Custom Lenticular Printing That Captivates

Lenticular Printing

Lenticular Printing

Lenticular is a specialized printing process that displays depth or animation. It can be used to tell the story of your brand or product.

LEARN MORE

Lenticular Printing Examples

Examples

World3D can produce lenticular for your promotion, advertising, packaging and more. Lenticular printing increases impact.

SEE GALLERY

Lenticular Design Guide

Design Guide

Click here to learn more about file setup basics and how to create the source art for a great lenticular image.

VIEW DESIGN GUIDE

Start Your Lenticular Project

Start Your Project

We’re here to help you make a great lenticular. We’ll talk with you about your goals for the image and provide feedback on your art.

GET STARTED

What is Lenticular Printing?

len·tic·u·lar: A specialized printing process that creates an illusion of motion or depth.

Lenticular prints start with standard digital files that we specially prepare to be work with the lens material. We then print that file directly to that lens to create the effect. This material is a plastic made up of lenticules, hence the name “lenticular printing”. The image, viewed through the lens, appears to move as it is turned, creating dramatic animation or depth. Learn more here.

DESIGN TIPS

Interactive website feature showing a woman holding a lenticular print card with multiple layers that change images upon tilt, displayed in a web design interface

Check Out Our Latest Video Featuring Samples Of Lenticular Printing In Action

Get a close up look at lenticular designs that grab attention and tell a story.

This quick video shows how World3D’s lenticular printing creates stunning visuals that move, shift, and animate—turning heads and grabbing attention. Whether you’re creating bold direct mail, large format displays or anything in between, our technology adds depth, movement, and serious stopping power to any project.

Curious what’s possible?  Watch the video and discover how lenticular printing can bring your message to life.

How to Get Started

So you’ve decided to start your lenticular project… Great!
How do we do it? Simple!

image of a man holding a large lenticular print of a shoe, illustrating the 3D and motion effect of the print technology

Request a Lenticular Printing Quote

1. Request a Quote

Submit details of your project HERE or call us at (800) 743-1997 to get started.

Send Us Your Lenticular Artwork

2. Send Us Your Artwork

Upload the artwork for your lenticular project via email or FTP.

Approve Your Lenticular Artwork

3. Approve Your Proof

In less than a week, we send you a lenticular proof for approval.

Lenticular Shipped Directly to You

4. Shipped Directly to You

After proof approval, your final product will be completed and shipped out to you or your client. Quick and easy!

Lenticular Example

Lenticular In Your Marketing Mix

Lenticular printing is a valuable tool in your marketing toolbox.

Whether you need a give-away bookmark, a direct mail postcard, or a giant wall display, you can use lenticular to add attention-grabbing pizazz to your marketing. In fact, most anything that can be created with traditional printing can be turbocharged with lenticular printing. Check out our gallery for ideas and examples of cool ways our customers have used lenticular printing. But, of course, that is just a tiny sample of what is possible. So reach out, and we can help add a whole new dimension to your marketing mix!

evolution of an iconic car model, showcasing a lenticular image that gives the impression of depth and motion to highlight the vehicle's sleek green design

Make an Impact

Increase
Brand Recall

10x

Increase
Brand Engagement

20x

Increase
Brand Affinity

15x

Some of Our Happy Clients

Nike Innovation lenticular print showcasing cutting-edge design and branding

“The team at World3D have consistently delivered quality results in our exploration of lenticular technologies. With an eye for detail, we have come to rely on their experience and knowledge to help us break new ground on our projects. World3D is a valued partner who always rise to the challenge.”

Nike Innovation
Bausch and Lomb lenticular print for vision care product promotion

“For over ten years, World3D has supplied the lenticular cards included in all of our lens packaging. They have consistently responded to our requirements and have produced quality product. Please convey our thanks and appreciation.”

Bausch + Lomb
Protective Life Insurance lenticular print for life insurance advertising

“My experience working with World3D was a wonderful, very efficient and professional one. The project was on time, on budget, and my company was thrilled with the final result. I would use them again with no hesitation.”

Protective Life Insurance Company
Herff Jones Yearbooks custom lenticular print for school yearbook promotion

“The guys at World3D are super great and have been so easy to work with for the decade that I’ve been using them. They always happily give me the best, easy to understand information that I can relay to my customers. My customers and I are always thrilled with the results!”

Herff Jones Yearbooks
Schipper Design lenticular print for creative design agency projects

“The team at World3D makes it very easy! They offer a unique product and are experts in their field. Our clients are always very happy with the final product. They are a trusted print partner.”

Schipper Design
Savannah College of Art and Design lenticular print highlighting artistic innovation

“World3D did a great job on my lenticular project. They got my project done on time and it looks great!”

Savannah College of Art & Design
World3D Lenticular Clients
World3D Lenticular Printing Clients
Lenticular Clients of World3D
Lenticular Clients
Lenticular Printing Clients
World3D Lenticular Printing Companies
World3D Lenticular Clients
World3D Lenticular Printing Clients
Lenticular Clients of World3D
Lenticular Clients
Lenticular Printing Clients
World3D Lenticular Printing Companies

FAQs

Common lenticular questions and printing information.

Lenticular printing is a specialized print process that can show animation or depth. It works by combining multiple images through an interlacing process that combines them into one file. That file is then printed directly to the back of a lens sheet, creating the effect when the viewer looks through the front of the lens.

The name comes from the fact that we are printing onto a “lenticule,” or lens. The final product is a printed piece that moves when your angle of view changes. Although it’s been around for more than 70 years, recent advancements have helped it evolve from a fun toy to a powerful marketing tool.

Lenticular can really produce two main effects: 3D and animation. However, the types of animation are truly endless.

What effects can you show on a digital screen?

The limit is only one of imagination, and the same goes for lenticular printing. Common effect names include flip, morph, zoom, blur, and more. But these are all animations, simply created by moving through a series of still frames, just like a movie, GIF, or a flip book. The most common effect is the standard flip from one image to another. But once you incorporate additional frames, the possibilities are endless.

Each design is unique, and like with any art in any medium, there are few hard rules. However, there are some general best practices. It’s best to keep some element stable from one frame to the next. When the entire image changes, it can look less clean. Adding an anchoring element, especially a common background, really helps the parts that do change look their best. Also, using fewer frames will make each frame show more distinctly. So, if it’s important to clearly see each one, limit the animation to 2 to 3 frames. If a little ghosting works for your image, add more frames. Finally, keep in mind that a good lenticular design is much like all design, and the same laws apply. Great color, clarity, and balance will make all print look great, and lenticular is no exception.

As with any medium, there are potential pitfalls in design considerations that are easy to avoid, as long as you know to watch for them. With lenticular printing, the key thing to avoid is too much change from frame to frame. This can mean too many elements, but also too much change in the tone. Imagine a series of black elements, all changing to a solid white background. Black simply can’t disappear into white, and so the result is ghosting, or a remnant of the previous image burned into the currently viewed image.

Another pitfall to avoid is including very fine lines, especially in small text. Because the lenticular itself is made up of lines that run across the image, it will break up lines that are smaller than the lens lines. The result is pixilation of the art. In extreme cases, this can render the text unreadable. This can be avoided by using text that is at least 10pt san serif. The bolder, the better.

Finally, don’t fall into the trap of believing that when it comes to frame count, more is always better. The more frames you use, the less distinctly you will see each one. That can be just fine when showing motion, as it can look like motion blur. However, if you’re flipping between distinct images, especially copy, you want to see each frame on its own, and that means sticking with 2 to 3 frames.

Many people don’t know the word “lenticular,” and so, when they see them, they refer to them as “holograms.” But lenticular printing and holography are two different technologies. The confusion comes from what the two have in common—both can show the illusion of depth on a flat image. But how they get there and what is required is quite different.

Lenticular is a print process. Holography is created using a laser interference pattern, recorded on a photosensitive surface.

Holograms require a pointed light source with no ambient light in order to be seen clearly. Lenticular printing requires no special lighting.

For most applications, holography is not a realistic choice, due to its high cost of setup, its need for special lighting, its susceptibility to scratching, and its high barriers to entry. Unless you are using it as an anti-counterfeiting sticker, lenticular print is likely to be the right choice for most any application.

For anything that is smaller than 18” x 26”, files should be supplied at 300 dpi with a 1/8” bleed. For larger prints, they can be supplied at 100 dpi with 1/8” bleed. Check out our lenticular design guide for additional information.

We can print pieces as small as 1” x 1”. When printing in quantity, we print via litho, and these can be as large as 27” x 40”. For larger sizes, we print via flatbed inkjet, and those panels can be as large as 48” x 72” or even 48” x 95” in some cases. Beyond that, we are uniquely qualified to create displays that tile multiple panels together. Using this method, we can create 100’ long murals! So, as you can see, there are truly no sizes too big or too small for our lenticular production.

Lenticular prints from the 1950s can still be found on eBay, and they look great. When displayed indoors, lenticular should last a lifetime. The lenticular lens is made from tough plastic, and when combined with high-quality inks, the result is a long-lasting print that should last indefinitely.

If displayed outdoors, they can live for years if protected from the elements in a frame or under an overhang. If they are directly exposed, they can typically still last for months. Only extreme weather will take a toll. Even then, basic protection can do the trick and allow them to live for years.

When compared to traditional paper printing, lenticular is certainly a bigger investment. Everything from the setup process to the base material is more complicated than old-school traditional print. But, on a value basis, lenticular will outperform paper printing more often than not. It’s perhaps more appropriate to compare it to a digital screen since the impact can be similar. In that case, it’s far cheaper per customer engagement.

Consider a direct mail postcard. How likely is a paper card to get noticed in a stack of mail? How likely is it to then be kept beyond a quick glance? Consider the same question for an animated lenticular postcard. On a pure cost basis, it will always be more expensive. As a value proposition  based on your ROI, it will win every time.

Lenticular printing is being used in more ways today than at any point in its history. We have seen clients use our technology to create postcards, packaging, brochure covers, promotional items, book covers, trade show displays, bus shelters, inserts, invites, and dozens of other applications— seemingly new ones every week! Lenticular print really is its own art medium, and seeing clients come up with new uses, as well as new and creative imagery, is a real pleasure. What started out as just a kids’ toy has grown into an ever-evolving platform for artists and marketers to push boundaries and delight their audience.