Frequently asked questions

What is a hologram?

Holograms are images created by scattered laser light waves which appear to create a 3-dimensional light field. There are a few types of holograms; the first is an emissive hologram which uses light that is shined through it from behind to create a 3D effect on the front of the film, the second type is a reflective hologram which reflects light from its surface to create the 3D effect. HoloTech holograms are reflective holograms which require a dedicated light source to be illuminated and visible.



How are Holotech holograms unique from other holograms?

While traditional holograms rely on the reflection of laser light off of a physical object onto the film medium HoloTech holograms are created from a computer generated model, allowing us to create holograms of imaginary objects, 100-story buildings, laser scanning collected point clouds, as well as just about any 3D content that can be generated in the wealth of 3D content generation software programs available today. With traditional holographic methods all of these types of objects would be off limits due to the limitations of traditional holography. HoloTech holograms are also unique in that they are Full-Parallax images whereas traditional holography is primarily Horizontal Parallax Only (HPO). Full-Parallax images allow the viewer to see around an object from all angles, it also allows our product to display multiple scenes within a single hologram, we call this process channeling. Think of HoloTech holograms as a sculpture of light.



How does the hologram manufacturing process work?

Raw 3D graphic information can come from many sources, including computer-aided desing (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE), medical imaging technologies (CT, US, MRI), LIDAR, aerial photography, and radar and laser scans. Our proprietary rendering engine processes the 3D model data by breaking it down into subsets for each hogel (a three dimensional pixel). Each digital hologram is composed of thousands of hogels. The hologram of the 3D model is created by recording interference patterns of two laser beams. The first laser beam, encoded with the 3D data, scatters the image onto the recording medium. The second laser beam provides reference for the first. The two beams converge and interfere on the recording medium. A light’s reference beam is diffracted by each hogel’s specific interference pattern, and the individual patterns are reconstructed to portray the original 3D model, that can be viewed by a person without and special accessory. The 3D image that the viewer perceives is really the 3D model data reconstructed in reflected light.



Can Holotech produce holograms in full color?

We are able to produce full Red, Green, Blue color spectrum images. Our imagers use Red, Green, and Blue lasers in sync to produce a full spectrum of colors. There are some limitations, however. Our lasers operate as pulse lasers which vary intensity to create the full RGB spectrum. Therefore some colors come out better in the final product than others. Fully saturated and bright Reds, Greens, and Blues tend to print the best. We encourage all of customers to use these fully saturated colors with high contrast levels wherever possible. We will do our best to match your colors but creating Pantone matching for example is not a service we are able to provide due to the nature of imaging with laser technology. As our imaging process develops and progresses we hope to make advancements in this area.



What is Monochrome?

Monochrome is the term we use to describe our Green-Only holographic imaging process. This imaging process uses only a green laser to create monochromatic images that work best with a green light source. This imaging process is best for models and data that lacks color and textures. Many graphic artists also enjoy using this imaging process because of its cool and ethereal qualities.



How do you use the hologram?

HoloTech prints require a dedicated light source to be visible. The holograms can be presented in Horizontal (laying flat, on a table, or other surface), Vertical (wall-mounted), or on an incline. All horizontal images require the light source be set up directly above the center of the image at a prescribed minimum distance. All vertical and incline orientation prints require a light source set up at a 45 degree angle pointing down at the image from above.



Do you offer custom sizes?

Yes, custom sizes are available. The widest single image we can produce is 600mm (23.62 inches) wide due to limitations with our holographic imager. This mainly affects Vertical (wall-mount) holograms. If your project requires a size that is wider than 600mm (24 inches) and you would like the hologram to be presented in Vertical orientation then we can create a larger hologram by tiling multiple images. There would be a visible seam in all tiled holograms. Another thing to keep in mind with a larger than standard custom sized hologram is the needed lighting setup. As our holograms get larger, the light is required to be set up further from the hologram. The HoloTech staff can determine the minimum lighting distance requirements for your custom size hologram. Please contact the HoloTech Support Team, support@holotech.com