Lenticular has become increasingly popular in recent years. Especially with the mainstream coverage given to 3D movies and 3DTVs, many advertisers and merchandisers have seen ample opportunity to take advantage of the technology. For a theatrical film that is released in 3D it is almost required that a stunning lenticular posted is created and distributed to theaters. Novelty items are also popular, spanning buttons, calendars, bookmarks and pretty much any printed good. Browse through a Halmark store and you are certain to come across at least a few examples. For high end products the 3D effect is also very popular, with some NFL teams releasing there season tickets as individuals lenticular cards, the premium for printing is a small fee compared to the overall cost of tickets. So,e high end 3D TVs use lenticular to create the 3D effect. And a personal favorite here at 3DEngr are the Redakai trading cards.
Just because it is popular does not mean it is always appropriate. Even casual users can typically identify a piece that does not convey enough depth or motion to justify lenticular. Images of known celebrities become a guessing game of who you are looking at, bad movie posters imply a poor movie experience. Ghosting and poor readability of text below a lenticule can take it a step further, from simply bad to detrimental. It is reasonable to think that unreadable product descriptions on packaging and un scannable bar codes can lead to a loss of sales. For the TV displays a viewer needs to be at a perfect distance and stay completely still (TV lenticular works by flashing or moving different images behind each lens) or else the effect is rendered useless and eliminates any chance of a good viewing experience. Good or bad lenticular is becoming more popular. As the technology continues to progress and become more economical people will find even more ways to employ eye catching lenticular images, at least to a point. Someday, while watching a 3d hologram dance and sing on a billboard, this now “popular” tech may be thought of as an aging relic. For more details see 3D Engr’s Ten Things Lenticular