For a standard Holographic Pattern Foil, select an available holographic foil and provide your foil stamper with line art from which to produce a flat or sculptured stamping die. Chances are excellent that you will find a foil pattern that will enhance your image. Your foil stamper should have several styles in stock and should have access to many more on a few days notice. For a custom pattern, such as a repeating logo, supply the foil stamper with line art of the single element, or a section of the pattern keylined in the desired size.
For the Three-Dimensional Image, you must provide the foil manufacturer with an actual item, which will be recorded using advanced laser technology and special optics. The item must be furnished in a 1:1 ratio with the finished hologram. As you might expect, this process is more time consuming and expensive than using a pre-printed holographic foil. But for that “just right” special effect, the results may well justify the cost. If your plans call for Stereograms, the first step is to consult your foil stamper about your particular concept.
Multiple-Plane Holograms require line art for all two-dimensional planes and an actual same size original from which to create a three-dimensional plane. It is also possible to create a layered hologram from a slide of a finished rendering. However, this technique requires interpretation, so it’s always best to consult with the foil stamper about your particular design.
A hologram should not require tight registration between layers within the hologram. Tolerances less than 1/32″ are not practical. Holographic foil is adhered to your finished piece the same as any other hot foil stamping foil, and is also subject to the same registration tolerances.
Foil Holograms should only be hot stamped onto smooth paper. Because the foil will conform to the surface of the paper, a textured stock will distort and usually destroy the effect of the hologram.