Secure Font
A unique typeface that is not available on the commercial market or that is created as a unique image(s) exclusively for one client.
Digital Watermarks
A covert machine-readable code or data that can carry unique or personalized information useful for security and rights management applications in digital and analog media content.
Laser Perforation
Holes are made in a card with the laser beam creating images, objects or numbering. The image is visible when held up to a light source. It may have a tactile feel with conical holes that are larger at the entrance than exit. Holes can either be horizontal to the card surface, creating an image…
Machine Readable Technologies
A code or characters that can be read by a machine, that can carry unique or personalized information useful for proof of authenticity and other security and rights management applications in digital and analog media content. Machine readable characters can be visually readable specific type fonts, such as OCR characters or the OCR-B characters of…
Steganography
The science of hiding Image(s) or information within other image(s) or information. In security documents, the hidden image or information is typically revealed with the aid of a decoder lens, scanning device, or decoding software in a handheld or desktop device.
IR Absorbent and IR Reflective Ink
These are specialized inks that can absorb or reflect infrared light, often used to hide a message, symbol or graphic, such as a bar code, within a document. The desired message is printed with infrared absorbent ink while a black box covering the message is overprinted in infrared reflective ink, effectively hiding the message from…
IR Fluorescent / Anti-Stokes Ink
These are security inks that contain a component that absorbs energy from a low energy light source such as an infrared light with a wavelength around 900 nm and emits a fluorescent reaction in the visible region or IR region but at a shorter wavelength (higher energy). Special equipment is needed to see the effect.
Magnetic Inks
This is a specialized ink containing particles of a magnetic substance that can be read with a magnetic reader. This ink is commonly used for serialization and numbering purposes in the banking industry as well as an additional security pattern. The most common application is on the bottom portion of checks to facilitate processing and…
Phosphorescent Inks
These are pigmented inks which emit light when exposed to a light source of appropriate wavelength. The reactive glow decays or fades over time after the light source is removed, varying from seconds to hours.
Photochromic Inks
These are colored or colorless inks that exhibit a visible, reversible color change when exposed to UV or bright white light source. When the light source is removed, the color gradually reverts to its original state over time. Because of its unique properties these cannot be reproduced by a scanner or copier.
