Hologram Industry News

January 16, 2009, [United Kingdom]; The International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA) has elected a new Board following its recent AGM - and the end of a successful year marking the 60th anniversary of the invention of the hologram.

Optaglio’s Philip Hudson becomes the new Chairman. Fellow Board members are Khalid Khanani of Metatex (Pakistan) and Rob Levy of Holo-Source (USA). Simone Foine of Centro Grafico (Italy) becomes the new regional representative for the EU/EFTA, while Manoj Kochar of Holoflex (India) is the new deputy regional representative for Asia.

The Board is now comprised as follow:
• Philip Hudson – Optaglio (UK/CzechRepublic) – Chairman
• Khalid Khanani - Metatex (Pakistan) - Board member
• Rob Levy - Holo-Source (USA) – Board member
• G S Dhillon - Alpha Lasertek (India) – Asian representative
• Manoj Kochar - Holoflex (India) – deputy Asian representative
• Laurence Holden - JDSU (USA) - North American representative
• Pedro de Eguiluz Selvas - Fast Forms (Mexico) - deputy North American representative
• Simone Foine - Centro Grafico (Italy) - EU/EFTA representative
• Goran Milinovic - System Intelligence Products (Serbia) - East Europe/CIS representative
• Dmitry Paltsev - First Print Yard Holographics (Russia) - deputy East Europe/CIS representative

At the IHMA, Chairman Philip Hudson said: “2008 was a year of remarkable technical achievement and progress.

“The industry is a very strong position, with innovation being driven not only by established hologram companies but also those new to the industry.

“New ideas and investment is allowing the holography industry to expand rapidly – borne out by the membership of the IHMA, which stands at an all time high with more than 90 and is expected to reach 100 soon.”

About IHMA:
The IHMA is made up of 90 of the world’s leading hologram companies, including leading producers and converters of holograms for banknote security, anti-counterfeiting, brand protection, packaging, graphics and other commercial applications around the world.

January 16, 2009[Vrindavan, U.P., India] - Giriraj Foils announced today the introduction of a new range of Hot Stamping Foil for the hologram industry & film for making holographic tape. The new foils are designed specially for the hologram industry, available in thickness of 19 & 23 microns. The foil is suitable for spot holography & continuous Strip transfer applications and gives effective result for scratchable & non-scratchable applications. The company has launched its new product with an eye to attract security hologram industry, which requires new & innovative product line to keep themselves ahead against counterfeiters. According to Ashish Narula, General Manager (Marketing) “Beside this GFPL have also specialized in producing sophisticated security featured film for making holographic self adhesive tape. The newly developed holographic tape provides” two tier security” features to brand owners. With this film ,making of holographic tape becomes very easy as no separate release paper is required. To begin with, introduction is being made in 24 micron thickness & 170 mm width, but the same can be made as per need of the customer also.

For further technical and pricing information on Giriraj Foils New product line, please contact at (91) 565 – 2443822 , 2442276, 6534422 FAX (91) 565 2455822 or giriraj_vbn@rediffmail.com / ashish@girirajfoils.com.

About Giriraj Foils Pvt Ltd
Incorporated in 1993, GFPL is India’s leading manufacturer of premium grade films for holograms. GFPL specializes in manufacturing of a broad range of specialty coated films and foils.

Continuous research and development is a major part of KURZ’s philosophy. The company has extended its range of foils and developed a new product line - BlackLine Magnetics®.
Kurz’s focus during the design development was to produce a black magnetic foil with a modern grey or silver overprint in three different shades, which is intended to elevate card designs and/or simply replace a black magnetic stripe with a superior one.
The foil is available in three grades for three varied creations: Grade 1 is the most restrained version, which is only visible at close inspection for discreet decoration. Grade 2 is a filigree pattern creating a high-end look, while grade 3 is the real eye-catcher with exciting design. Sources: www.kurzin.com

About Kurz
KURZ is a major international supplier of hot stamping technology. The company has more than 3,500 employees as well as nine production facilities located throughout Europe, the United States, and the Pacific region. It also has 19 international branch offices and 70 exclusive distributors with the ability to provide full-service solutions that match the requirements of each individual customer.

From 1st January 2009, Polish police will be using new, standardized identification cards.The cards will be plastic with increased security measures such as multiple holograms and the word POLICJA written across the top. The new cards are a standardization for the whole country, ensuring that it is not as easy to illegally pose as a policeman and abuse the position.

Last year too, CHESTER-based firm UreLife has launched UK’s first pre-paid debit card which is aimed primarily at the nation’s teenagers with the company saying it wants to “introduce a new generation to the cashless society”.

The UreLife Card, which combines a pre-paid Visa debit card with a colour photograph of the holder and Government approved proof-of-age hologram. The card is available to anyone from the age of 12 upwards and is available according to age groups; 12-15 years, 16-17 years, 18-20 years, 21+ years and 60+ years. Cards are colour-coded according to the age category of the cardholder and a colour photograph, PASS hologram and printed date of birth makes the card unique.

The UreLife card incorporates a unique numbering system that allows online retailers to easily and automatically reject payments from underage purchasers. The long number on the card - required for online and telephone payments - directly corresponds to the cardholder’s age-bracket.