Superwide Applications: Record-Setting Lenticulars

Even in Las Vegas, where the unpredictable and unbelievable are routine, making and breaking world records is no small feat. Big3D did precisely that, however, at the Mandalay Bay Casino, installing a lenticular job that went down in the record books. Living up to its Big3D name, the Fresno, California-based print shop created the largest-ever lenticular display, according to the Guinness Book of World Records: a 3D/flip mural stretching 98-feet wide and standing 13-feet tall.

Renowned tattoo artist Mario Barth contacted Big3D about the construction-barrier job, designed to promote Starlight Tattoo, his new tattoo parlor situated inside the Mandalay Bay. Starlight Tattoo designer Obed Raimundo created the original wall-mural design, with help from the Big3D team in terms of lenticular particulars. Raimundo created the graphics in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop with vivacious oranges, yellows, and reds. The graphics were designed to mimic Barth’s tattoo artistry, and photographs of Barth as well as his wife (who serves as head of operations) were incorporated into the design.

Once the Big3D team acquired all of the imagery, production began. Because lenticular printing requires acute attention to achieve its multi-dimensional and flipping effects, the initial time was spent interlacing the images; Flipsigns’ SuperFlip! software was used to merge the images.

Big3D printed the graphics photographically in RGB using its Oce LightJet5000RS on Fuji Crystal Archive photo paper. Although the shop also has a Luscher JetPrint 3530 UV flatbed, as well as multiple litho presses, it chose the LightJet for this job because of the “very high-quality, continuous-tone output” that they were after, says marketing director Bradley Fitzhenry.

The image was then mounted to a 15lpi APET lenticular lens from MicroLens Technology. Approximately 1500 square feet of both photo paper and lens were used; panels were printed in three- and four-foot-wide sections. “Phasing the lenticular effects across multiple panels and seams is challenging,” says Fitzhenry, “A very high amount of precision in printing, mounting, and finishing is necessary.”

For finishing, Big3D utilized its Seal 5000 laminator, custom UV-curing equipment, and CNC router table. Upon printing and mounting the image to the lens, UV lamps cured the adhesive. “After curing, each panel was trimmed to size on our CNC router table and matched up to adjoining panels to verify accuracy.” Mounting and installation holes were then drilled. Interlacing, printing, mounting, and finishing the entire 98-feet-wide mural were done concurrently in sections over the course of 10 days.

Once all of Big3D’s in-house work was completed, a half-ton crate of lenticular panels was shipped to Las Vegas for the install, which was handled by MIG Nevada, a local construction and contracting company. Laser guides were used to mark the panel locations and then another four hours was spent hanging the panels.

In addition to creating record-setting murals, the 25-person firm uses its LightJet, Luscher JetPrint 3530 UV, and litho presses to create jobs for well-known clients such as Warner Bros., Nintendo, Pepsi, Apple, the US Department of Defense, and others.

BIG3D
www.big3d.com