What lenticular printing is
A lenticular print changes as you move it. Tilt a postcard and a closed box opens; turn a CD cover and the band photo swaps for the album title; walk past a poster and a figure seems to stand in front of the background. The effect comes from a clear plastic sheet with a surface of tiny parallel lenses, called lenticules, laid exactly over a specially prepared image.
Behind the lenses, two or more pictures are sliced into thin strips and interleaved, a process called interlacing. Each lens magnifies only one set of strips at a time, depending on the viewing angle. Change the angle and a different set of strips shows through. That simple principle produces all the lenticular effects, from a two-image flip to a sense of depth.
This guide explains the main effects, where lenticular works well, the artwork rules that make or break it, and what to expect on cost and quantity.
The main lenticular effects
Flip
Two or three completely different images that swap as the print is tilted. It is the most striking effect and the easiest to understand: before and after, question and answer, product closed and product open. Flips work best when the images are simple and have similar brightness, so the change is clean.
Animation or motion
A short sequence of frames, like a flip book with a handful of pages, that plays as the print is tilted. Good for a simple movement: a hand waving, a logo spinning, a ball bouncing. Short, smooth sequences work better than complex action.
Zoom and morph
An object grows or shrinks, or one image slowly transforms into another. These are variations on animation and need careful frame planning.
3D depth
Layers of the picture appear at different depths, so a product or character seems to float in front of the background. For a 3D effect, each eye must see a slightly different image, so the lenses run vertically and the effect is seen without tilting, just by looking.
That orientation point matters for flips as well. For a flip or animation, the lenses usually run horizontally, and the viewer tilts the print up and down. That way both eyes see the same image at the same moment, and the change is clean. A flip with vertical lenses can show both images at once, one to each eye, which looks messy.
Where lenticular works well
- CD, DVD and Blu-ray covers and slipcases. A lenticular front cover or an outer slipcase is a classic special edition feature, and it makes a release stand out on a shelf or in a photo online.
- Postcards, greeting cards and invitations. Small formats are the easiest to produce and are kept by the people who receive them.
- Packaging. A lenticular panel on a box or a sleeve, often as a label or window on a folding carton, turns the packaging into part of the product.
- Bookmarks, trading cards, badges and magnets. Small collectible items where the effect is the point.
- Point-of-sale displays and posters. Larger formats that change as shoppers walk past.
For a comparison with other eye-catching finishes such as holographic foils, see our article on holographic and security labels.
Lens pitch, material and viewing distance
Lenticular sheets are described by their lens pitch, in lines per inch (LPI). The pitch affects image quality, the thickness of the sheet and the best viewing distance.
| Lens pitch | Typical use | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Higher LPI (fine lenses) | Cards, CD covers, small packaging | Thinner sheet, finer image, good for flips held in the hand |
| Medium LPI | Larger cards, small posters | Balance between depth and detail |
| Lower LPI (coarse lenses) | Posters and displays seen from a distance | Thicker sheet, stronger depth, visible lens lines up close |
The sheets are usually made from PET, PETG or polypropylene, depending on the thickness and use. Your printer chooses the exact pitch based on the effect, the format and how the lens sheet is printed. It is one of several specialist materials we print on, which we compare in printing on specialty substrates.
How lenticular is printed
There are two main ways to make a lenticular print:
- Printing directly on the back of the lens sheet. The interlaced image is printed on the flat reverse side of the lens, often followed by a white backing layer. This is usual for larger runs and gives a crisp result.
- Printing on paper or film and laminating the lens on top. Suitable for shorter runs and some large formats, and it allows digital printing of the image before lamination.
Either way, the image and the lenses must be aligned with great precision. A slight angle or shift between the interlaced strips and the lens lines creates ghosting or a wrong effect. That is why lenticular printing is always proofed carefully and why the printer usually interlaces the artwork from your separate images.
Artwork rules that make or break the effect
- Send separate images. Supply each frame or each layer as its own high-resolution file. The printer interlaces them for the chosen lens. Never try to interlace yourself unless your printer asks for it.
- Keep text large and bold. Small text is broken into strips and becomes hard to read. Put essential small text, such as a website, on a static area or on the back.
- Avoid strong contrast between flip images. A white image and a black image produce ghosting, where you can see a faint trace of one image behind the other. Images with similar brightness flip more cleanly.
- Put important details away from the edges. The effect can shift slightly near edges, so centre key elements.
- For 3D, build the image in layers. Send foreground, middle and background as separate layers so depth can be set for each.
- Keep animations short. A few frames of simple movement look smooth; long sequences blur.
Cost and quantity
Lenticular is more expensive than normal printing for three reasons: the lens material costs more than paper, the interlacing and proofing take skilled prepress work, and the production needs precise alignment. For very small runs, the setup is a large part of the price. For larger runs, the cost per piece drops considerably. It helps to decide early how many pieces you need, which effect you want and which format, because each of these changes the lens and the production method.
Many clients use lenticular for only one element, such as a slipcase over standard disc packaging or one panel on a carton, which keeps the budget under control while still giving the product its moving front.
Ordering lenticular printing with us
We produce lenticular covers, slipcases, cards and packaging panels as part of our specialty print and materials work. Send us your idea and the separate images, and we will suggest the best effect, lens pitch and format, interlace the artwork, and provide a physical proof before the run so you can tilt it in your own hands. If the images are likely to ghost, or text is too small, we will tell you and suggest changes before production starts.
For combined jobs, such as a lenticular slipcase over a printed box, see our guide to folding carton packaging, and reach us through the contact page with your quantity and format for a quote.
The first time someone picks up the finished piece, they will almost always tilt it back and forth two or three times. That little moment is exactly what you are paying for.
