HumanEyes' LensFree technology, allowing printers and designers to produce 3D effects directly onto non-lenticular materials such as glass or acrylic (plexiglass), is being unveiled at Graphics of the Americas this week. HumanEyes has tested the technology on UV digital flatbed printers.

“This is one of the year's most stand-out innovations,” says Duby Hodd, HumanEyes CEO. “The effect of 3D on glass, with no intermediary substrate, is that it looks like the image is actually in the glass. It's extraordinary, and we invite everyone to come judge for themselves.”

Technology demonstrations will be available at HumanEyes' exhibit #1703 and at partner Gandinnovations exhibit #1924, from March 2 - 4 here at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

How Printing 3D Direct to Glass or Acrylic Works
HumanEyes engineers say that new printing abilities afforded by flatbed digital UV inkjet presses have opened the way for the most exciting applications of backlit 3D and lenticular effects to date. Instead of printing on dedicated lenticular sheets, 3D effects as well as 2D animation can be printed on standard glass or acrylic (plexiglass) using a simple dialogue box now added to the HumanEyes PrintPro software.

Using the flatbed press, a grid is printed on one face of the glass, and an interlaced project (3D or animation) is then printed on the opposite side. The combination of the grid, the thickness of the glass, and the optimized interlace yield an impressive effect. End products include, for instance, striking backlit posters with very accurate effects that can be viewed from longer distances than those projected by regular lenticular printing. Materials printed using this method may serve as POP/POS displays; in-store and mall decorations; interior design elements; subway, railway and airport advertisements, and more.