The surge in e-commerce requires new and innovative technologies to safeguard consumers. NanoGrafix, an advanced security solutions provider, has developed such a technology.

The company, which is based in San Diego, CA, USA, has created a wide range of digital holographic and optical solutions to secure printing in numerous segments. These range from government applications, such as currency and tax stamps, to labels, packaging, textiles, lottery tickets and more. Security and anti-counterfeiting have emerged as viable outlets for label converters looking to diversify their businesses. This technology can also be used for optical decorative applications in labels and packaging, where every label or package can have a different holographic image or optical effect.

Despite added complexities, most applications printed with ink can be counterfeited. NanoGrafix set out to make each hologram or optical structure – and its inherent encrypted information – different from the next one. The goal is to enable printers to deliver a unique identifier for each hologram while also avoiding historically long lead times and high costs.

For example, if a client requests one million holograms, each label will have a different holographic image and different holographic encrypted information.

“We have seen tremendous explosion in the demand for viable security solutions,” explains Dan Lieberman, president and CEO of NanoGrafix. “We have been approached by so many companies to devise secure solutions to their counterfeiting problems. E-commerce has exacerbated the counterfeiting of products from all over the world. We have been busier in the last five years serving this market than in the past 37 years.”

NanoGrafix’s holograms and optical structures can be printed on conventional printing equipment with a special attachment and software that NanoGrafix provides to security printers and converters, notes Lieberman. In this way, the holograms are instantly produced, different from each other and printed in one pass, with the other inks of the printing machine in perfect register.

This technology is based in optical structures that do not need to be holographic, therefore providing greater complexity than what is currently offered by traditional holographic methods. Additionally, the lead times are shorter because the printer does not need to outsource these projects. The cost equivalent is that of security inks, which is lower than the cost of traditional holograms. 

“With our new technology, you can start the production of a job in seconds,” says Lieberman. “The holography is created on the spot and it is variable, so it is always in register to the other inks. In addition to this, the holography or optical structures are made with inks and/or lacquers. Today’s holograms, depending on size, security features, etc., can cost between 3 to 10 cents – if not more. With our new technology, you are under 0.5 cents per hologram – if not less.”

According to Lieberman, the concept of digital variable holography – as used by most companies – can often be misleading. “Currently, all holographic companies need to create a holographic master with the client’s images,” he explains. “This master – once it is done in the optical lab – is fixed, and whatever images are inside the master are replicated over and over until you have the number of holograms needed. These masters are created by a wide variety of systems such as dot-matrix, electron beam, lithographic systems, computer generated systems, traditional holographic exposures and so forth. Many of these systems are called digital holograms because they are automatic, where they are controlled by computers and based in special software that creates the images. But keep in mind that these digital holography holograms –once used on the master – all of the images are fixed and there is no image variability. Therefore, all holograms coming from these masters are exactly alike.”

Lieberman adds that this technology differs from cast and cure, cold stamping, hot stamping, and other holographic applications. “I call our technology Digital Variable Holography,” he says. “In this system, there is no master, as the holograms are being instantly created on the spot, with every printing cycle of the traditional printing machine. Each hologram can be totally different from the others. For example, the first can be a 3D bottle, the next a 3D lion, the next a 2D logo, and so on and so forth. In short, each hologram is unique, which is unlike today’s traditional holograms.”

NanoGrafix is already working with security printers and converters. A converter or security printer interested in using this technology will have to acquire the following from NanoGrafix: a license, an attachment made to their machine’s specifications that will be placed on their printing machine, and special software. The installation has been designed with simplicity in mind, and the training is geared to a company’s graphic designers.

Another plus, Lieberman notes, is that this technology can be printed on any kind of substrate. Plus, NanoGrafix is developing an app that will be able to read the holographic encrypted information on each of the holograms being manufactured. This versatile app will be able to integrate with other apps as necessary.

“It took me more than 10 years to develop this technology,” states Lieberman. “The technology is intended to empower printers to use their own holography, reducing lead times, costs and using it only where it is needed. I basically converted holography into a very new and exciting ink with endless applications. There is no more need for converters or printers to go and buy expensive holographic substrates. I firmly believe that this technology will be incorporated in all printing processes, and for the first time will allow expansion into applications that were too expensive to manufacture previously.”

The technology is set to be issued by January 2022.