Is Lenticular Printing Expensive?
Well, this might not be the kind of questions you would expect a lenticular printer to address. But frankly, we’re here to be informative because we think the information will best help readers decide if we can be of service. So is lenticular printing expensive? The short answer is, it depends. Not very satisfying? Yeah, we didn’t think so either. So let’s dive a little deeper.
Like most printing, lenticular pricing is mostly based on size and quantity. The reason this is true is that setup costs are amortized more over a larger production run. And where setup costs can really affect a traditional print job, they are higher with lenticular printing. So small jobs can definitely be pricey when compared to standard print. This is why we typically set a minimum order for postcards at or below 6″ x 9″ at 500 pieces. Any fewer and it ‘s simply not likely to be cost-effective. A job like this is likely around $2,500 of $5 per piece.
The good news is that as quantity increases, per-unit price goes down quickly. So, for example, at 5,000 pieces the per-unit price drops from $5 much closer to $1. And at higher quantities, it keeps dropping. A business card size lenticular piece at a 10,000 quantity would cost well under 50¢.
The other piece of good news is that while lenticular may cost more than traditional print, it ‘s value in terms of grabbing attention and communicating a message is astronomically higher. Imagine the retention of a typical paper postcard. It ‘s likely to find the garbage almost every time. The same postcard done with lenticular printing will be noticed every time and kept more than 50% of the time. So sending out lenticular postcards costs far less on a per real impression basis. Would you throw out a lenticular card without interacting with it first? Would you do the same with a paper card? The same is true for your audience.
So in some cases, lenticular can be quite expensive and in some cases, it won ‘t make economical sense to use it. But as long as you are printing at least 500 pieces and/or your message has a high-value target, it can be quite cost-effective and perhaps even the most efficient way of reaching your customer.
Of course, we ‘re happy to provide you an exact quote for your project or even offer you quick ballparks if that ‘s what you ‘re looking for. Give us a call or fill out our contact form and we ‘ll be happy to help!
