What is the pitch in lenticular printing?
The pitch, expressed as lpi (lenses per inch), indicates the number of lenses per inch of a lenticular sheet.
These lenses are the raised, parallel lines that cover the surface of lenticular sheets.
Depending on the number of lenses per inch, we can talk about different pitchs:
> 75 lpi: 75 lenses per inch
> 100 lpi: 100 lenses per inch
> 150 lpi: 150 lenses per inch
> Etc.
The higher the pitch, the greater the printing precision, but it must be taken into account that this also places greater demands on the printing system to achieve a given resolution.
How does the pitch affect a lenticular printing project?
The pitch is closely related to the thickness of the lenticular sheet (0.4 mm, 0.5 mm, etc.) and the angle of the lenses (49°, 55°, etc.).
And these two concepts—among other factors (size, quantity to be printed, etc.)—will determine which lenticular sheet (and what pitch) is most appropriate for achieving a given visual effect.
For example, to print 1,000 lenticular flip flop postcards, the ideal pitch would be 75 lpi (the most common) for the following reasons:
> The postcard size (148 x 105 mm) allows offset printing (ideal for medium and long runs).
> The thickness (approximately 0.4 mm) is not excessive and, once again, allows offset printing.
> The angle (approximately 49°) is intermediate and, therefore, optimal for achieving a good movement effect (flip flop).
> The pitch (75 lpi) allows for a high degree of precision and, therefore, a good visual effect.
And that’s all!
I hope you found interesting this brief explanation of what pitch is in lenticular printing.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you!
