Making Holograms

Uniting Art and Science.

By Pearl John

The color reflection hologram pictured above was produced with a 5mW Helium Neon laser.

Introduction

The activity suggested below involves making a simple hologram with a laser
diode pointer that you can buy in a local store - or a helium neon laser found in
college and university physics departments (you need one of about 5 milliwatts).
The setup described is a fairly simple one and once mastered you can
experiment with the more complex processes of color holography as explained
by Bob Young and Larry Nunn high school students at the Career Center.

Why make a hologram? It’s fun. Holograms have a magical element to them and
making them -- under a dark green safe light -- can feel like taking part in a
theatrical performance. You will also feel pretty proud of yourself when you
succeed in producing one.

Holograms are everywhere: on credit cards, clothing, events tickets, stickers,

videos, book covers, and many other types of packaging. Holography can be
found on money and stamps in some countries and even in jewelry and nail
varnish. Yet, even though they appear everywhere there are very few people
who know how to make one, let alone understand how a hologram is produced or
why it is three-dimensional. Researching the answers to these questions will
introduce you to basic light theory, encompassing reflection, refraction,
diffraction, working with optics and polarization. It will also teach you about the
differences between laser light and sun light --why do you need a laser to make a
hologram? And why is it that if you break up a hologram you will be able to see
the whole object in each broken piece? It will also lead you to learn about
interference and stereoscopic vision. How do your eyes perceive color and
space?

Holography provides a bridge between art and science and if you are more
interested in the final image rather than the process you can make a successful
hologram without knowing any of the physics involved. What may be more
important for an artist and/or designer is experimenting with the spatial dimension
of holography. Holography is the only art medium that can represent two solid
objects as existing in the same space -- a three-dimensional version of cubist
painting for those of you interested in art history.

Holography can be a wonderful art medium to work with. Holography is a

relatively unexplored field; there are so many opportunities for producing artwork
that is innovative and new. Not only can you produce single holographic images
creatively, but you can also use holography as an element of sculpture. Below is
a photograph of a "Light Chair", decorated with 45 2.5 x 2.5" holographic plates
produced by me and four of my students, Jared Cotton, Oliver Gerard, Zach
Houston, and Josh Evans for a local exhibition in June 1999. The holograms
throw out rainbows, and streaks of color appear inches below the surface of the
chair and hover inches above. The back of the holograms were sprayed black,
the edges of the holograms were surrounded with self-adhesive copper tape
(bought from a stained glass window supplier), and then the square holographic
plates were soldered together to produce a mosaic.
 "LIGHT CHAIR" Holography mosaic, 1999.
By Pearl John, Jared Cotton, Zach Houston, Josh Evans, and Oliver Gerard.

Holography can involve physics, art, chemistry, electronics and even English
departments within a school (holography can provide an excellent starting point
for creative writing) involving staff and students in cross-curricular activities. This
makes it an interesting refreshing collaboration for teaching staff as well as
students who can benefit from working with students they may not usually mix
with.

Aside from applications in security, advertising, and marketing, holography is

also used in medicine, art conservation, and nondestructive testing for
engineering purposes. Learning about holograms and laser technology, which
makes holography possible, can provide you with information about a wealth of
career choices, including telecommunications, fiber optics, laser manufacturing,
art and design. There is currently a need for laser technicians throughout the
United States and starting salaries in the Midwest are around $40,000 -- after a
two-year college degree. Girls are especially encouraged to take this career path
as the nontraditional new technology careers are much better paid than
traditional ones and women are currently underrepresented in the field.
Steps

Keep a journal during this project and make a note of everything that you do.
Your failures will tell you as much as your successes, so it is important to keep a
record of what didn’t work in order to end up with a good hologram.

First, choose a laser to work with. Holograms can now be made with laser
pointers that you can buy from your local shops (Target/Walmart -- in the
Midwest) and/or from catalogs (Edmund Scientific) for as little as $10.00.
Strangely enough, the cheaper the laser the better -- the short bullet-shaped
lasers work the best. These cheaper lasers have a small lens at the front to focus
the laser light into a narrow beam. Saw that lens off! This will result in the beam
spreading out. If you feel reluctant to carve up your laser pointer you could aim
your laser beam through a microscope lens  (a detachable objective). Ask your
biology teacher to spread the beam out. If you can, detach the batteries. A
student on the Introduction to Laser Technology course at the Columbia Area
Career Center, Columbia Missouri, had the idea to fit the laser pointer into a
flashlight. The laser pointer on/off button can also be held down by a wooden
clothespin.

If you have chosen to saw off your condensing lens on the front of your pointer
you will need no more optics. Please see diagram below.

HOLOGRAPHIC SET UP WITH LASER POINTER -- NO LENS

If you don’t want to destroy your laser pointer and need to spread out your beam,
you can use a microscope objective. Set your pointer up on the floor and direct it
through a microscope objective. The expanded beam will need to cover the 2.5"
x 2.5" holographic plate which I suggest you use, so experiment with how far
away to place the objective from your object.

HOLOGRAPHIC SET UP WITH LASER POINTER AND MICROSCOPE OBJECTIVE

Alternatively, you can aim your laser beam at a concave front surface mirror and
hot-glue it onto something to hold it in place. The laser will need to be directed
onto a mirror and the reflected light will then need to be directed onto your object.
Again experiment with how far away you need to place the mirror from your
object in order to cover the 2.5" x 2.5" plate.

Concave Mirror

object

Holographic plate

Laser

HOLOGRAPHIC SET UP WITH CONCAVE MIRROR

Select a suitable object for making a hologram: you need a small shiny or
metallic object, e.g., a watch, coins, small chess piece or a piece, of jewelry
would be a good object to practice with although these are far too commonplace
holographic subject matter.  Once you have produced a hologram it would be
good to perhaps make your own object in white clay or metal. If an object you
want to make a hologram of isn’t very reflective, spray it with silver or gold spray
paint. I have used a brass duck to show you an example of a suitable object.

Once you have placed your object in the spread beam secure the object and the
laser firmly using ticky tack or hot glue. Any movement or vibration while the
shooting   the hologram may result in a dim hologram, or nothing may appear on
the holographic plate at all. If your object moves during your exposure you may
see black marks or lines on it. Next, put a piece of folded black card in front of
the laser beam to block the laser light. Turn out the lights and under a dim green
safelight take out a holographic plate. One side of the holographic plate has a
thin layer of light-sensitive emulsion on it; the other side is just glass. To tell the
difference between the two, breathe on one side. I call this the "huff" test. If the
plate mists up then that is your glass side. This side is aimed toward the laser.
The side that doesn’t fog up is the side with the emulsion on it that absorbs your
breath: that side faces the object. Place the plate on small pieces of ticky tack as
close to your object as possible. It is okay if it leans against your object as long
as it is stable.

You are now ready to expose your hologram. Wait in the dark without touching
your setup for approximately 5 minutes. This allows your setup to stop moving on
a microscopic level. The wait will allow air currents to die down in the room you
are working in. Do not move about near your setup during this time because any
movement on the floor will disturb your objects. Try to prevent people from
talking, get everyone to sit down and wait calmly and patiently. After the 5
minutes are up, very gently pull the paper block up and expose for approximately
6 seconds (this depends on what type of film you are using -- ask the
manufacturers for their advice). Transfer your holographic plate to a light-proof
box and get your chemicals ready for developing.

I would recommend using Integraf’s GP2 or JD3 developer (depending on

whether you want to shoot plates or film). Follow the directions included with the
chemicals precisely for the best results. Please see the advanced holography
section below for a more thorough procedure for developing.

Once your hologram is dry look at it under sunlight, an overhead projector lamp
or a halogen spot light or a bright flash light. Please note holograms do not
appear clear under fluorescent lights. You need a single beam of light hitting the
hologram at the same angle at which you made it to see the brightest, sharpest
results.
Your results & troubleshooting.

Assess your results very carefully. Holography is tricky. Don’t expect to get a
perfect hologram every time. Hope for a one in three success rate. What does
your hologram look like? Write down all the things that you can see in your
hologram, even if you can’t see the whole image. If your hologram was dim and
blurry the object may have been too far away from the plate. Was there nothing
on your plate at all? If so that was probably due to movement during your
exposure -- how can you make things more secure? Was someone moving
around outside the room, talking perhaps? Or did a car go past down the street?
Are you near an air vent or heating duct that may be rumbling the floor? Listen
very carefully in the dark and try to pinpoint anything that may be causing
vibrations. Perhaps you moved when you were exposing the plate. How can you
prevent this movement. Holographers do build sand tables and heavy concrete
tables to prevent movement and they will often place their tables on rubber
tubing to isolate vibrations from the floor. The Holography Handbook offers many
alternatives to making holograms on the floor for those of you who are serious
about making holograms.

Holography Troubleshooting.
Problem Catagories
1. Equipment
2. Exposure
3. Development

Results Reason Suggested Solution

1. No image

Equipment Equipment

Object should be smaller than the

Unsuitable object - very limited
plate, shiny and preferably
amount of light reflected off object.
metallic.Ie.Coins/ watches/ sports
(Blue/green/black or dull).
medals/figurines.
Movement – either laser, object, optics
Secure all equipment
(mirror or lens),
(wobble test)
holographic plate in plate holder are
unstable.

Exposure
Expose plate for longer amount of
Hologram underexposed
time.

Development Check development formula and

expiration dates. (Mixed JD3 A+B
Plate was pre-exposed or fogged. developer only lasts 8 hours.
Old, or incorrect chemicals used. Dispose after this time.
2. Dim Hologram
Equipment
Unsuitable object - very limited
amount of light reflected off object.
(Blue/green/black or dull).
Object should be smaller than the
plate, shiny and preferably
metallic.Ie.Coins/ watches/ sports
medals/figurines.
Secure all equipment
(wobble test)

Movement – either laser, object,

optics (mirror or lens),
holographic plate in plate holder are Expose plate for longer amount of
unstable. time.

Exposure
Hologram underexposed Check expiration date on plates,
ensure no light gets to the plate
before exposing or development.
Development Check development formula

Plate was pre-exposed or fogged.

Old, or incorrect chemicals used.

3. Plate Discoloration Equipment:

N/A

Exposure
Over exposure may lead to a white
area located near the center of the
hologram, surrounded by brownish
coloring.
Move plate further away from the
laser so that the beam becomes
more diffuse and provides more
even coverage.

Development
N/A
4. Lines of color throughout the
hologram. Equipment

Color in edges of the holographic

Light entered edge of holographic
plate with a black permanent
plate causing Total Internal Reflection
marker before you expose it to the
(TIR).
laser light.

4. Dark lines within Equipment

hologram. Dust on mirror Gently remove dust from mirror
using lint free cloth
Exposure
Well exposed

Development
Well developed.

Materials

The following materials may be found in photographic darkrooms, chemistry labs,

physics labs and/or biology labs.

Equipment Required

1. Laser pointer -- (diode) which can be purchased from a local store, or a

5mW Helium Neon laser -- try to borrow one from your local college or
university
2. Holographic plates or holographic film (similar to photographic film) --
purchase from Integraf, contact address below
3. A dark green light bulb 60W to act as a safe-light (instead of the red one
used in photographic dark room). Holographic film or plates are sensitive
 to red light, the color of the laser you are using, which is why a green bulb
should be used
4. Photographic developing trays.
5. Measuring cylinder
6. Distilled water
7. Holographic developing chemicals -- purchase from Integraf
8. Color chemistry -- Triethanolamine from the Photographic Formulary
9. An object to make hologram of -- small & shiny; coins, chess pieces, dice,
watches are all holographic cliches, but start with them for good results
10. Ticky tack -- or poster tack
11. Hot glue gun

Safety

Laser Safety -- Never look down a laser beam. Laser pointers are dangerous,
even though they are small. Read the label on the laser. It will probably say
"DANGER” -- Laser Radiation -- avoid direct eye exposure. Power Output <5mW
Class IIIa Product." The classification relates to the ANSI standard Z136.1 --
1993. For a thorough understanding of the risks involved in using lasers I would
recommend the Laser Institute of America’s Laser Safety Guide. Do not point a
laser at anyone and when aiming the beam at a reflective object (e.g., glass or
metal) be aware of where the beam will reflect -- even a reflection off an object
can cause damage. However, with laser pointers the blink reflex protects you
from damage.

Chemical Handling -- Follow the precautions advised by the manufacturers of the

holographic chemistry you will be using. Read their instructions carefully. Use
rubber gloves and safety glasses to avoid contact with the chemicals and use a
fume cupboard to mix the chemistry when heating up.  If you have access to a
chemistry department, ask a chemistry teacher for assistance.

Activity 2 - ADVANCED HOLOGRAPHY AND COLOR CONTROL

By Students Larry Nunn and Robert Young

Why try color control? The activity above will give you a red hologram – this is a
rewarding project to try, however having more control over the image is even
more satisfying. The following describes a project using equipment designed
specifically for holography, however color holography can be done less
expensively. The students used holographic film, rather than holographic plates -
supplied by Integraf - which they sandwiched in-between two 4" x 5" glass plates.
The Holography Handbook, listed below gives many suggestions as to how this
can be done with homemade, rather than purpose built equipment.
PRE-SWELLING YOUR FILM BEFORE EXPOSURE

Equipment Used

Holography Studio Area

Engineering table
Green Safe light
30 mw Helium Neon laser. (MWK)
Key-locked power supply
Dual-ring laser mount with post and magnetic base
Collimating mirror
Two 4" x 5" glass plates
Plate holder
Agfa Holographic film
Cleaning solution
Object
Cleaning tissue
Safety signs
Mount for object
Stop watch
Beam blocks
Allen wrench and bolts
Ruler

Dark Room
2 graduated cylinders
Bottle of Triethanolamine (TEA)
5 small trays
2 large trays
Squeegy
Safe lights
Glass plate
Tissue paper
Distilled water
8 gallon containers with lids
Stop watch
Safety gloves
Safety goggles
Hair drier
Developer (JD3-A)
Developer (JD3-B)
JD3 bleach
Post treatment
Photoflo
Tap water
Bright light
Sink

Preparing your color bath.

In order to change the color of your final hologram you need to be able to control
the thickness of the holographic emulsion on your holographic film; thicker
emulsion results in blue/green images, while thinner emulsion results in
red/orange. To find out why this is the case you could research refraction - why
does white light split into the colors of the rainbow when it goes through a prism?
In order to change the thickness of the holographic emulsion you soak your
hologram in a solution of distilled water and a chemical called Triethanolamine.
Different strengths of this chemical bath result in different colors for your final
hologram. Follow the directions below to change your colors.

Firstly, decide what color you want your hologram to be so that you can mix your
chemistry. We chose red, green, and blue. Find what percentage of TEA
(Triethanolamine) to distilled water is needed to get that color; (refer to Graham
Saxby's Practical Holography Book) for red the percentage of TEA needed is 0%-
2%, green is 12%-15% and blue is 18%-22%. Now that you know the percent of
TEA that goes into distilled water you can use your math skills to figure out how
much distilled water and TEA to mix. We used 500mL of distilled water. To
figure out how much TEA to add to the 500mL of water take 500 and multiply it
by the percent for that color.

Example:
For a green mixture take 500ML X 15%= amount TEA in mL to mix.
So amount of TEA to mix in 500mL of distilled water is 75mL.

Add a few drops of photoflo (or one drop of washing up liquid) - to your solution,
this will make it easier to squeegy your hologram. (More about squeegying
later).

To mix your chemicals follow instructions with regard to safe handling of TEA. A
Material Safety Data Sheet will come with the chemical - read it and follow the
Safety precautions carefully. Fill a graduated cylinder with 500mL of distilled
water and pour into a large beaker or pitcher that will only be used for chemicals.
Open the bottle of TEA and measure out as much of the chemical as needed to
get the desired color. Slowly pour this into the distilled water in the pitcher. You
may have to pour the mixture of TEA and water back and fourth to get it mixed
and get all of the TEA out of the cylinder. Now pour this into a container with a
tight lid that has been rinsed well. Label the container for the percent mixture
that it has in it.
The best type of film to use is Agfa Holographic film, supplied by Professor T.
Jeong at Integraf. In order to pre-swell the film firstly turn all the lights off and
working under a dim green safe-light find the emulsion side of the film - the
emulsion side curves gently inwards - you can also breathe on the film and the
emulsion side won't fog up. Pour your TEA and water mixture into a developing
tray making sure that there is enough in the tray to cover all of the film. Place the
film in the tray, emulsion side up and let it soak for 2 minutes.

While the holographic film is soaking locate a squeegee and large glass plate (at
least 8" x 10") and clean off both really well. A squeegee is basically a car
windshield wiper blade - glued to a straight piece of wood to ensure that it stays
flat. Take the film out of the chemical tray and set it emulsion side up on the
glass plate and squeegee dry. Pull the squeegy gently down the surface of the
film three or four times and clean the squeegee after each time. Wipe around the
edges of the film carefully after each time. After squeegying dry the film with a
hair dryer on low heat. Next clean off the film side with a damp cloth. Next place
the film in a box to transport it to the shooting area. You are now ready to shoot
your hologram.

Hologram Set-up and Exposure

While there are many different types of holograms you can make; reflection,
transmission, laser lit holograms, white light holograms, 360 degree and multiple
image holograms we used a simple white light reflection hologram set-up for this
project. It is a single beam hologram that can be seen with white light once it is
produced. This is what our set-up looked like:
Clear off all unnecessary objects from the table. Hook up a green safe light so
you can see what you are doing in the dark. Clean off two glass plates that will
be used to sandwich your film. Once these are clean you are ready to shoot your
hologram. Turn off all light sources except for the laser and safe light. Make
sure object and film area is completely blocked off from laser light that might
come from the laser. Pull film out of box and sandwich between the two glass
plates. Make sure you know which side is the emulsion side. Place the
sandwiched film in the plate holder emulsion side towards the object and push
ticky tack all around the sandwiched glass. This ensures that the glass does not
move during an exposure. Let film settle for approximately ten minutes. When
the time is up, lift your beam block - or black card - from in front of laser without
exposing hologram. Hold it there for thirty seconds. Then remove beam block
completely from beam path for time needed for exposure.

Place beam block back in front of beam and make sure it is secure. Remove film
from plate holder and plates and place it back in the transporting box. You have
now shot your hologram and are ready to move on to the last step, developing
We shot four holograms, the first exposure was without pre-swelling so that we
could judge the exposure time needed.

First exposure (no pre-swelling) 6 seconds

Red exposure (2% pre-swelling) 5 seconds
Green exposure (15% pre-swelling) 4 seconds
Blue exposure (22% pre-swelling) 3 seconds

The thicker the emulsion the more sensitive to light the hologram becomes which
is why the exposure times decrease as the percentage of TEA increases.

Developing the Hologram

To develop the hologram go back to the dark room. First you must make sure
that you have the proper chemicals needed to develop your film. You will need;
developer, bleach, distilled water, running tap water, post-treatment solution and
photo flo. To prepare the developer mix equal amounts of JD3-A and JD3-B, we
recommend 150 mL of each. Pour the two chemicals into a photographic
developing tray (or flat white dish) at the same time and agitate the dish to make
sure that the chemicals mix. The developer can only be used once, dispose
directly after use.

Bleaching - Next take a similar white dish and pour 200 mL of JD3-bleach, label
the dish and set it next to the developer. The bleach can be used more than one
time and can be put back in proper container if not contaminated. Take another
white dish and pour 225 ml of Post-treatment into it. Like the bleach, the post-
treatment can be reused many times and can also be poured back into the
original container if not contaminated by other chemicals. In slightly larger white
container pour 400 ml of distilled water. Also in a larger dish, hook up the water
flow set to sink in the dark room (This allows the dish to keep cycling running tap
water through the dish). Now you're ready to develop. Place hologram in the
developer, emulsion side up. Let sit until dark, no more than two minutes (To
test to see if it is dark enough, hold it up to green light, if you can hardly see the
light through the hologram then it's done). Next set the film in the distilled water,
emulsion side up, for ten seconds. From the distilled water move the film to the
running water and let sit for three minutes. After the first wash, move the
hologram to the bleach. Agitate the dish until the hologram turns clear again, no
more than two minutes. After the hologram is clear, let sit in the bleach for
another minute, then move it to the running water and let it sit for three minutes.
Following the second three-minute wash, move the film to the post-treatment
solution and take the solution with the film in it out side in the sun or to a bright
light source. Let it sit under the bright light until the film turns a dark brown, then
remove the film and place it back in the running water for three more minutes.

After the final wash, place the film in the Photoflo for thirty seconds. Then
squeegee and blow-dry the emulsion side holding drier at arm's length to the
plate. You now have a hologram.
Standards and Assessment

The following Missouri “Show-Me” Education Standards will be addressed

throughout these activities;

Goal 1.

Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
gather, analyse and apply information and ideas.

Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability
to

1. develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research

2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
3. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize
information
4. comprehend and evaluate written, visual and oral presentations and works
5. evaluate the accuracy of information and the reliability of its sources for
analysis or presentation

Goal 2.

Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom.

Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability
to

1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of
purposes and audiences
2. review and revise communications to improve accuracy and clarity
3. exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the
perspectives of others
4. present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities and
sciences
5. perform or produce works in the fine and practical arts
6. use technological tools to exchange information and ideas
Goal 3.

Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
recognize and solve problems.

Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability
to

1. identify problems and define their scope and elements

2. develop and apply strategies based on ways others have prevented or
solved problems
3. develop and apply strategies based on one’s own experience in
preventing or solving problems
4. evaluate the processes used in recognizing and solving problems
5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general
premises
6. examine problems and proposed solutions from multiple perspectives
7. evaluate the extent to which a strategy addresses the problem
8. assess costs, benefits and other consequences of proposed solutions

Goal 4

Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to make
decisions and act as responsible members of society.

Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability
to

1. develop, monitor and revise plans of action to meet deadlines and

accomplish goals
2. identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to
complete those tasks
3. identify and apply practices that preserve and enhance the safety and
health of self and others
4. explore, prepare for and seek educational and job opportunities

Links

Websites

Laser Pointer Holography - Frank De Frietas provides a forum for questions and
answers about making holograms on his website and also airs weekly radio
interviews with holographers.

General information about careers in the field of optics and laser technology. The
International Society of Optical Engineers (SPIE) www.SPIE.org
Suppliers

Integraf suppliers of holographic plates, film and chemicals to develop them.

Phone 1 847 234-3756; Fax (874) 615 0835, e-mail: tjeong@aol.com.

Photographers’ Formulary Inc. suppliers of TEA PO BOX 950 Condon MT 59826

Phone: 1 406-754-2891. E-mail: formulary@montana.com.

Advisers/experts.

Professor T.Jeong – Integraf as above.

Frank DeFreitas frank@holoworld.com

Books:
Laser Holography - Experiments You Can Do From Edison. By Tung H. Jeong,
Ph.D. 1987 Thomas Alva Edison Foundation, Incorporated (available via
Integraf).

Frank De Frietas, Shoebox Holography System with guide. Please see above
website address for contact information.

Holography Handbook - Making Holograms the Easy Way. By Fred Unterseher,

Jeannene Hansen, Bob Schlesinger; Ross Books; PO Box 4340 Berkeley, Calif.
94704

Laser Safety Guide Laser Institute of America, Orlando.Ninth edition 1993,

Prepared by LIA Laser Safety Committee, Edited by David H. Sliney.

Practical Holography By Graham Saxby 1988 Prentice Hall International (UK)

Limited 1994.

My thanks to Richard Shanks and Oliver Gerard.

Pearl John is a Laser Technology teacher at the Columbia Area Career Center,
Columbia, Missouri, USA and holographic artist. Please contact her at
mail@pearljohn.co.uk for further information or clarification on any aspect of the
holography activity above.