Scratching a Niche

No longer limited because of price and availability, holographic substrates are going mainstream.

While the idea of holograms and holographic materials have been around for years, most converters—as well as suppliers—have ignored the technology for mass market applications because it was expensive and hard to get. As interest has grown however, suppliers now realize that holography has grown from niche products, seasonal promotions, and security applications to more mainstream packaging. Once reserved only for premium packaging marketers, holographics are enabling marketers of food, consumables, and more common products to boost shelf appeal and sales.

Applied Extrusion Technologies (Newark, Del.) has fully committed to holographic film with the creation of an in-house holographic film production operation at its Varennes, Quebec plant.

"Our studies indicate that package designers are extremely eager to embrace holography in new and creative ways in order to achieve unique attention-grabbing appeal for everyday products," says AET Business Director for Holographic Films Marty Aleksis. "[With the creation of in-house production], packaging engineers and brand managers will now find that capacity, quality, cost, and contract supply issues faced in the past with holography are no longer working against them."

The company installed custom embossing equipment at the site earlier this year and began sending out their first shipments in June. They are not alone in their increased emphasis on holographics.

Recently, Kurz Transfer Products (Charlotte, N.C.) announced the addition of six new patterns to its Sparkle Bright series of LIGHT LINE™ foils, further expanding their already wide variety of unique designs with varied effects. They range from holographic three-dimensional elements and geometric designs, to rainbow color effects. LIGHT LINE™ foil is perfect for products that require packaging with strong visual effects as simple movement and light color changes create motion on the packaging, helping to catch the eye and promote brand effect and shelf appeal. Industries such as cosmetics, spirits, and tobacco have quickly embraced Light Line™ foils for their marketing enhancements.

Kurz has also introduced new patterns for its standard line of foils. These diffractive light-reflecting foils display lens patterns that, although less than 1-mm deep, give the perception of having a thickness of several millimeters. These new design foils are particularly suited for use in the packaging field due to the depth effect achieved, combined with the rainbow color play producing a highly eye-catching look.

ITW Foilmark (Newburyport, Mass.) has expanded its product range "to cover the spectrum of graphic applications for a true, single source supply," and the expansion includes metallic, diffraction and pigment hot-stamp foil, holographic media, and laminations.

The Optimum Gold (OG) product line spans nearly every conceivable graphic arts application from fine line to broad area coverage on coated and uncoated stocks. Coupled with ITW's iSCAN technology, the foils are incorporated into dynamic packaging concepts making ITW Holographics a strong player in the holographics field. Promoted as a one-stop holographic solution shop, ITW offers patented computer-to-plate origination, tooling fabrication, and complete holographic design services.

Crown Roll Leaf (Paterson, N.J.) has always been at the innovative front of the substrate market with their security holograms, holograms, and holographic gratings created by the world's largest metallizers and embossers. Its line includes Retail-Vision™ holograms for maximum consumer shelf and point-of-purchase appeal through pixellated designs over two- and three-dimensional backgrounds. Pixel-Grafx™ enhances Crown Roll Leaf's multidimensional patterns with finely detailed sparkling patterns that allow for the addition of individual detail to items.

Also available from Crown Roll Leaf are 2-mil polyester pressure sensitive stock patterns which can be silkscreened or printed on to create high-visibility labels.

Pressure-sensitive films has long provided FLEXcon (Spencer, Mass.) with the versatility and durability needed to create labels with a unique, high-end look that other package decoration methods cannot achieve. Converters use "no-label-look" technology, pioneered by FLEXcon, to create holographic and metallized films for exciting label design innovations. And low initial start-up costs make pressure-sensitive film a good choice for either small- or large-quantity runs.

FLEXcon's products for primary and secondary labeling applications already offer a combination of aesthetics and durability characteristics to meet stringent converting and end-use requirements.