Holographic film, also sold as rainbow film, laser film, iridescent PET or hologram mylar, is polyester film whose surface carries a micro-embossed pattern that splits light into colours. It is bought by the roll by packaging printers, label converters, gift-wrap and craft suppliers, textile trim makers and lighting and display manufacturers. This guide explains the grades and what to state when asking for a quotation.
How it is made
A metallised or transparent PET film passes under an embossing roller that presses a pattern of microscopic grooves into the surface. The grooves act as a diffraction grating: white light reflecting off them is spread into a spectrum, which is why the film shows shifting colours as it moves. The base film, the metal layer and the emboss are three separate choices, and each one changes the look and the price.
The grades you will see
| Grade | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Metallised holographic | Aluminium-metallised PET with the pattern embossed on the metal face | Gift wrap, packaging, labels, decorative laminates, balloons |
| Transparent holographic | Clear PET embossed without a metal layer; colours appear over whatever is behind it | Overlaminates, windows, security and anti-copy applications |
| Semi-transparent | Light metallisation; colours plus some see-through | Display, lighting diffusers, textile trims |
| Pattern names | Seamless rainbow, pillars of light, sparkle, cracked ice, micro-dots, geometric motifs | Chosen for appearance; the name describes the emboss, not a performance |
The pattern names are not standardised between suppliers. Ask for a physical swatch; our pattern library shows holographic and iridescent samples photographed from our own stock.
Points that change the quotation
- Base: metallised or transparent, and film thickness in microns.
- Pattern: name it from a swatch, or send a sample of the film you use now.
- Seamless or repeating: some patterns show a visible repeat at the embossing-roller circumference; seamless patterns avoid it but are not available in every design.
- Surface treatment: corona or primer on the back face if you will print, coat or laminate. Print trials on the quoted construction are worth the time; holographic surfaces do not take every ink.
- Lamination: if the film will be laminated to paper, board or fabric, say so, because adhesive choice depends on the face.
- Roll format: slit width, roll length, core diameter, and the winding direction (pattern face in or out).
What holographic film does not tell you
Holographic film is decorative. The emboss does not change barrier, strength or fire behaviour compared with the base film, and a colourful sample says nothing about those properties. If the application needs a fire class or a barrier figure, that is a question about the base construction and its test report, not about the pattern; see is mylar film fire retardant?.
Supply scope
We supply holographic mylar film as roll stock from our Shenzhen factory, alongside metallised, clear, white, black and coloured PET grades, slit to width. Pattern, base, treatment and format are confirmed in writing for the exact construction quoted. Send a swatch of the pattern you want and we will confirm the closest one we make.