PRINTING United Alliance is grateful to serve its members who make such significant impacts on the printing industry. Through our Member Spotlights, we continue to recognize our members, and help our community get to know their peers better, both professionally and personally. The following is a Q&A with Brad Bartlett, president and owner of Opti Print and Fulfillment, the parent company of OptiGraphics, headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Please provide a brief history of your company and its core mission.
This year, 2025, OptiGraphics is celebrating its 55th anniversary in the specialty print business. Specializing in lenticular printing while adding our whole line of Reveal Series products as well as Optichrome, we have produced over 4.8 billion pieces in our history.
Considered to be the largest and most decorated specialty printing company in the world, OptiGraphics has won over 19 Benny awards, as well as over 30 pyramid awards from PPAI and over 500 PIA awards, including 27 best of show, and 15 best in the nation awards. Our mission is to provide unexpected delight in every program that we produce.
For those not as familiar with Lenticular Printing, can you please explain what that is and how it stands out as a printing application?
Starting back in 1970, OptiGraphics were the people who produced all the lenticular signage for Mac the Night for all McDonald's stores worldwide and supplied Cracker Jacks with over four billion lenticular prizes. Often called winkies or magic motion in the early days, OptiGraphics today produces lenticular pieces that when viewed, give the viewer a feeling of motion and three dimensions. From 4-centimeter circles to lenticular walls that are 16-feet wide by 8-feet tall, OptiGraphics can produce any lenticular piece that can be imagined in the world, including lenticular drinking vessels.
What types of lenticular effects can your technology produce (e.g., 3D, flip, animation, etc.), and how do these effects enhance the overall visual experience for the end user?
OptiGraphics has always been the leader in lenticular technology, from producing simple flips and 3D animation in the 1970s, to now pioneering zooming, morphing, spinning, disappearing, super 5D and motion video.
OptiGraphics has received more awards than any other specialty printing/lenticular printing company in the world. Is there a particular award that stands out or that you’re especially proud of?
The award that stands out the most for me was three years ago when Kraft Foods brought their agency traffic to Dallas, TX to help them introduce Mio, a liquid drink enhancer that would compete against crystal light. They were going to run ads in People magazine, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone and needed 12 million copies of a magazine ad that would interact with water, since Mio was liquid, not a powder.
OptiGraphics invented Water Reveal, a patented coating that is applied with UV screen presses that goes down white and when wet, turns to clear, revealing what has been printed underneath. In about 15 minutes, it goes back to its initial resting state and the process can be repeated over and over again. That program won two Pyramid Awards, PIA best of show, and went on to win a Benny award. All 12 million pieces were delivered on time, functioning perfectly, and Kraft Foods said it was the most successful product launch they had ever had.
Why did you decide to join the Alliance? What resources do you plan to or have already utilized through your membership?
Over the last three years, we have had over 30 of our existing customers ask us why we did not attend PRINTING United Expo. After we were told last year’s event in Las Vegas had unbelievable attendance, we made the decision to return to PRINTING United Alliance and plan on attending the 2025 trade show in Orlando.
OptiGraphics does not have a sales force and we rely on word of mouth as well as the unique products we produce to have the amazing success that we have had. Our largest customer base is existing printers who maybe once or twice a year get a special request for exactly what we do. We can honestly say that we think it's a perfect fit to be at the Alliance’s Expo and we are so excited to bring the products that we produce to printers all around the world.
For more information on OptiGraphics and their recent success, check out the February issue of Graphics Pro magazine, featuring Brad Bartlett here: https://xdigital.spiweb.com/publication/?i=838944&p=20&view=issueViewer
Visit their website here: https://optigraphics.com/