Security Printing

Security Printing Charleston

You should never have to blindly trust a printer to provide you with crucially-needed secured document printing. It’s paramount that a printer possesses the skills and expertise, when it comes to security levels and layer authentication. Spectra’s print management team knows and understands security levels and how to apply specific methods of printing to secure a document. Security printing is very complex and is not as simple as adding a watermark.
The Technology of Spectra’s HP Indigo™ 7R digital press provides an array of secured printing options to safeguard the integrity of your printed media.

Methods Used for Security Printing

There are different methods of printing that provide the necessary level of security in a print job. Within the printing industry, secured printing is prioritized as one of three levels. Different customers have different needs; however, when it comes to the level of desired security, we employ one or more of the three methods.

Levels of Security

Level 1

Printing Method: Overt (low layer of authentication)
  • Easily seen by the naked eye
  • Images or text are embedded within the document using a specific security ink.

Level 2

Printing Method: Semi-Covert (medium layer of authentication)
  • Can be seen with the use of a microscope, magnifying glass, or UV light device.
  • Images or text are embedded within the document using a specific security ink.

Level 3

Printing Method: Covert (highest layer of authentication)
  • Invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen by special forensic devices
  • Images or text are embedded within the document using a specific security ink.

Features We Use in Security Printing

The range and sophistication of security printing services have expanded greatly in recent years with the development of new printing techniques. Spectra’s print facility, equipped with highly advanced printing press technology, makes it easy for your organization to offer highly secure features such as ultraviolet and infrared sensitive inks, microlettering, and complex embedded features.

Elements Used for Security Printing

Security Inks

Spectra’s HP Indigo™ 7R digital press uses proprietary ink that provides the layer of appropriate authentication as required for security purposes.
  • Color shifting
  • Hologram
  • Invisible
  • UV-responsive
  • IR-responsive

Embedding Features

Security printing utilizes a variety of elements to embed them into the paper.
  • Patterns
  • Micro-lettering
  • Backgrounds
  • Lines
  • Images
  • Barcodes
  • Serial Numbers
  • Watermarks
  • Horizontal or vertical numbering

Features We Use in Security Printing

The range and sophistication of security printing services have expanded greatly in recent years with the development of new printing techniques. Spectra’s print facility, equipped with highly advanced printing press technology, makes it easy for your organization to offer highly secure features such as ultraviolet and infrared sensitive inks, microlettering, and complex embedded features.

Why Serial Numbers are Important in High Security Printing

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent duplication of documents is the addition of a unique serial number to each document. This high security printing feature makes it possible to immediately raise a red flag if two copies of a document with the same number are discovered. It also enables tracking of a document all the way back to the print phase.

Security Paper We Use for Security Printing

The inks that we use in our security printing services are only part of the story. To be fully effective, features like holograms and embedded images must be printed on specialty paper types. Our printing experts at Spectra understand these complications, ensuring that the secure documents that we produce for your organization are not only protected from unauthorized duplication, but also beautiful and professional in appearance.

Deterring Counterfeiters

Prevention of counterfeiting, copying, or scanning is undeniably the reason behind security printing. The general public has technology at their fingertips, making it easy to reproduce something. Color copiers, apps, and software, along with skill, makes the perfect marriage for illegal reproduction of a secured document. The printing industry has some rather creative innovations up their sleeves that protect you, and your printed media. In addition to the numerous security inks and elements that place added protection, Spectra also employs an innovative way to produce copy-resistant documents. As part of our security printing services, we can use “void pantographs.” When attempting to reproduce a document, a hidden message appears, voiding the document out. (Walter will need to approve this)

Why trust Spectra to handle your sensitive security printing needs?

Spectra’s core values are based on a commitment to quality, brand management and a trusted relationship. That’s important when it comes to entrusting a printer with your security printing needs. We provide you integrated solutions that safeguard your document(s.) Contact us today to find out more about our specialized techniques for your secure document needs.  

Spectra goes the extra step to protect data integrity

”We are HIPAA compliant.”

FAQs

Can you provide some examples of security printing?
Security printing has a variety of different potential uses. Some examples would be checks, passports, banknotes, tamper evident labels, product authentication, stock certificates, security tapes, postage stamps, and identity cards. Think private printing items and you’ll have an idea of what it’s all about.
What are security inks?
Security inks are really cool! They actually add an extra layer of security to protect printed labels, packaging, and documents against counterfeits or fraudulent reproduction. Security inks are invisible to the eye and are detectable under certain UV light fixtures. They are used by many agencies.
Are watermarks treated as a security feature?
Yes. And if you aren’t aware of what watermarks are, they are identifying patterns or images, usually on paper, that appear in different shades of light/dark. The most common watermarks that you come into contact with every day are on money. Watermarks are part of the security features used by cashiers, for example, to check for counterfeits.
How can infrared ink be seen?
Infared ink is invisible to the human eye. With that in mind, it’s not so simple for the average person to figure out how to see it. The simplest way to see infrared ink is to use a 715nm filter on an infrared-sensitive camera. These are available on places like Amazon but it’s not something that most people who aren’t in the security business need.
Can watermarks be easily copied?
Since the sole use of watermarks isn’t all about just preventing people from copying a photo, for example, (that’s impossible), it just makes the photo useless for any other reason besides viewing it. When people are searching for online photos, they have no use for ones with a watermark on them. Think of stock image websites like Shutterstock. But no, watermarks are not easily copied so counterfeit money is very hard to make.
What is meant by security printing?
Security printing is extremely useful and is meant to improve the security of items by preventing tampering, forgery, and counterfeiting. These techniques are frequently adopted by people involved in the production of security labels, like Spectra for example. Companies need to make sure that they won’t be cheated.
Why are human eyes unable to see infared light?
Great question. This is due to the fact that the human eye is limited to the visible spectrum of the electromagnetic spectrum. This ranges from 390 to 700 nanometers. Since infrared light contains less energy than the colors we can see, it isn’t detectable by the photoreceptors in our eyes.
What forms of ID are printed on security paper?
Security paper has the unique advantage of being able to have a variety of different forms of ID printed on it. This includes birth certificates, passports, green cards, academic and qualification certificates, tax strips, voting ballots, and other government documents. It is very adaptable.
How does security ink work?
Security ink has a few different components. First of all, it’s made from ultraviolet (UV) ink, which is used extensively as a protection agent on security products. It’s invisible to the human eye and is only detectable using a UV light source. Only then will it be able to be seen, and it will have a certain glow to it.
What are the most popular types of security printing?
There are three different types of security printing that are used these days. This includes overt, which is a low layer of authentication. The next is semi-convert, providing a medium level of protection. And lastly comes covert, providing the highest layer of authentication.

Spectra’s Charleston Fulfillment Center

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how Spectra’s Fulfillment Services Center and Warehouse in Charleston can help.