January 20, 2012 – DPLenticular, the acclaimed European leader in the supply of lenticular plastic sheets and rolls for the graphic arts industry, introduces a brand new 20 LPI lens. Great news for the large format printing market, since the new lens with its thickness of 3 mm was specifically designed for the production of 3D lenticular applications on digital printers.
DPLenticular initiated the development of the new 3D 20 LPI UV-LF lens, as a result of the many inquiries they received from large format printers, explains founder and Managing Director Daniel Pierret. “Most of the lenticular sheets we are selling today on the market have been developed for offset or flexo printing machines, and therefore have a limited thickness in order for them to go through a printing press without any problems. However, most digital flatbed printing machines don’t have that limitation. Since we introduced the 40 LPI, we received more and more inquiries for a thicker lenticular lens from large format printers, as well as many offset printers who are installing digital printers next to their offset presses. Since that market is really growing fast, and to preserve our position as a market leader, we had to come with a solution. So we are very happy the 3D 20 LPI UV-LF material has arrived, and even more proud this is a “made in Europe” product!”
UV for outdoor use and reaction to fire
The new lens design has been developed and produced based on the specifications the market wanted, and that is quite unique. The result is a 20 LPI, 3 mm thick lenticular lens of 122 cm x 180 cm with a viewing angle of 37 degrees, making it very well suited for 3D lenticular applications printed on digital devices. Furthermore, the material has been extruded with a specially developed UV protection resin to preserve colors when used in outdoor conditions such as railway stations or bus shelters.
The product was submitted to fire tests: “the results indicate that the sample when classified to BS EN 13501-1:2002 meets an overall classification of: Class B, S3, d1.”
Small quantities at very competitive price
Rather than having to order large quantities, the 3D 20 LPI UV-LF material will be available in small pre-packed batches of 10 sheets from DPLenticular’s warehouse in Belgium. And according to Daniel Pierret, that too was a requirement from the market. “Having the flexibility to order a small number of sheets, makes it a lot easier and affordable for printers to test or experiment new lenticular applications. We also propose a small sheet size (61x70cm) for testing purposes.” The new 3D 20 LPI UV-LF will be proposed at a very competitive price, and DPLenticular is hoping that this will help this market to grow as the demand for large format lenticular is bigger and bigger.
Better than existing materials
The feedback DPLenticular got so far from a number of people who tested the material is very positive. According to Henri Clement, a French photographer who is regarded as a recognized authority in the lenticular market, the 3D 20 LPI UV-LF lens is better than any existing material on the market he tested before. Hearing that from someone with more than 18 years of experience in designing lenticular images is quite a statement.
Click here for more detailed information about the new 3D 20 LPI UV-LF lens, or contact DPLenticular.
The new 20 LPI will also be printed on at the upcoming Fespa in February.