Clever "P-flat" Sheets Allow for Simple "Holographic" Effects on 3D-Printed Objects

A novel technique for transferring holographic-style imagery to layers of a 3D-printed model has been developed — and it's as simple as placing a sheet of material on the print bed.

Publicized by Redditor kryvian, and brought to our attention by Make:, the clever method for creating a stunning holographic-like pattern on printed materials is surprisingly simple: "The print surface is a negative of the print bed," kryvian explains, "similar to how textured sheets leave the surface of prints."

While in traditional 3D printing having the printed material take up the texture of the bed is an unwelcome side effect of the process, and necessitates having as smooth and clean a print bed as possible, kryvian's approach makes it a feature by choosing specially-textured materials that leave behind fine diffraction gratings in the print.

"They're called P-flats, made by Tectonitor," kryvian notes, and each one should be good for up to 50 prints — after which, though no material is transferred between the P-flat and the printed object, the gratings will have worn to the point of no longer creating the iridescent effect.

The technique does require some care, however: "First layer has to be absolutely perfect," says kryvian, "or it will appear as tears/holes in the hologram."

More information is available in kryvian's Reddit thread, while the P-flat sheets are available to order from Taiwanese web shop Shopee.