Animation FAQ
Q1- What does an animation lenticular look like?
A- With a horizontal lens direction it is a picture that you can hold in your hand and move back and forth to see action that occurs on the card. With a vertical lens direction the picture action changes as you walk by the card. The walk by is more suitable for larger prints.
Q2- How many frames of action can be put into the picture?
A- For small prints on 179 LPI material up to 6 frames of action are possible but 2 frames is often more suitable. For larger prints on 20 LPI up to 3 frames of action are possible.
Q3- Why is that? Isn’t more frames always going to be better than less frames?
A- Not necessarily. There is a trade off of more frames adding some blur as well as a smoother action. Some of the most effective animations are flips which have only 2 frames where the action is precise.
Q4- do I know what the animation will look like before I get the finished card?
A- By following our instructions (See Animation Tutorial) you will be able to see a representation of your animation as a gif file on your computer screen. This will give you an idea of what you are going to get.
Q5- How does an animation lenticular picture differ from a 3D lenticular picture?
A- A 3D picture is viewed with a stationary print. The lens direction is vertical. However, an animation print depends on either the viewer or the image moving. For a walk by animation the viewer moves past the image with the lens direction running vertically. For a hand held animation the image is tilted back and forth with the lens direction running horizontally. The picture then moves as you tilt through each frame in order.
Q6- Do I need any special equipment or cameras to make an animation?
A- Not really. You need a digital camera. It is easier if you have a digital camera with burst mode and a tripod, but you can take effective animations with almost any digital camera and holding it steady. (See “Taking Animation Pictures” Tutorial). If you use a film camera you must convert the film frames into digital files before the animation can be prepared.
Q7- How do I send the finished file to you for printing?
A- See our “Send us finished files” Tutorial.
Q8- How do I get my personal animation onto business cards?
A- You can have up to 6 animation frames on a business card. Go to "Design your own Business Card Tutorial". Click Here for more information.
Q9- I notice that you get 2 animations for the price of one when you get a portrait mode (vertical) picture. Why is that?
A- Because the animations are turned sideways in the template boxes, you can get 2 up portrait mode images on most of our print material widths (such as 4"H X 6"W). A landscape (horizontal) mode picture fills the entire template box so you only get one picture. See "Animation Prints Price List" Click Here.
Q10- Why do you not have larger pictures than 8 X 6 available for animations?
A- Animations tend to ghost as each frame does not fully extinguish as the viewing angle changes. This ghosting is increased as the motion increases. On larger sizes than 8 x 6 we feel that the ghosting is excessive because the motion is more than our fine 179 lenticular lens can accommodate. However, larger prints can be done on a coarser 20 LPI lens material.