Every lenticular lens comes with a nominal pitch—60 LPI, for example—but the sheet in your hands is almost never exact. Tiny variations in production runs, sheet thickness, and even viewing distance shift the effective pitch by a fraction of a percent. While that sounds miniscule, across a full print, it is the exact difference between crisp, seamless depth and a messy grid of banding.
A pitch test measures your specific lens in your specific environment. You simply print a sheet of test rows, lay your lens on top, and see which row behaves perfectly. Once you enter that number with your order, we interlace your file to match your exact sheet.
It takes about ten minutes, a single sheet of paper, and saves you from a ruined print run.
What You Need Before Starting
- A piece of your lens sheet: Ensure it is at least as wide as your test print, and use the exact batch of lenses you plan to laminate.
- Your target printer: The measured pitch is tied directly to your printer’s resolution—a test printed on an Epson will tell you nothing about how the job will render on an HP.
- A physical ruler: Marked in inches or centimeters.
Step 1: Download Your Test Sheet
Select your printer, choose a sheet size, select Coarse for your first pass, and download the file. Leave the pitch field blank.
Pro Tip: Choose the widest sheet your lens covers. The test measures across the full width of each row, meaning a wider row reveals subtle pitch shifts much better. A 10×8 test measures roughly three times more finely than a 4×6.
Leave blank for your first test: the coarse test spans the whole range we accept for your lens. For the fine test, enter the best value from your coarse test.
Step 2: Print It Pure (No Scaling)
Open the downloaded file in the exact software you will use to print your final lenticular artwork, and print it using these critical settings:
- Scale: Set to 100% (Never use “Fit to Page”, “Scale to Fit”, or “Fill”).
- Image Processing: Turn off all sharpening, noise reduction, and automatic color/image corrections.
- Quality: Print at your highest quality setting on the exact paper stock you plan to use.
This step is non-negotiable. The test only measures the exact physical path it was printed through.
Step 3: Verify the Scale Bars
Before touching your lens, place your ruler against the scale bars at the bottom of the printed sheet. The inch and centimeter marks must line up 100% accurately.
If they don’t, your print driver scaled the file. Find the setting causing the scaling and reprint—otherwise, every row on the sheet will give you a false reading.
Step 4: Lay Your Lens on the Sheet
Place your lens ridges up over the test rows so the lines run vertically, parallel to the printed stripes. Align it with the colored vertical stripe running down the middle of each row.
Press the sheet flat (a gap blurs the result), step back to the distance your finished print will normally be viewed from, and slowly tilt the page from side to side.
Step 5: Find Your Best Row
- The Right Row: Shifts cleanly and evenly from black to white across its entire width as you tilt it—like flipping a single light switch.
- The Wrong Rows: Show dark and light bands running across them. The further a row is from your actual pitch, the more bands you will see.
The number printed next to the cleanest row is your pitch. If two neighboring rows look equally good, your pitch is the exact midpoint between them.
Step 6: Refine with a Fine Test (Recommended)
To dial it in completely:
- Return to the download form and select Fine.
- Enter your winning coarse value into the pitch field and download the new sheet.
- Repeat steps 2 through 5. The fine test spreads its rows closely around your coarse reading, giving you your pinpoint pitch number.
How to Use Your Pitch Number
Enter your final number into the Lens Pitch field when placing your order. We will generate a custom, print-ready interlaced file calibrated specifically to your sheet.
Note: Keep a record of your pitch number alongside your lens stock, but remember—lens batches vary. Always run a quick test when opening a new box, even if it’s the same product line.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- No row looks completely clear: Re-check your scale bars (Step 3). If the scale is accurate, run a Fine test centered on the cleanest-looking row—the true value likely falls right between two coarse steps.
- Bands run at a slant instead of vertically: Your lens is slightly misaligned. Rotate it until the bands stand perfectly upright, indicating the ridges and printed lines are parallel.
- The best row shifts when you step back: This is normal! Effective pitch changes slightly with viewing distance. Always select the row that looks best from the intended final viewing distance.
Ready to Print?
One test sheet and ten minutes are all it takes to guarantee sharper depth, smoother transitions, and zero ghosting or banding.
Have questions or need a second set of eyes on your test sheet? Send us a quick photo of your test under the lens, and our tech team will help you read it!