing on screen. However, we are building a section for viewing different 3D artwork. We can also let clients preview work on screen from anywhere in the world.