CHICAGO, September 10, 2007-Lenticular printing-customers like it because it grabs attention, increases product recognition and boosts sales.  But for graphics professionals, lenticular has long been a difficult market to enter.
No more.  xpedx (Graph Expo Chicago, Booth 3808) introduces Opticular for digital special effects, a production package for lenticular printing that gives print and creative professionals an easy and inexpensive way to produce special effects such as zoom, flip, 3D imaging, motion and morph.
Opticular is a turnkey package distributed exclusively by xpedx that's about one-tenth the cost of other lenticular printing systems.  The equipment used in Opticular has a very small footprint so it's ideal for any space-constrained environment.  Lenticular printing has unlimited applications including posters, brochure covers, packaging, point of purchase displays, mailers, novelty items, and much more.
"Our offering is brand new to the market-and there is nothing else like it available that allows printers to do short-run, high-quality lenticular work at very attractive pricing," said Dan Wish, general manager of the xpedx National Technology Center in Twinsburg, Ohio.
"xpedx is always looking to help printers profit-that's our job," said Wish. "This is another way xpedx enables printers to enter a high-profit business niche with a low capital expenditure."
Wish and his team at xpedx developed the Opticular process.  They also tapped the resources of International Paper Co., which has a patent pending in connection with Opticular.
The Opticular for digital special effects package contains a specially engineered toner-based OkiData print engine, a custom version of special effects software, a laminator, cutter and the specially-designed substrate.  The xpedx package enables lenticular prints to be made with any photo and a few clicks of a mouse, eliminating many of the complex steps required by competing lenticular print processes.
How Opticular works and a look at lenticular's history
The idea of developing an image that alters as the viewing position changes is traced to a French painter named Gois-Clair, who created a picture with dimensional effects in 1692.  But, like many technologies, it took time to develop something that had large-scale marketing promise.  It wasn't until the 1970s that lenticular printing started to take hold and, today, demand continues to grow as quality significantly increases.
Wish said the introduction of the new xpedx lenticular package will alter the economics of lenticular printing because the cost of market entry for printers is now significantly reduced.
Companies that have used lenticular printing in their marketing efforts report that it substantially increases sales as well as image and brand recall.  For more information on Opticular, visit Booth 3808 during Graph Expo, xpedx.com or call your local xpedx representative.