Intaglio Ink

This is a means of applying a thick and highly pigmented ink onto paper using etched or engraved plates and high pressure. The pressure forces the substrate into the recessed areas of the printing plate, thereby producing a raised tactile relief which can be recognized under oblique light. Intaglio provides highly secure printing techniques that are unique to banknotes and high security documents. Sometimes referred to as “the feel of steel”, intaglio ink can carry covert features and machine readable features. Intaglio images are usually made of lines of varying lengths, widths and depths, so that a single image can display a wide range of apparent colors and intensities from a single ink.

Direct light	Side light