Holographic Labels · Metallic
The one effect a photocopier cannot steal
The short answer: a holographic film splits light into moving rainbow patterns. It exists in two very different jobs: as decoration on products that must be seen, and as authentication on products that must not be copied — because a scanner records one angle and a hologram only exists across many. From £256 per 100.
Any shape within this size — rectangle, round, oval or custom die-cut.
VAT invoice · card or bank transfer · proof before production · ±5 % quantity tolerance
- Printing
- 1 option
- Protection
- 1 option
- Adhesives
- 1
- Sizes
- 10 formats
- Smallest
- 35 × 30 mm
- Largest
- 55 × 105 mm
- Quantities
- 100 → 10 000, more quoted
- Variable data
- available
Printed from £256 per 100. Production 2 to 10 working days after proof approval.
Why it defeats a copier
A hologram is not an image, it is an angle
Diffraction depends on where the light comes from and where your eye is. A scanner, a photocopier and a phone camera all record a single angle, so what they capture is a flat, dull smear — recognisably not the original. That is the entire security value, and it is why holographic film sits in the security range as much as in the decorative one.
It is not, on its own, a serious anti-counterfeit system: a determined copier buys holographic film too. What makes it work is the combination — a hologram and a serial number, so each seal is both hard to reproduce and individually accounted for. That pairing is the standard specification for warranty and authentication work.
- Base
- polyester film
- Printing
- full colour
- Protection
- gloss lamination
- Adhesive
- permanent
- Sizes
- up to 55 × 105 mm
- Numbering
- available in the run
- From
- £256 / 100
Designing on a rainbow
The film fights your artwork, so give it room
A holographic ground is visually loud and constantly changing — everything printed on it competes with it. The labels that work are almost empty: a mark, a number, a short line of type in solid black or in an opaque white, and a great deal of bare film left to do what it does.
Solid colours only
Gradients and pale tints disappear into the diffraction. Black and opaque white are the two inks that always read.
Add a number
A hologram proves the material; a serial number proves the individual item. Together they make a seal auditable — printed in the run from 100.
Order a physical proof
No screen shows diffraction. If the label matters, look at it in the light it will live under before approving.
Price by quantity
What a run actually costs
Up to 55 × 70 mm, full colour, gloss lamination — die, setup and printing included.
| Quantity | Run price | Per label |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | £256 | £2.56 |
| 200 | £264 | £1.33 |
| 300 | £274 | £0.92 |
| 500 | £283 | £0.56 |
| 1 000 | £327 | £0.33 |
| 1 500 | £360 | £0.24 |
| 2 000 | £402 | £0.21 |
| 3 000 | £474 | £0.15 |
| 5 000 | £639 | £0.13 |
| 10 000 | £1 052 | £0.10 |
Excluding VAT and delivery. Other sizes, finishes and quantities are priced in the configurator above.
FAQ
Holographic — what customers ask us
Why can a hologram not be photocopied?
Because it is not an image but an optical effect that depends on the angle of the light and of your eye. A scanner or a camera records one angle, so the copy comes out as a flat grey smear — visibly not the original, which is exactly what an inspector needs.
Is it enough to stop counterfeiting on its own?
No, and we would rather say so. Holographic film is available to anyone who looks for it. What makes it effective is combining it with serial numbers, so each seal is both hard to reproduce and individually logged. A hologram without a number proves very little.
Can it be printed in full colour?
Yes, but keep the design sparse. The diffraction is visually dominant, so gradients and pale tints vanish into it. Black and an opaque white are the two inks that hold, and empty film is what makes the effect visible.
Why does it cost more than the other metallics?
The film itself is the expensive part — a specialist material bought in small quantities. At £256 per 100 it sits above every other metallic; the price falls to about £0.16 a label at 3 000, but the curve flattens sooner than on a paper stock.
Is it waterproof?
Yes — a polyester film with a gloss lamination over the print. It handles condensation, handling and cleaning, which is why it works on devices and packaging rather than only on paper documents.
Impossible to photocopy. Easy to check.
Holographic polyester, numbered on request, from £256 per 100.