The fact of the matter is that holograms in the form currently used in security are almost trivially easy to counterfeit. Although we know of no instances of counterfeited holograms in the security business per se, there are undeniable cases there commercial hologram designs have been counterfeited. The purpose of this presentation is to explore the more straightforward methods by which holograms can be counterfeited, and to offer ways that hologram counterfeiting may be prevented. There are two types of holograms currently produced in substantial quantities. Embossed holograms are the type used in most security applications, such as credit cards and passports.
Embossed holograms are easily mass produced at a low cost.
They are very thin when used in the form of hot stamping foil, but are highly durable. An embossed hologram is a microscopically detailed surface relief pattern analogous to a phonograph record or a compact disk. Denisyuk holograms are another type of hologram that has been considered for security applications but has not yet received wide use. Each Denisyuk hologram must be made with a laser in a high-resolution holographic recording medium, so this type of hologram is unavoidably more expensive and slower to produce. Also, Denisyuk holograms are relatively thick in their present form and are rather easily damaged 2.