What is holographic printing paper?

A common question about holograms is what kind of paper they can be printed on. However, there is no such thing as holographic printing paper. Instead, holograms are created using foils which can then be applied to a number of different materials, including paper and plastic. Holographic foil is very thin which allows it to be reliably adhered to a variety of different materials.

Holograms are one of the most popular security printing techniques – seen on a wide range of items from bank cards to product tags. They act as an overt deterrent against counterfeiting as they are exceptionally difficult to copy. They are also used by high-end brands as a method of determining authenticity. In addition, they can be made to be tamper-evident, so it will be obvious if someone has tried to remove or alter the hologram.

So without holographic printing paper, how does the hologram get on the paper or other material? The process of application normally involves “hot stamping” the foil to the desired substrate – be this paper, plastic or something else. Through the application of heat and pressure, the hologram adheres permanently to the substrate. The resulting holograms can then be used for a wide range of applications including tickets, vouchers, packaging, certificates, cheques, business forms, labels, bank and ID cards.

Alternatively, self-adhesive hologram stickers can be produced. These can be stuck directly to products and documents, and provide a flexible way to tag, track, trace, protect and confirm the identity of a range of items.

At Hague, we are experts in hologram printing and application. We offer an end-to-end hologram solution including design, origination and application. It’s also possible to produce holograms in-house at your company. To do this, we supply you with controlled holographic reels of foil, to be used with the Hague Securogram, our desktop hologram applicator.