Holographic Shims

The first step in mass hologram production is to create printing plates called Holographic shims.

Printing process in Holography, called Hologram embossing, transfers the microscopic surface relief created during the Mater origination onto special embossing base materials.

The process of preparing tools for mass hologram production pass through the following steps:

• Converting Master hologram from photo-resist to metal – usually silver;
• Creating a nickel replica using electroforming process;
• Multiplying a single image from a nickel original to a plastic base (recombining);
• Converting multiple images from plastic to nickel. This product is called a Master shim;
• After that the Master shim is used as an original for the reproduction of Working shims using electroforming again.

Electroforming and Recombining

Electroforming is the process of copying holographic images. Depend of task it maybe converting image from photo-resist or plastic to metal (nickel), or just metal-metal copying.

 

 

Recombining is the process also known as step and repeat, multiply the single image from Master hologram. The result is big size holographic plastic plate -in narrow web embossing usually up to 12″x12″

 

Electroforming and recombining complete prepress process for mass production of holograms. Work shims are used as instruments for embossing.