Lenticular Print Awards to be hosted at drupa

Entries are open for the third Lenstar Lenticular Print Awards, which will culminate with an exhibition of the world’s best lenticular printing at the world’s largest print fair. Awards organisers DPLenticular and Pacur have teamed up with Messe Düsseldorf, organiser of drupa, to host the awards in the drupa innovation park (dip!). The nominated lenticular work will be shown in a special wall gallery in the dip! in Hall 7 of drupa.

Lenticular printing is a technique that gives eye-catching animations or 3D effects by putting printed images behind ridged parallel clear lenses. It has been growing in popularity in the past decade as the effects have become more accessible, thanks to digital cameras and easier design and production programs.

“This award is an incredible opportunity for the graphic arts community to recognize the growing importance of lenticular imaging as a product differentiator and a mechanism for ensuring that promotional efforts stand out from the crowd,” says Daniel Pierret, managing director of DPLenticular, which distributes the industry-leading Pacur Lenstar lenticular plastic lens material throughout Europe.

This will be a return visit to drupa for the Lenstar Lenticular Print Awards – it was also the venue for the second Awards in 2012. “We are anticipating at least 150 entries from about 40 countries,” says Daniel Pierret. “In 2012 the LLPA gallery saw some 10,000 visitors and we are confident that even more will visit in 2016.”

“We are very pleased once again to be partners for the Lenstar Lenticular Print Awards,” says Sabine Geldermann, Director drupa. “The drupa innovation park 2016 will be a global platform for innovation, presenting technology and business solutions for the future. It is the ideal location to demonstrate the creative impact and technical sophistication of the world’s best lenticular print.”

Entries are invited for six categories, with one award will be made for each. Each winner will receive a Lenstar Lenticular Print Award trophy created by Dublin Crystal, plus a certificate and a digital LLPA logo to go on websites and stationery.

Judging will take place ahead of drupa, by a panel made up of recognized professionals involved in the creation, production, and promotion of printing. Visitors to drupa will have the opportunity to vote for a special LLPA Supreme Public Preference Award, which will be announced after the show finishes.

The work of the winners and runners-up will displayed on the Lenstar Lenticular wall in the dip! throughout the drupa show and will be announced in the dip! at 17:00 on 2nd June 2016.

The categories are:

Sales material – merchandising products such as postcards, posters, etc.

-Premium promotional material – objects, magnets, gadgets, accessories, gimmicks, etc.

-Packaging material – book or magazine covers, CD, DVD, in-pack content, partial or full on-pack content, other packaging, etc.

-Promotional material – point of Sales or point of purchase such as poster, shelf tag, wobbler, display, aisle decoration, face frames, etc.

-Large Format – any format between 711 x 1016mm (28 x 40 inches) and 1219 x 1828mm (48 x 72 inches), produced in offset or digital.

-Artistic works – photography or digitally prepared images, created and intended to be a work of art, printed direct to the backside of the lens or laminated

-LLPA Supreme Public Preference – voted for by visitors to the LLPA gallery at the drupa dip!

Entries can be made through the LLPA website. “All of the nominees will be shown online, but of course a lenticular image is a printed piece so we invite everyone to come to drupa to enjoy the real lenticular effect!” says Daniel Pierret.