Patent ID: 8068264

Claim:
An apparatus for printing holographic stereograms, comprising: a light source configured to produce a coherent beam; a beam splitter configured to split the coherent beam into an object beam and a reference beam; a material holder configured to hold a holographic recording material; an object beam unit comprising a first replaceable band-limited diffuser, wherein: the object beam unit is configured to display a rendered image and to condition the object beam with the rendered image to interfere with the reference beam on the holographic recording material, the first replaceable band-limited diffuser comprises a deterministic phase pattern designed to diffuse light in at least one of: a specific pattern or a specific direction, and the first replaceable band-limited diffuser is designed for a wavelength corresponding to a wavelength of the coherent beam; a first replaceable masking plate located in a path of the reference beam and proximate to the holographic recording material, wherein: the first replaceable band-limited diffuser and the first replaceable masking plate form a first matched set, and the first matched set is configured to allow exposure of a first elemental hologram of a first particular size on the holographic recording material; a second replaceable band-limited diffuser; a second replaceable masking plate, wherein: each of the first replaceable band-limited diffuser and the first replaceable masking plate are located in respective positions such that the first replaceable band-limited diffuser can be replaced with the second replaceable band-limited diffuser and the first replaceable masking plate can be replaced with the second replaceable masking plate, the second replaceable band-limited diffuser and the second replaceable masking plate form a second matched set, and the second matched set is configured to allow exposure of a second elemental hologram on the holographic recording material, wherein the second elemental hologram is at least one of: larger than the first elemental hologram, smaller than the first elemental hologram, or differently shaped than the first elemental hologram; and a computer programmed to control the interference of the object beam and the reference beam and the delivery of the rendered image to the object beam unit.