A RECORDING MEDIUM BLANK IS EMPLOYED COMPRISING A SUBSTRATE HAVING A DIFFRACTION GRATING, COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF SPACED LINE RIDGES, ON A SURFACE THEREOF, TOGETHER WITH A PHOTORESIST DISPOSED ON THIS SURFACE WHICH FILLS THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT LINE RIDGES. THIS PROVIDES A SUBSTANTIALLY SMOOTH EXTERIOR SURFACE OF THE PHOTORESIST WHICH IS SITUATED IN PROXIMITY WITH THE RESPECTIVE TOPS OF THE LINE RIDGES MAKING UP THE DIFFRACTION GRATING. BY EXPOSING SUCH A RECORDING BLANK TO A FOCUSED IMAGE OF ANY COMPLEX OBJECT AND THEN DEVELOPING THE PHOTORESIST, A DIFFRACTION GRATING WITH MODULATED EFFICIENCY IS FORMED, CONSTITUTING A SYNTHETIC FOCUSED IMAGE HOLOGRAM; WHICH DISPLAYS THE ORIGINAL FOCUSED IMAGE WHEN PROPERLY VIEWED. A STAMPING MASTER, WHICH CAN BE PREPARED FROM THIS MODULATED GRATING RECORD, IS USEFUL IN EMBOSSING REPLICATIONS ON THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL, SUCH AS VINYL FOR INSTANCE.