What Tracer does

Tracer Imaging LLC is a privately held U.S. lenticular printing company headquartered in Ossining, New York (originally founded in White Plains, NY in 2009). The company specializes in large-format and small-format lenticular products that produce 3D, flip, zoom, morph, and full-motion-video visual effects. Its core technology is a patented direct-to-lens printing process with proprietary screen alignment that avoids the corner-to-corner roll artifacts common to lamination-based lenticular methods, supplemented by proprietary dot screening for fine-resolution interlacing, a rollable 40lpi lens for shipping efficiency, and in-house digital flatbed cutting for custom shapes and substrate mounting.

Tracer serves three customer segments. Enterprise clients (e.g., Starbucks, ZEISS, XCOM, Insomnia Wines, 500Festival, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) engage through consultative Custom Solutions that include artwork review, image optimization, custom lens selection, and project engineering; pricing is quote-based on per-project specifications. Individual consumers use the shop.tracer1.com DIY Express Solutions builder for automated uploads and printing of low-cost lenticular pieces, Action Pictures motion photo prints and gifts, Snap2Canvas personalized canvas prints, Snap2Photo floating frames, and LiteWriter custom lighted menu boards; consumer photo and décor products are also distributed through more than 7,000 U.S. retail locations. All revenue is generated through one-time project or product sales (no subscription model); pricing is not publicly disclosed.

The company is founder/management-controlled with no external institutional investors disclosed. Its leadership team includes former executives from Fujifilm USA (Chairman), Eastman Kodak (Director of Animation), Quebecor (VP of Operations), and Nike (Director of Digital Marketing). Tracer holds patented direct-to-lens printing IP and has received multiple Lenstar Lenticular Print Awards and an IFEA Gold Award, and operates exclusively in the U.S. market despite serving globally distributed brand clients.

Name

Tracer

Legal name

Tracer Imaging LLC

Website

https://tracer1.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lenticular Printing Services

akta.pro primary industry

Security, Tamper-Evident & Track-and-Trace Printing (IMALAKAJ)

Keywords

• Lenticular printing services
• 3D photo prints
• Promotional print products
• Custom photo gifts
• Large format printing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ossining

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Lenticular Printing Services: High-end custom lenticular printing with professional-grade technology, consultative support, artwork optimization, and custom finishing. Includes volumetric 3D, 3D/Animation Combos, and Hybrid effects. Quoted based on project specifications.
2. Express/DIY Lenticular Solutions: Low-cost do-it-yourself lenticular builder allowing direct uploads with automated interlacing and printing. Eliminates animation build costs and creative consultations. Products include 2-Flip, 3-Flip, Zoom, and Flip-Zoom effects on 40lpi lens.
3. Action Pictures (Photo Gifts and Cards): DIY lenticular photo printing and gifts including motion prints in various sizes (8x10, 5, 3.5x5, 3.5, 2.75), key chains, bag tags, and stationary boxes for personal consumer gifting.
4. Small Format Promotional Products: Promotional lenticular products including gift cards, handouts, postcards, posters, packaging, covers, greeting cards, labels, brochures, hang tags, event tickets, coasters, and magnets for B2B marketing.
5. Wall Decor and Photo Products: Snap2Canvas personalized canvas prints and Snap2Photo innovative floating frames for retail photo wall décor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tracer (Tracer Imaging LLC) is a lenticular printing manufacturer and service provider that produces animated, 3D, and motion photo prints using patented direct-to-lens printing technology. The company sells custom large-format and small-format lenticular graphics to enterprise clients, DIY consumer products through an e-commerce storefront, and consumer photo brands (Action Pictures, Snap2Canvas, Snap2Photo) distributed through 7,000+ retail locations.

Product overview

Tracer offers a portfolio of lenticular printing products and services centered around animated and 3D print technology. The core offerings span Large Format Lenticular (Custom Solutions and Express Solutions) and Small Format Lenticular (Promotional Solutions and Display Solutions). The company also operates retail-focused brands including Action Pictures™ (DIY lenticular photos and gifts), Snap2Canvas (personalized canvas prints), Snap2Photo (floating frames), and LiteWriter (custom lighted menu boards). Large Format services use patented direct-to-lens printing technology while Small Format products include gift cards, postcards, posters, packaging, labels, and point-of-sale displays. Products are sold through over 7,000 retail locations nationwide and via the shop.tracer1.com e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Action Pictures™: DIY lenticular photos, gifts, greeting cards, and invites with motion print effects including 2-Flip, 3-Flip, Zoom, and Flip-Zoom
• Snap2Canvas
• Snap2Photo
• LiteWriter
• Express Solutions
• Custom Solutions

Products and services

• Large Format Lenticular

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% recall rate for lenticular ads vs conventional 2D print ads
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LenstarcoreTechnology or IntegrationLenstar provides certified lens options used in Tracer's lenticular printing. Lens options include 40LPI, 75LPI, 100LPI Lenstar Plus materials optimized for different effects and applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• FASTSIGNS: Large franchise network providing signs, graphics, and visual marketing solutions to businesses of all sizes — broader commercial print/sign competitor to Tracer's enterprise and retail customers.
• Shutterfly: Mass-market consumer photo printing and personalized products platform — comparable on consumer photo products and gifting (analogous to Action Pictures) but at much larger scale and broader product range.

Others

• Lenstar: Supplier of certified lenticular lens stock used by Tracer; included as a key ecosystem participant because lens supply directly affects Tracer's production economics and capability set.

Direct peers

• Q1 Productions (Q1Media): Lenticular printing and finishing services for the trade and retail markets, including large-format lenticular signage and POP displays, providing an alternative direct competitor in Tracer's enterprise sales channel.
• Mirtec (Miracle Group): Specialty lenticular printer offering custom 3D and animated lenticular products for advertising, packaging, and retail promotions — overlapping head-to-head with Tracer's Custom and Express Solutions offerings.
• White House Custom Colour (WHCC): Professional photo lab specializing in prints, albums, wall decor, and specialty photo products for photographers and consumers — directly comparable on product range and distribution model.
• Bay Photo: Professional photo printing and wall decor lab offering canvas, metal, acrylic, and specialty photo products direct to professional photographers and consumers — comparable to Tracer's Snap2Canvas and Snap2Photo consumer lines.
• OptiGraphics: One of the most established dedicated lenticular printing companies in the US, producing 3D, flip, animation, and zoom prints for promotional, retail, and packaging customers — directly comparable to Tracer's core large-format lenticular work.
• Nations Photo Lab: Professional photo lab serving photographers and consumers with prints, canvas, metal prints, and specialty photo products — a close analogue to Tracer's photo product and e-commerce offering.

Emerging players

• SpeedPro Imaging: Large-format printing franchise network serving businesses with signage, banners, and graphics; partial overlap with Tracer's large-format printing capabilities, though without the lenticular specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tracerimaging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tracer