Lenticular images typically employ cylindrical lens arrays which have been extruded and cut into standard size sheets. In current practice using conventional techniques, these sheets are usually reverse-printed on their flat, unlenticulated side with a specially prepared interlaced image. Because the lens arrays allow the image to vary with the angle of view, lenticular images can be given diverse properties of apparent depth and animation. These qualities have long been found to be highly effective in advertising, marketing, and promotion. In addition, these qualities are perceived as having a degree of interest and value apart from the initial visual encounter.
A large commercial industry is the sale of standardized transaction cards. These transaction cards take any number of different forms and can be in the form of durable phone, gift, membership, loyalty and the like cards. These cards can be carried in a wallet or other portfolio from which the cards can be removed regularly for use in transactions. If a lenticular card is not suitably devised and constructed, friction and abrasion can degrade the usefulness of the card to both the card provider and the card user.
Lenticular transaction cards have therefore often been fabricated as complex laminations including multiple layers of film. Typically, in convention cards, the interlaced printing is protected by at least one film layer and many times is protected by more layers. Each of these layers must be adhered or fused to the other plies in the lamination. These laminations add complexity, are time-consuming, and also have been found to have a failure rate that is associated with the delamination of the plies over time. Materials, labor, automation costs, as well as intrinsic unreliability, have therefore limited the potential market for lenticular card service.
Lenticular transaction cards conventionally have a thickness of about 27-30 mils and can optionally include a barcode and/or a magnetic stripe to allow information to be magnetically stored and allow the cards to be processed at retailers in the same manner as credit and debit cards and the like. The cards can be imaged or printed using any number of different techniques, including but not limited to thermal and inkjet imaging methods. One preferred technique that has gained widespread use is compression lamination since this technique permits the transaction card to meet ISO specifications.
Three dimensional (3D) and other effects, like animating effects, in transaction cards using a lenticular lens layer is desirable; however, there are a number of challenges to manufacturing a card that meets the applicable standards and can obtain widespread success with consumers while at the same time being economically produced. More specifically, in order to meet standards and gain widespread use, the lenticular card has to be about 27-30 mils in total thickness, have an encodable magnetic stripe, be thermally or ink jet imageable and be capable of mass production in an economically feasible manner.
There is therefore a need for an improved manner of producing a lenticular transaction card that overcomes the deficiencies of the conventional manufacturing techniques and provides cards that meet applicable standards for transaction cards and the like.