High-speed holographic images via inkjet printers

Researchers at ITMO University develop method for printing holographic rainbow images using inkjet printers.

We recently covered a 3D barcoding system that could protect a variety of items against counterfeiting. Researchers in Russia have now developed a method of rapidly printing the rainbow holograms used for counterfeit protection in credit cards and printed money.

The team from ITMO University have developed a method for rapidly producing the holograms using standard inkjet printers. Holograms are printed onto specially developed micro-embossed paper using a colorless, highly refractive titanium dioxide ink. The printed paper is then glossed over with a transparent polymer, resulting in a rainbow hologram pattern where the ink is deposited. With current methods taking potentially several days to complete, the team hopes to make the process much more efficient and cost effective.

The method can be scalable to any printer size. Where else could businesses find the need for holographic printing?