set and settings

Knowing both the potential and limitations of lenticular printing early on is helpful in getting the most out of the process. Many projects have factors that present unique design considerations and we encourage all new clients to discuss the particulars of their project as early as possible. The following guidelines are a useful starting point.

RESOLUTION
150 PPI. Source images can be surprisingly low resolution and still produce high quality output. This is because lenticular prints are made from many individual images and its the combined pixel dimensions that count. For smaller images (20x20) 150 PPI is a good target and large images can be produced with as little as 100 PPI. Files saved at high resolutions do not improve the quality of the final print.

COLOR MODE
RGB, 24 bits (8 bits per channel). This is Photoshop's default color space. In the case of lenticular the extra information in higher bit images is not used and must be converted prior to interlacing.

FILE FORMAT
We can work with virtually any file format but prefer TIFF files saved with LZW compression. JPEG images are also fine and should be saved at the highest quality settings. Layered PSD files should be saved with pixel based information only (no adjustment layers, all layers rasteried, etc. )and numbered with the lowest number at the top of the stack. Do not send InDesign or other vector based formats.

SIZE
Parallax Printing makes single sheet lenticulars in custom sizes from 20x20” to 46”w x 76”h. All images in a sequence should have the same pixel dimensions. Allow for a 1/8" tolerance on final trimmed work.

SEQUENCE
Images prepared for interlacing should be in the order you want them to be revealed in the lenticular moving left to right. If there is a desire for a particular image to be visible as a viewer is standing directly in front of the work label it with the word CENTER, if you had 3 frames it would look like: name1.tif, name2-center.tif, name3.tif. Three dimensional image sequences should be numbered from low to high as the camera (real or virtual) passes before the object from left to right.

VIEWING DISTANCE
All lenticular prints are created to work best at a particular viewing distance. Artwork intended for wall hanging is typically pitched for a distance of 6-9 feet. Handheld lenticular prints are pitched for a viewing distance of 1-3 feet. The size of the print usually determines where this point is set and is factored into our calculations but can be adjusted on request.

FILE TRANSFER
Once we have discussed your project send us your files using the file transfer service of your choosing. Popular services include Dropbox, Google Drive and WeTransfer.