Marketing directly to consumers with eye catching holographic materials, along with effective graphics right at the point of purchase can enable sales of a product to skyrocket. Also important is the role that holography plays in the security aspects of packaging. In the 1990's a major software developer tracked down counterfeit software manufactured in China because the hologram on the package was of very poor quality. Now, the machinery required to produce holograms is more accessible to product counterfeiters, and holograms are perceived by manufacturers as one of several measures to be used in packaging legitimate products to thwart counterfeiters. Infra Red inks are able to relay a product's authenticity to a reader, as well as other inventory or production information.
Security inks can also play a role in tamper evident applications and product integrity.
Thermochromatic inks are being used in packaging for this purpose, and in two distinct ways. First, the ink can be used in a separate tag which is adhered to a product that requires a controlled environment, such as a lack of humidity, a certain temperature, etc. 3M makes temperature sensitive tags for use in a grocery store's meat department. The tag is attached to the appropriate meat product package to show a customer that the product has been handled properly. A thermochromatic ink will display a certain shade of gray, or color to prove that a predetermined temperature was maintained.