Is it possible to do this at home?

March 24, 2008 8:29 PM

What do I need to buy to print lenticular images at home?

I was out tonight at the Santa Monica Pier and saw a man printing lenticular images (the kind that change depending on what angle you look at them) on the spot with just a computer and some kind of printer. Does anyone know what specifically I would need to buy if I wanted to be able to make these prints frequently? Can you point me to links where you can actually buy these things? I've been googling and haven't really been able to find precisely what printers are needed.

posted by visual mechanic to media & arts (4 comments total)

He was doing it all with a printer? Are you sure you didn't see him mounting the prints on plastic?

As far as I know, those things work with a software program that slices up two or more images and interweaves them together. Then the print's covered with that lined plastic that controls which image you see according to your viewing angle. I don't think it makes much difference what printer you use.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 8:43 PM on March 24, 2008

Is this what you're looking for?
posted by Marky at 9:00 PM on March 24, 2008

Here is a site with all the stuff you need. Or to sum up from the looks of it, the special stuff you need is the lense sheets, and some software to prepare the images for them. Various options for each are sold there. (Seems overpriced to me, but I can't see much in the way of other sellers, so maybe that's why). A regular inkjet printer for the prints, and camera to obtain the initial images, should be sufficient to the task. (And from the sound of it, a cold laminator helps).
posted by -harlequin- at 4:28 PM on March 25, 2008

As far as software, LSW ($250) or ProMagic Interlacer Lite ($99) work pretty well for hobby/home use. Both have trial software periods. Both of these will calibrate or "fine tune" your printer to the sheet with a pitch gauge you print out and lay the lens sheet on top of, since sheets aren't usually exactly 72lpi (they're usually 71.8763 or some bizarre number like that) and inkjet printers aren't usually exactly what they say they are either. The GIMP or Paint.Net (both free) or Adobe Photoshop ($$$) will work for image preparation before interlacing.

Microlens offers samples and small runs and has lots of good information on lenticular printing and processing. They sell self-adhesive laminate sheets of various pitches and types (flip, 3D, combination flip-3D) and are very easy to deal with. They will also laminate your images into a lens for a fee, which I recommend.
posted by ostranenie at 5:56 PM on March 25, 2008