DPLenticular

Turkish 3D lenticular printing company, Megalens, has improved the quality of its lenticular print production and won new business after using Lenstar™ lenticular products supplied by DPLenticular.

Lenticular printing has quickly established itself as a premium marketing tool, and Megalens’ customers are using it to help differentiate their brands in a crowded consumer market place.

Megalens got involved in lenticular printing in 2000 (under another Company name): “We first saw a 3D lenticular product at an international printing exhibition,” says Levent Ikizoglu, partner at Megalens. “And after examining the technical aspects of the product closely, we could see that it was possible for us to print lenticular products on our own machines.”

The Istanbul-based company then acquired a lenticular preparation software before importing 75 lpi lenticular sheets from the USA for a trial run. “The trial went relatively smoothly and it wasn’t long before we were successfully printing lenticulars,” says Mr. Ikizoglu. “The bigger issue was explaining to our customers exactly what advantages lenticular printing can offer them, the effects you can create and the business benefits.”

Megalens printed many samples and sent them to advertising and communications agencies and other companies that produced creative promotional material.

Today, Megalens’ print production on DPLenticular/Lenstar™ 3D lenticular material, PVC, PP, PET and metallic surfaces operates 24-7. Typical lenticular products produced by the company include point-of-purchase (POP) materials, magazine covers, posters, calendars, business cards, notebooks, mousepads, postcards, invitations and table mats.

“We use a 70 x 100cm UV offset press, and we export our products to more than 20 countries, which are mostly based in Europe,” says Mr. Ikizoglu. “At the moment our factory covers 600sqm, but with the business expanding rapidly, we plan to move into a new building with a 1200sqm closed production area later this year.”

Offering customers something different

For Levent Ikizoglu, the decision to enter the lenticular business was based on adopting a new technology that would help set Megalens apart from its competitors.

“There are more than 10,000 printing companies in Turkey that produce typical paper printed products, such as brochures and catalogs,” says Mr. Ikizoglu. “But simply copying what everyone else is doing is a risky strategy and is unlikely to help your business grow. We wanted to make our own mark and differentiate ourselves from rival print houses. Lenticular printing has allowed us to do this – nine years on from first using the technology, it has proved a very good decision.”

Megalens encountered Daniel Pierret, managing director of DPLenticular, in 2003 at a local printing exhibition. Until then, the company was importing its lenses from the USA and China. “The long delivery times were proving problematic for us,” says Mr. Ikizoglu. “So it was very exciting to discover a European supplier in DPLenticular, who could supply us with all the lenticular materials we needed.”

“We’d previously worked with lenticular suppliers from all around the world, but we’d always experienced one problem or another with them, such as lens calibration issues, static electricity on the sheets, and print surface difficulties.

“But from the moment we met DPLenticular it was clear that building a strong relationship with customers was hugely important to them. They have a very friendly approach and nothing was too much trouble. Daniel Pierret took the time to understand our business – our history, the way we work and what we were trying to achieve – and explained how DPLenticular help us.

“Daniel is vastly experienced in lenticular printing, and together we very quickly solved the small but persistent problems we’d experienced when printing lenticulars. We’ve never had any issues with DPLenticular / Lenstar™ materials.”

Fast, ongoing support

Successful print shops rely on effective and dependable support from their suppliers, and Megalens is no different. “DPLenticular delivered an outstanding service from the outset,” says Levent Ikizoglu. “And it’s really refreshing to see that the excellent support has continued, and that it wasn’t simply on offer at the start of the relationship. We can turn to them for 24-7 prepress, printing and finishing support – it’s very reassuring to know that we can call on their really helpful support team and get expert advice if we’re having any difficulties.”

In addition to receiving exemplary products and service, Megalens has benefitted hugely from DPLenticular’s decision in 2009 to open a new warehouse in Istanbul. “One of the main benefits we offer our customers is short production times for lenticular products. And now DPLenticular has opened its Istanbul warehouse, our turnaround times are even quicker. If our customers demand it, we know we can call DPLenticular and rely on them to get the lenticular sheets to us the same day.”

Enhancing the company profile

Megalens’ adoption of lenticular printing, and using DPLenticular/Lenstar™ materials in particular, has enhanced the company’s image and boosted its reputation. DPLenticular/Lenstar™ sheets deliver top quality and excellent stability throughout the entire production batch.

“When we quote any lenticular printing job, we always specify that we use DPLenticular/Lenstar™ sheets that are made in USA rather than those that come from the Far East. Inevitably this has a small effect on our prices – but for us it’s much more important that we do not take risks when it comes to quality. Using DPLenticular/Lenstar™ sheets has become a form of insurance for us and our customers.”

“When it comes to new products and printing methods like lenticular printing, people expect to see something special, something very different from regular printed materials. When customers see the excellent quality of our lenticular products and the amazing effects we can create, they’re hooked immediately. They want to know how they can use the lenticular technology in their market – you can see them imagining the possible applications.”

Winning new business

Being one of only a few print service providers in Turkey to offer lenticular printing has helped Megalens forge new commercial relationships and attract a lot of new business.

“We’re not the only lenticular printer in Turkey, but we’re the only company that prints 24-hour UV offset products, including lenticular ,” says Mr. Ikizoglu. “And we’re certainly one of the fastest. We can deliver a lenticular order in one to two days – even large orders. Plus we can offer our customers many options – we can provide the completely finished product, or we can simply print and deliver the sheets, plus we have prepress, printing and finishing units.”

Levent Ikizoglu is in no doubt that the company’s decision to print lenticular products has been an unmitigated success. “The decision to produce lenticular products was a turning point for the company. Our order book and our very satisfied customer base is testimony to our success.”

Mr. Ikizoglu believes lenticular printing and DPLenticular in particular have a pivotal role to play in Megalens’ growth strategy. “Lenticular printing affords us better profit margins. And as 3D lenticular printing grows ever-more popular, orders are set to increase further.

“Everyone at DPLenticular is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and we know we can rely on them. We have never experienced any problems with the company in more than six years working together. It’s not often a supplier becomes a close friend – but that’s exactly what has happened with DPLenticular.”

Turkish version / Türkçe versiyonu