A flipbook is a small book with a series of printed images that, when the pages of the book are rapidly flipped, create the illusion of motion. A flipbook is usually held in one hand while the other flicks the pages with the thumb, and the user concentrates on the middle of each page. To create an animated image, the flipbook uses a basic optical principle known as persistence of vision. Flipbooks, in addition to being entertaining, laid the foundation for motion pictures and could be considered one of the first forms of animation.
Before delving into the history of the flipbook, it’s useful to understand how vision persistence works. The human retina only stores an image for a fraction of a second. When a series of images is presented to the retina quickly, the gaps between them are smoothed out, resulting in a streamlined animated image. This principle is what allows people to perceive a motion picture’s series of frames as a movie rather than a collection of still photographs. You may have noticed that changing the frame rate and illumination can cause the animation to flicker, which can be quite distracting.
The first flipbook, known as a kineograph, or “moving picture,” was released in 1868. Instead of being mounted on a circular drum or disc and rotated, the kineograph’s creator realized that images could be presented in a linear sequence. The concept quickly gained traction, and many companies began producing flipbooks for both children and adults. Although many modern flipbooks are available for free, many people regard older flipbooks as miraculous.
A series of illustrations can be found in many flipbooks. When the illustrations are rapidly flipped, small differences between them create a brief animated picture. Others rely on a series of photographs, similar to movie frames. A flipbook’s theme can change depending on the target audience; it could depict a short story or a brief event, or it could even be used in an advertising campaign.
A flip book is also known as a flick book in some parts of the world, particularly in British English. Many aspiring artists, whatever they call it, draw their own, and bored schoolchildren may use flipbooks to decorate their notebooks. There are also computer programs that can be used to make a flipbook, for example, by stringing together a series of images from a trip.