Product description
The two-layered hologram is the most frequently produced holographic label thanks to its best price/quality ratio. As two layers of design are used, the graphic effect is priceless – with a separate logo and its background; most companies request this effect specifically.
The main production principle of this type of holographic effect dwells in multiple application of a same technology that is used in production of a classic 2D hologram. In a first phase a first layer of 2D schemas is „burnt“ and consequently a nother layer is „burnt“ upon it. A predesign for this hologram therefore needs to contain two or three 2D graphical motives which groundplans are overlayed. Motives in individual layers are then visible only at specific view angles or at the same time but differed by the colour crossings. Effects of holograms made like this are considered among the most impressive.
Holographic layers are completely independent and do not disrupt each other visually when observed; for pointing up the graphical manifestation of other layers the label needs to be slightly rotated to the source of light. Graphical data written in other layer than the one observed at that moment will not be visible at all or they will show completely different colour crossings (see the visibility of layers in production manual).
Thanks to an extremely high resolution of the graphics (based on technology up to ca 1400 lines per 1 mm) you don’t need to be concerned with the fineness and accuracy of the graphic design prepared.
If you need to have the hologram labels serialized, the serial number may be printed in the third layer – hence, you are not limited in your design and can use both holographic layers for pictures, logos, graphics, symbols and text. When thermal transfer printing is used, the serial number is printed on the surface of the label. Laser printing burns the number into the aluminium foil creating a transparent spot in the hologram.
Above all that, every holographic etiquette can be printed by a screen printing. This, de facto, already fourth layer of a predesign can contain a series number, a production number, a charge labeling, a year of production labeling, a type of a product labeling etc. The screen printed layer remains readable even under very bad lighting conditions at any angle as screen prints are standard visible prints. Screen printing may be efficiently used to print a logo onto a hologram in order to create an imprintable surface on the hologram – see below.
The maximum size of the hologram that can be made is 100x100mm.
Hologram foil colour
Holograms are printed on aluminium foils of various colours. Silver is the basic and most frequently used colour that makes the hologram very noticeable reflecting all colours of the colour spectrum. The second most frequently used foil is golden. The hologram rainbow effect is less pronounced on golden foil as the blue in the reflection is missing; on the other hand, golden colour comes on as more luxurious. These two foil colours are the basic ones and are provided for the same price. A hologram can be produced in any other foil colour for a fee of at least 40 %. The most luxurious but also the most costly is the black foil hologram (extra fee of 160 % plus).
Label shape
We are able to produce hologram labels in any shape. Square, rectangular, round and oval are the basic ones requiring no specific or custom-made stamping dies to be produced. If you want to have a label in your own shape (such as the shape of your logo), expect an extra charge to cover the production of the stamping die. In case of square and rectangular holograms, the corners must be rounded with a radius of at least 0.5 mm for a correct cut-out.
Hologram numbering
Upon request, all labels produced may be numbered providing another level of security. Numbers may be printed by laser or thermal transfer printing. Laser numbering is the most advanced technique as the numbers are virtually burnt into the aluminium foil making the hologram transparent at the area of the number – this process is virtually impossible to counterfeit. There is no difference in price for both options.
Glue
Standard glue is suitable for smooth surfaces such as glass, smooth plastic and metal. Strong glue is stronger, has higher substance density and holds labels on structured and grainy surfaces – such as metallic and plastic vehicle frames.
Security layer (tamper evident)
Holograms may be produced with a security layer that destroys the hologram when tampered with. As a standard, we produce holograms with basic non-controlled destruction option where most of the aluminium hologram layer remains on the surface and the other part of the label remains on the transparent protection foil when the label is peeled off. The hologram without its protection layer is not abrasion-proof and will get rubbed off soon.
Subject to an extra fee, the label tamper-evident destruction option may also be controlled thanks to a selective placement of the glue:
Standard security – non-controlled destruction of the label when tampered with – see above
VOID – destruction of the label leaving a VOID pattern on the surface. The negative image remains on the label.
Honeycomb – a honeycomb pattern remains on the surface while the negative image stays on the label
Squares (chessboard)– a checkered pattern remains on the surface and the negative image stays on the label
No security – see above
For those who prefer peel-off labels, we offer the option of no security which may come handy when labels are used directly on final products and it is desirable that the client removes the hologram without destroying the product.
Hologram printing
For an extra charge, we also offer additional printing on hologram labels with any graphic design. We create a “mask” that covers the hologram which then works in the background.
The main production principle of this type of holographic effect dwells in multiple application of a same technology that is used in production of a classic 2D hologram. In a first phase a first layer of 2D schemas is „burnt“ and consequently a nother layer is „burnt“ upon it. A predesign for this hologram therefore needs to contain two or three 2D graphical motives which groundplans are overlayed. Motives in individual layers are then visible only at specific view angles or at the same time but differed by the colour crossings. Effects of holograms made like this are considered among the most impressive.
Holographic layers are completely independent and do not disrupt each other visually when observed; for pointing up the graphical manifestation of other layers the label needs to be slightly rotated to the source of light. Graphical data written in other layer than the one observed at that moment will not be visible at all or they will show completely different colour crossings (see the visibility of layers in production manual).
Thanks to an extremely high resolution of the graphics (based on technology up to ca 1400 lines per 1 mm) you don’t need to be concerned with the fineness and accuracy of the graphic design prepared.
If you need to have the hologram labels serialized, the serial number may be printed in the third layer – hence, you are not limited in your design and can use both holographic layers for pictures, logos, graphics, symbols and text. When thermal transfer printing is used, the serial number is printed on the surface of the label. Laser printing burns the number into the aluminium foil creating a transparent spot in the hologram.
Above all that, every holographic etiquette can be printed by a screen printing. This, de facto, already fourth layer of a predesign can contain a series number, a production number, a charge labeling, a year of production labeling, a type of a product labeling etc. The screen printed layer remains readable even under very bad lighting conditions at any angle as screen prints are standard visible prints. Screen printing may be efficiently used to print a logo onto a hologram in order to create an imprintable surface on the hologram – see below.
The maximum size of the hologram that can be made is 100x100mm.
Hologram foil colour
Holograms are printed on aluminium foils of various colours. Silver is the basic and most frequently used colour that makes the hologram very noticeable reflecting all colours of the colour spectrum. The second most frequently used foil is golden. The hologram rainbow effect is less pronounced on golden foil as the blue in the reflection is missing; on the other hand, golden colour comes on as more luxurious. These two foil colours are the basic ones and are provided for the same price. A hologram can be produced in any other foil colour for a fee of at least 40 %. The most luxurious but also the most costly is the black foil hologram (extra fee of 160 % plus).
Label shape
We are able to produce hologram labels in any shape. Square, rectangular, round and oval are the basic ones requiring no specific or custom-made stamping dies to be produced. If you want to have a label in your own shape (such as the shape of your logo), expect an extra charge to cover the production of the stamping die. In case of square and rectangular holograms, the corners must be rounded with a radius of at least 0.5 mm for a correct cut-out.
Hologram numbering
Upon request, all labels produced may be numbered providing another level of security. Numbers may be printed by laser or thermal transfer printing. Laser numbering is the most advanced technique as the numbers are virtually burnt into the aluminium foil making the hologram transparent at the area of the number – this process is virtually impossible to counterfeit. There is no difference in price for both options.
Glue
Standard glue is suitable for smooth surfaces such as glass, smooth plastic and metal. Strong glue is stronger, has higher substance density and holds labels on structured and grainy surfaces – such as metallic and plastic vehicle frames.
Security layer (tamper evident)
Holograms may be produced with a security layer that destroys the hologram when tampered with. As a standard, we produce holograms with basic non-controlled destruction option where most of the aluminium hologram layer remains on the surface and the other part of the label remains on the transparent protection foil when the label is peeled off. The hologram without its protection layer is not abrasion-proof and will get rubbed off soon.
Subject to an extra fee, the label tamper-evident destruction option may also be controlled thanks to a selective placement of the glue:
Standard security – non-controlled destruction of the label when tampered with – see above
VOID – destruction of the label leaving a VOID pattern on the surface. The negative image remains on the label.
Honeycomb – a honeycomb pattern remains on the surface while the negative image stays on the label
Squares (chessboard)– a checkered pattern remains on the surface and the negative image stays on the label
No security – see above
For those who prefer peel-off labels, we offer the option of no security which may come handy when labels are used directly on final products and it is desirable that the client removes the hologram without destroying the product.
Hologram printing
For an extra charge, we also offer additional printing on hologram labels with any graphic design. We create a “mask” that covers the hologram which then works in the background.
| Colour | Silver, Gold, Transparent, Other (40%+) |
| Glue | Standard, Stronger |
| Numbering | None, Thermotransfer numbering, Laser numbering |
| Add thermal transfer printing (logo, text) to the finished hologram sticker | No, Yes |
| Shape | Square, Rectangle, Round, Oval, Other |
| Security (tamper evident) layer | Standard destruction - peel-off destruction, VOID - VOID pattern remains on the surface upon destruction, Squares - chequerboard pattern remains on the surface upon destruction, Honeycomb - a honeycomb pattern remains on the surface upon destruction, No security - integral sticker peels off |
| Weight | 0.00001 kg |
Graphic design
Do you want to provide your own graphic design for holograms? Not difficult at all. Holograms are manufactured based on vector file data (lines) provided in the following formats - *.ai .cdr .eps .pdf. We prefer data in Adobe Illustrator (.ai) or Corel Draw (.cdr).Graphic data size must correspond (in mm) to the exact size of the hologram to be produced. Individual hologram layers must be differentiated in colour (e.g. black and blue) to mark clearly what data belong to Layer 1 and Layer 2 respectively. Each layer must be provided with a crop line – showing the cut-out (in red or magenta, max. 0.15 pt thick); if the graphic data touch the crop line, they must overlap by at least 2 mm (catchment area) as it is impossible to manufacture and cut out a hologram without a minimum deviation – see Figure below: Blue layer 1. On these grounds, we also do not recommend using any margins (frames) too close to the cut-out line. The black lining on the design specimen below shows the minimum recommended space from the edge. In terms of shapes, holograms cannot be cut with too sharp edges – the corner radius of any square or rectangular stickers must be 0.5 mm at least. Do not create any trim marks and if you use any font in your design, it must be transformed into a curve (non-modifiable font) or it could be substituted.
Visibility of layers
In case of a two-layer hologram, you can select whether both layers should remain visible where the layers overlap or whether the data hidden under the black Layer 2 should disappear. It always depends on the nature of data provided; in the above case, we recommend that Layer 2 data disappear where the two layers overlap as the blue layer bears no unique graphics but a repetitive text formula that could disturb the final perception of the logo. Should the blue layer bear any graphics the loss of which could jeopardize its comprehensibility, then both layers should be kept visible. There is no difference in price.
Two-layer hologram manufacturing scheme
A1) Serial numbersIt is possible to number each security hologram for an extra charge, using either laser or thermal transfer print. Laser printed numbers are printed in the aluminium carrier foil as transparent areas so the underlying layer under the sticker remains visible. This process is very difficult to counterfeit. In thermal transfer printing, serial numbers are printed in ink on the top protective foil of the sticker.
A2) Hologram printing
We can also print in colour on hologram stickers (screen or thermal transfer printing). Hence, you can have your logo printed on the protective foil of the hologram covering its part (mask). You can pick any colour, no colour transitions though.
B) Layer 2
This layer usually bears the core graphics design such as a company logo.
C) Layer 1
This layer usually bears the underlying graphic design; the hologram’s background may, for example, show the repetitive visualisation of “Original”, “Genuine”, “Authentic” or similar text.
D) Metallic carrier foil
The metallic carrier foil the hologram itself is stamped into can be executed in many colours with the basic ones being silver and gold. The holographic effect is best shown on silver foil; other foil colours (including golden) do not provide such a pronounced holographic effect. The hologram can be produced in virtually any colour – even in colours that are not included in the offer (upon enquiry).
E) security layer - Tamper Evident (VOID)
For an additional fee, the hologram may further be protected with a Tamper Evident Protection. The glue is applied on the label selectively in order to ensure a controlled (pre-defined) destruction if tampered with. You can choose from a standard VOID destruction where the repetitive VOID (or a checkered/honeycomb) pattern of the hologram’s metallic foil remains on the surface. The negative part of the hologram foil remains visible on the top transparent protective layer of the hologram and it is clearly visible that the sticker was tampered with when re-stuck. If you decide not to opt for the VOID layer, your holograms will be equipped with standard non-controlled protection that will keep a part of the hologram (based on its adhesive quality) on the surface while the protective layer is peeled off; in such a case, the remaining part of the hologram without the protective layer is rubbed off easily. We can also produce the labels without any protection at all which is convenient especially for those products where the label should be completely removed before use – glasses, containers, clothes and similar.
F) Glue
We offer two types of glue – a standard glue suitable for all smooth and de-greased surfaces such as paper, glass or flat surfaces or strong glue that holds security holograms even on roughened surfaces such as rough plastic or powder coated (comaxit) surfaces.
Placing an order
I.Follow the instructions and create your own digital graphic design or we can create a graphic design of the hologram master for you based on your specifications. In the latter case, a clearly formulated verbal description of your expectations (including the size and shape of the label) is sufficient, it can also be accompanied by bitmap images of company logos, trademarks or any other images you would want to see on your hologram. Should the design be more complex, you can draw your ideas by hand on a piece of paper to make the visualisation easier and send a scan or photo it to us. We are charging from ca. 8€ for simple vector graphic files prepared according to your ideas to ca. 40€ for more complex graphic designs. Please, do not forget to provide us with the visualisation of all layers if you prefer multi-layer holograms. If you need any advice when creating your label design, we are available for any enquiries at phone numbers and addresses listed in the Contact section.
II.
Once we receive your order, we either validate the received vector design or we create it based on your requirements. If you asked us to prepare the graphic design for you, we will send you by e-mail the graphic design as a bitmap image for assessment. We usually create more versions of the graphic design so you can pick the one that suits your purposes best. Your comments to the design preview or any requirements to add further text or graphic elements are quickly addressed and you will get the design back for re-assessment. This process will be repeated until you are completely happy with the graphic look of the design.
Production price per piece is defined immediately after your design is accepted and after you inform us about the number of pieces to produce. You can select or change the self-adhesive medium at this stage as the base is not linked in any way to the hologram picture design. If you decide to select the "Tamper evident film", i.e. "VOID" base, please inform us about the word you would like to see when the label is tampered with (see the word options). Besides the pre-manufactured films with selective peel-off options, we can produce the base material with any word or symbol based on your request; a custom-made self-destructive film is obviously more costly.
At the end of this stage, a confirmation of the final graphic design of the holographic tag, label, sticker or seal is issued – based on order specifications. The customer explicitly approves the visual design, quantity and price thus creating a firm order to produce the ordered items. A firm order represents a contract for work for the approved graphic design, quantity, materials and price. It may be impossible to change the graphic design, type or quantity of pieces once the order is firm – it always depends on the production process.
III.
Once the acts described in Art. II here above are mutually agreed, we will produce the requested quantity of security self-adhesive items according to the specifications you have approved (design, quantity, properties and price). Unless specified otherwise, the order is usually completed within Day 15 to Day 30 from the firm order date.