What is a hologram, and how does it work?
Most things sold as holograms today aren't true holograms. Here's what each one is, so you can tell them apart.
A true hologram is a 3D image recorded and rebuilt using laser light. What businesses buy as a hologram display, including our HoloBox, creates the same impression in other ways, such as a bright image on a transparent screen.
The five things people call a hologram
| Type | How it works | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| True hologram | Laser light records how light bounces off an object, then rebuilds it | Labs, art and security stickers on cards |
| Pepper's ghost | A hidden image reflects off a sheet of angled glass or foil | Stages and museums |
| Hologram fan | Spinning LED blades flash so fast that the blades seem to vanish | Shop windows and small displays |
| Light-field display | The screen sends slightly different images to each eye | Design studios and desks |
| Transparent display box | A bright image plays on a clear screen inside a lit cabinet, so a person or product seems to float | Events, lobbies and retail. This is what a HoloBox is |
How a HoloBox creates the effect
The 7-foot HoloBox has an 86-inch transparent 4K panel. The image plays on the panel with space behind it, so a person appears to stand inside the cabinet at life size.
It's honest to call this a hologram effect, and not a true hologram. You see it without glasses, in a normally lit room. See the full specifications.
If you're comparing options
- Small and low-cost: see hologram fan or life-size display.
- For one event: see HoloBox rental, from ₹75,000 a day plus GST.
- To keep one: see rent, buy or lease.
- To hold a conversation: see AI hologram receptionist.
Questions, answered.
Are holograms real?
Yes. True holograms have existed for decades, mostly in labs, art and security stickers. Most commercial hologram displays use other methods to create a similar effect.
Can you touch a hologram?
Not the image itself. On a HoloBox, visitors touch the panel in front of the image, which has 10-point touch, so the image responds as if touched.
Do you need glasses to see one?
Not with a HoloBox, a hologram fan or Pepper's ghost. Everyone in the room sees it with the naked eye.
Do hologram displays work in daylight?
A HoloBox is made for indoor light: 400 nits, in an air-conditioned space, away from direct sunlight and glass roofs.
Is a hologram the same as a 3D video?
No. A 3D video on a normal screen stays flat on that screen. A hologram display makes the subject seem to occupy real space.
Last reviewed 5 November 2026.
See one in person.
A demo answers more than any article. Tell us where you are.