Producing images of security features

A process for handling a photosensitive film to produce a holographic image therein, comprising:

• rolling the photosensitive film at a downstream position;
• controlling a web tension of the photosensitive film at an upstream position;
• pressing a portion of the photosensitive film between the downstream position and the upstream position against a surface of a reflective optical device;
• directing a laser beam through the photosensitive film onto the reflective optical device, the laser beam interfering with a second laser beam reflected from or transmitted through the reflective optical device to generate the holographic image in the photosensitive film;
• masking a second area of the portion of the photosensitive film, with a first area of the portion of the photosensitive film exposed;
• directing the laser beam through the first area of the photosensitive film onto a first reflective optical device, and generating one or more three dimensional holographic images in the first area of the photosensitive film;
• pressing the second area of the portion of the photosensitive film against a surface of a second reflective optical device;
• projecting a two dimensional image according to two dimensional variable data with the laser beam;
• and
• directing the laser beam through the second area of the photosensitive film onto the second reflective optical device, and generating one or more two dimensional images according to the two dimensional variable data in the second area of the photosensitive film.

A process for handling a photosensitive film to produce a holographic image therein, comprising:

• rolling the photosensitive film at a downstream position;
• controlling a web tension of the photosensitive film at an upstream position;
• pressing a portion of the photosensitive film between the downstream position and the upstream position against a surface of a reflective optical device;
• directing a laser beam through the photosensitive film onto the reflective optical device, the laser beam interfering with a second laser beam reflected from or transmitted through the reflective optical device to generate the holographic image in the photosensitive film;
• and
• directing the second laser beam to transmit through the reflective optical device, wherein the reflective optical device is a master hologram including a first area with a security pattern and a second area, the holographic image includes a two dimensional image and a copy of the security pattern of the master hologram, the laser beam is reflected from the first area to generate the copy of the security pattern, the second laser beam transmits through the second area to generate the two dimensional image, the two dimensional image and the copy of the security pattern of the master hologram are generated simultaneously.

A system that produces a holographic image in a photosensitive film by copying a master hologram, comprising:

• a supply mechanism to supply the photosensitive film to the master hologram;
• a tension-control mechanism to control a web tension of the photosensitive film;
• a mounting mechanism to press a portion of the photosensitive film against a surface of the master hologram;
• an optical assembly that includes a first laser that generates a laser beam having a first wavelength and a second laser that generates a laser beam having a second wavelength, a beam combiner that receives and combines the laser beam from the first laser and the laser beam from the second laser to produce a combined beam, a beam splitter that receives the combined beam and splits the combined beam into a first laser beam and a second laser beam, a beam path for the first laser beam to impinge onto the photosensitive film from a first side thereof, and a beam path for the second laser beam to impinge onto the photosensitive film from a second side thereof, wherein the holographic image comprises a two dimensional image and/or a three dimensional image;
• and
• a roller take-up downstream from the supply mechanism to collect the photosensitive film.