An Introduction to Holograms

Since their introduction on Mastercard and Visa payment cards in the early 1980s, holograms have become one of the most common overt or public security features on value documents and branded goods, their presence both indicating the authenticity of these items and providing a powerful deterrent to counterfeiting.

Why a Hologram? Because They Work!

Holograms cannot be copied by conventional reprographic means (copiers or scanners and printers). Their effects cannot be reproduced or simulated by conventional printing or finishing techniques. The skills, technology and investment involved in their design, origination and manufacture ensures that their production is beyond the reach of most would-be counterfeiters, while even the most determined forgers will be unlikely to produce holograms that are effective and accurate copies of the original.

Holograms are also highly versatile. They can be applied cost-effectively to a wide variety of substrates and products as part of conventional printing, packaging and labelling processes. And while they are essentially overt features that can be recognised and verified by the public, they can also be integrated with other security technologies – inks, taggants, numbering, RFID etc - to provide multi-layered security solutions combining overt and covert security with track and trace capabilities.

As a result, holograms are widely used on all manner of security documents including banknotes, personal identification documents such as passports and ID cards, fiscal stamps, tickets, vouchers, cheques, payment cards etc. They are also used to protect branded goods from counterfeiting, adulteration, substitution and parallel trading, featuring on many of the world’s leading brands of pharmaceuticals, IT products, automotive components, luxury and consumer goods.

Hologram Origination and Design

Holograms from Hague provide an attractive and cost-effective way to enhance a product. Various techniques are available to customise the hologram to your market requirements. At the same time the product becomes more difficult to counterfeit. The hologram is thus an effective means of strengthening brand identity.

Applications

Hague holograms are produced in the form of hot stamping foil, laminating foil, self-adhesive labels, tear stripes, or other project-specific formats.

Originations

Hague has developed some unique optical technologies. Based on interferential microlithography and digital holography, these techniques enable etching of optical microstructures on areas of micrometric dimension.

Moreover they can be combined, offering countless possibilities in terms of design and increasing the difficulty of imitation. Industries has employed its technologies to develop several origination techniques for different applications:

Designs

Hague offers customized solutions for single-image and continuous designs. The Hague design team provides their extensive experience in creation of holographic images to brand owners.

2D Holograms

Based on a two-dimensional 
graphic image. All elements of 
the design appear in a single image plane.

2D/3D Holograms

These show two or more two-
dimensional images in parallel 
image planes, producing a 
“perspective” effect, creating the 
illusion of depth.

3D Holograms

These are produced by capturing 
a three-dimensional model in a 
1:1 size ratio. The hologram shows a realistic, in-depth image. 
A strong, direct light is required 
for optimal viewing.

Additional Features

Besides the various holographic origination techniques, a number of separate design components can be incorporated so as to increase the security value of the hologram and strengthen its optical effects. Such design effects include: image flip (2 channel*), colour separation, shading, prismatic components, microtext and hidden images.

* created by interlacing the graphics from two separate images - both images are one layer. In its final form, image “A” is visible, but with a slight change in the viewing angle, image “A” disappears and image “B” appears instead.