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BPCouncil interviews Ian M Lancaster on the past, present and future of holograms. He is a founder of Reconnaissance International, where he is managing director, and general secretary of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA).
BPCouncil: In terms of performance, price and ease of implementation, where do holograms stand compared to other technologies (watermarks, magnetic inks and others)?
Ian Lancaster: There are basically two types of authenticators. Intrinsic technologies are those that are an integral part of the products and packaging; while extrinsic solutions are those that are added to them. Watermarks (built in to the paper), inks (part of the package design), and other techniques which use print features, are intrinsic – and therefore low-cost and straightforward to use. It must be noted, though, that watermarks only work in transmitted light – and it can be difficult to hold a box up to the light to see through the watermark!
Of the extrinsic authenticators, holograms have proven themselves to be the cost-effective option. Remember that these days, the challenge is not so much to stop the counterfeiters, but to stop fake products from reaching the customers. That is, the challenge is the technology's ability to aid "detection" of fakes. And holograms have an excellent track record as "detectors" – just ask Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz and other hologram users.
BPC: What are the various types of holograms and how do they differ from each other?
IL: For authentication, there are two basic groups: surface-relief holograms, the most common type, and Lippmann holograms. The first can be mass-produced at very low cost and are the well-known rainbow-hued holograms that can be applied as labels, packaging and hot-stamping foil. Lippmann holograms offer higher resolution and an image that projects a greater sense of "solidity" in 3D. It can be more recognisable, but they are more expensive than surface-relief holograms.
BPC: How far have holograms gone from 60 years ago?
IL: The technology has gone from a dim, two-dimensional shadow image to the full-color, three-dimensional holograms that we have today. The first hologram, made by Dennis Gabor, was a dim, flat, small image made using a powerful arc lamp. Lasers (invented in the early 1960s) made it more straightforward to make bright, 3D holograms, and the technology has progressed rapidly since then. The IHMA is marking the 60th anniversary of holograms - from the first patent filing in 1947, to the first public paper in 1948 - and our website has a history of the key watershed developments.
BPC: How exactly can the new-generation holograms confound today's sophisticated counterfeiters?
IL: It is practically impossible to copy with 100% accuracy a "fit-for-purpose" authenticator hologram – and that's why national drug regulators and so many companies use them! A copy might pass a consumer's examination - it may be what the US Secret Service calls “passable product” – but a trained examiner can detect the fakes. Today, genuine holograms can be distinguished with the help of features such as laser-viewable images, microtext, movement, and the forensic details introduced by the hologram's creator.
BPC: What kind of products do holograms serve best – and least?
IL: There are no limits. Any document or product that needs to be authenticated or proven genuine can depend on holograms. Price-wise, it is a worthwhile investment. Certainly, surface relief holograms are so thin they can be added to a substrate without any appreciable addition of thickness, which is important for things like banknotes which are stacked together. Lippman holograms are thicker, so are suitable as labels or laminates where that added thickness isn’t an issue.
BPC: Can you tell us any success stories related to security printing?
IL: Just look at the euro banknotes! They still have a very low incidence of counterfeits, and in most cases, the hologram on the banknote has been a key feature – perhaps the key feature – that has helped distinguish the real from the counterfeit.
BPC: Any drawbacks?
IL: Some cost-conscious brand owners would say price, but that's a cost-centric perspective. In every case we know of, the ROI of using holograms has been very good, simply because of the rise in sales when you take away the fakes from the equation.
BPC: Who is the current market leader in this technology?
IL: There is no one market leader. There are many excellent hologram producers – 90 of them now members of the IHMA – and each with their own proprietary products
BPC: Are holograms a consumer-centric solution? Can consumers themselves detect fakes by using this technology?
IL: We must remember that most consumers lack the awareness, training and even motivation to use holograms – or any kind of technology – to detect counterfeits. No, holograms - like other authenticators - are best examined by trained specialists on the manufacturer's side. But holograms are "consumer-centric" in the sense that they are easily seen by consumers and the presence of holograms in a product assures a consumer that the manufacturer cared enough to take action to prevent the product from being counterfeited and harming the customer.
BPC: Do you think the new combined solutions – like IC tags (holograms and RFID) – are the wave of the future?
IL: It is accepted today that layering authentication is the best approach, and that the combination of secure tracking and human-examinable authenticators is how authentication technology is evolving. So of course, combination devices are one future route for holograms. But serialization and tracking can also be achieved with holograms alone. Combining holograms with other devices is not necessarily the solution unless the reading infrastructure requires non-optical technologies.
BPC: What do you think will be the next generation of hologram technology?
IL: In terms of anti-counterfeiting, combination and interactive holograms are now being introduced commercially, as are full-color animated holograms. And every hologram producer with a serious interest in the authentication market has a high R&D budget to ensure that they stay ahead of the competition and the counterfeiters!
Ian Lancaster will be chairing a workshop panel on new generation high security holograms at the 5th Pan-European High Security Printing Conference in Prague on April 16-17. 2008. |
