About Us
Personal Bio of the Seller
I have been producing commercial holography for 30 years. One could say that I eat, drink and sleep holography and am known around the world as one of the foremost authorities regarding commercial applications for display type holograms. I also own one of the largest collections of fine and commercial art holograms, as well as a multitude of mass-production holograms of various types.
I was a licensed agent for Polaroid’s holographic division from the mid 1980s to the time they closed in about 1997, at which time I purchased the bulk of their stock – some of which is for sale in my auctions (and more to come). To this day, my main business is in holography related applications, including custom commercial photopolymer holograms.
The information stated in the descriptions is always accurate to the best of my knowledge (please let me now if you notice any inaccuracies)
(888) 4000-2323
Hologram Care & Longevity
EMBOSSED: These are the most impervious to environmental factors and are unlikely to fade, In extreme cases of UV exposure it's possible, but they could be bumper stickers and likely will be here next time there are dinasaurs on earth! PHOTOPOLYMER: These are the second most robust type of hologram, but they can fade or discolor. Exposure to direct sunlight (UV) over long periods should be avoided, as it can cause discoloration or even 'fading' (which is really the interference pattern which makes the image shifting so far towards the red or blue end of the spectrum that it becomes hard to see or dim). Water is unlikely to affect most photopolymer holograms but it's best not to use anything wet directly on the film, espcially at the edges. SILVER HALIDE: Silver Halide film was chosen by most artists because it has great flexibility in creation and was fairly easy to expose and with access (though no longer made commercially so now hard to get) and because it could be made in flexible film instead of glass. Silver halide is like the old photographic film, and just like old photos it can deteriorate, though if kept in standard living environment and with low humidity and out of direct sunlight it should last indefinitely. Do not clean SH holograms with water, water will immediately deteriorate a silver halide hologram.
There are multiple mastering films, mastering types, production films and production types that are or have been used in the creation of holograms. The most common is Silver Halide, this is the format chosen by artists because it is (or was but that’s a long story) most affordable, created by an outside vendor (rather then deeding to be made by the holographer), and exposes well to the red spectrum for HeNe lasers which have always been the least costly (and least dangerous as generally lower power) and therefor most accessible to the greatest number of holographers.
Each film has different ways of being ‘coated’ and exposed. It is not possible really to say that a particular film is going to create images that are ‘less deep’, if the hologram is recorded it will be on a molecular level the same depth as the model it was created from (unless it is a stereogram but that’s another kettle of fish (or I suppose table of light in this case! ;-). Silver Halide is (or was) available in both flexible film and coated glass plates. Glass plates are far more expensive (especially given the waste factors in setup) but far more stable. Further, flexible film is much more complicated to expose as generally it requires the custom build of a film-drive unit – so it is used far more by companies then individuals, as the companies can afford the replication devices which usually also include scanning lasers and other costly elements. Because holograms work best when completely flat, glass plate holograms are considered the standard for highest quality recording, flexible film (even if laminated to glass or acrylic) has a tendency to warp or bend and is more likely to degrade over time.
There are multiple mastering films, mastering types, production films and production types that are or have been used in the creation of holograms. The most common is Silver Halide, this is the format chosen by artists because it is (or was but that's a long story) most affordable, created by an outside vendor (rather then deeding to be made by the holographer), and exposes well to the red spectrum for HeNe lasers which have always been the least costly (and least dangerous as generally lower power) and therefor most accessible to the greatest number of holographers. Each film has different ways of being 'coated' and exposed. It is not possible really to say that a particular film is going to create images that are 'less deep', if the hologram is recorded it will be on a molecular level the same depth as the model it was created from (unless it is a stereogram but that's another kettle of fish (or I suppose table of light in this case! ;-). Silver Halide is (or was) available in both flexible film and coated glass plates. Glass plates are far more expensive (especially given the waste factors in setup) but far more stable. Further, flexible film is much more complicated to expose as generally it requires the custom build of a film-drive unit - so it is used far more by companies then individuals, as the companies can afford the replication devices which usually also include scanning lasers and other costly elements. Because holograms work best when completely flat, glass plate holograms are considered the standard for highest quality recording, flexible film (even if laminated to glass or acrylic) has a tendency to warp or bend and is more likely to degrade over time.
For complete info, check out our website.