The replication of holograms on a large scale requires the successful completion of many intricate steps from the initial artistic concept to the finished product. Complicated manufacturing processes must be done efficiently and economically to produce replicas displayed in an esthetically pleasing manner and with the maximum possible optical effect. A description is made of the "high tech laser button" that was designed as a souvenir for the recent World's Fair and the stages involved in its replication. In the basic design, an intricate overlay of multiple holographic gratings onto a recording medium was required. From this a durable metal master was made that was subsequently used to emboss the pattern into a thin plastic sheet. The resulting metallized plastic was die cut and mounted onto a button. The practical and artistic reasons for mounting the holograms in this fashion are discussed. Also considered are subsequent, more advanced designs and the unique optical effects that result from them.

Date Published: 13 December 1983
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 0402, Three-Dimensional Imaging, (13 December 1983); doi: 10.1117/12.935546

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0402:
Three-Dimensional Imaging
Jean P. L. Ebbeni; Andre Monfils, Editor(s)