Security Printing

As with every concept in the printing industry, we all know you need to keep up with the technology and upgrade regularly. We know that we must update our equipment, software or whatever else we need so that our services remain valid in today’s changing world. Unfortunately, some of us don’t realize that counterfeiters change with the technology too: We must make sure sensitive documents remain secure.

Harry Gersey, sales manager from Protected Paper, (www.protectedpaper.com), Rochester, N.Y., explained the process of security printing from the original artwork to finishing techniques. He has also written a previous article on security printing titled, “Protecting Documents in an Age of New Technology,” from which some of his points are excerpted.

“In 2005, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation called counterfeiting ‘the crime of the 21st century.’ With highly advanced color copiers, desktop scanners, digital printers and digital cameras, the incidence of counterfeiting has exploded to an estimated 20 million people involved in counterfeiting, forgery and other forms of document fraud, to the tune of an estimated $250 billion annually. This is compared to the 1970s, when the FBI believed there were about 2,000 major counterfeiters passing approximately $20 million in counterfeit currency and checks,” said Gersey.

“The key to security printing is to do a good job putting enough obstacles in front of the perpetrator or counterfeiter,” he informed.

Understanding the Options

Gersey offered tips on understanding the types of security features on the market and identifying the best product to suit you or your client’s needs. There are different types of security measures that can be applied to any type of document. The following levels of protection may be used alone or in combination with each other:

Counterfeit and Copy Deterrence provides protection from duplication where a copy might be used or redeemed illicitly as an original.
Copy Control Protection is used when a copy of a document, such as a college transcript, is authorized, yet needs to be easily recognized as a duplicate of the original.

Forgery and Tamper Prevention—When an original document is in danger of being altered to change its value or intended user/owner, this level of protection is most effective.

Authentication provides for verification and easy identification of a document as an original.

Applying the Technology

Becoming familiar with types of forgery and knowing how to apply anti-counterfeiting technology is important. There are several techniques that are commonly used in security printing.

Original artwork cannot be downloaded from the Internet. Fine line borders and guilloche (bank note quality) designs are also helpful. The use of VOID Pantograph technology is effective in distorting original artwork, because it makes it unable to be adequately copied. Developed in the 1980s, VOID Pantograph technology reveals the hidden-image background messages, VOID, COPY or UNAUTHORIZED COPY, when a person copies the document.

“With improvements in color copier and scanning resolutions, the original big dot, little dot patents have become much less effective. Today, newer and better technology exists that is very effective. In and of itself, this is likely the single most effective deterrent to counterfeiting. The key point here—test the product before you commit to a security printer,” Gersey pointed out.