Security Elements
As part of the fight against counterfeiting, authentication is the security function that delivers proof the document / product is genuine. Authentication can be adapted to the target chosen for verification (consumer, expert, customs, etc.) and the level of protection required. Arjo Solutions authentication solutions are unique and innovative. They have already been deployed on several hundred million of products and documents, and are protected by numerous patents.
PHYSICAL AUTHENTICATION
Whether Arjo Solutions’ security components are visible or concealed, they are developed to guarantee the best possible resistance to counterfeiting, and to allow simple and appropriate verification of a product or document’s authenticity.
The combination of these components and the security levels is vital, in order to make it more difficult to counterfeit the product or document.
LEVEL1 : Security components visible to the naked eye; low level of protection
OPTICALLY VARIABLE FOILS
Based on its strong expertise in security devices for banknotes, Arjo Solutions has adapted one of these security solutions to the private sector market: optically variable strips.
Arjo Solutions has developed two foils with unique security characteristics, blending visual effects and the latest holograms. They are simultaneously very difficult to counterfeit and easy to identify: the bi-metal foil and the Colorchange foil.
BIMETALLIC STRIPE
This technology is based on the combination of two de-metallized metals, in high accuracy registration, which can be customized. One metal contains interferential micro lithographic elements (hologram) and the other one is free of it.
Key Avantages :
• Easy to recognize
Changing a generic holographic foil for a bi-metallic or colourchange one presents the advantage at the same time to be easily recognisable by a non-trained person (the final customer). In this way, final customers will immediately and very simply recognise the visual identity of the product and confirm its authenticity.
• High level anti-counterfeit technology (bank)
• Holography by the book
• Unique combination of several metals and lithographic elements (hologram)
• Exceptional durability
COLORCHANGE STRIPES
The colourchange foil has an optically variable effect, changing colour according to how it is tilted in relation to the light. For a most effective protection, it can be combined with a “Picture” effect which involves printing or demetallizing dots to form a pattern or a text, giving a three-dimensional effect to the feature represented.
Key Avantages :
• Easy to recognize
Changing a generic holographic foil for a bi-metallic or colourchange one presents the advantage at the same time to be easily recognisable by a non-trained person (the final customer). In this way, final customers will immediately and very simply recognise the visual identity of the product and confirm its authenticity.
• Extremely hard to reproduce
Colourchange foil with “picture” effect is a complex combination which precision prevents from counterfeiting. It is impossible to photocopy and is extremely difficult to reproduce because of the fine detail, the complex structure and the luminosity of the pattern under light.
• Exceptional durability
LEVEL 2 : Security components visible using a standard verification tool
SECURITY FIBERS
Security fibers are calibrated fibers integrated into the paper, available in several lengths and diameters. They can be visible or invisible to the naked eye and under a UV lamp.
HILITES
Hilites are particles of fluorescent pigments integrated into the paper. They are visible under a UV 365 nm light, and look like a star-studded night sky.
PLANCHETTES
Planchettes are small fluorescent disks integrated into the sheet of paper and visible under a UV lamp.
FLUOFORMS
Fluoforms are planchettes with a specific shape, comprising a registered customized printed design (text, logo, flag, etc.). Fluoforms are a “made-to-measure” security component, particularly easy to recognize and verify.
LEVEL 3 : Security components visible using a dedicated verification tool
TAG’SPHERES : The high security additive
Tag’Spheres developed around a high level materials-security technology called microspheres and fluorophore, and a unique manufacturing process.
The microspheres in Tag’Spheres are totally invisible to the naked eye under both ultraviolet and infra-red light. Differentiating them from fluorescing security elements, these microspheres can only be detected through the use of especially dedicated reader hardware.
Technology:
Tag’Spheres consists of the technological marriage of security elements which leads to incontestable authentication. The polymer microspheres in Tag’Spheres are uniformly dispersed in the product substrate during manufacturing. They are visible using the dedicated reader, discernible on the both the front and the back, and can easily be combined with other security elements.
Advantages:
• protects without being visible
• eliminates all risks of possible reproduction
• Integrated into the paper and plastic
• easily adaptable to all sizes of documents
• compatible with the most optically brightened materials
Applications:
The legitimacy and efficacy of the Tag’Spheres solution comes from the strength of its security and its ease of application in uses such as:
• For brands: sealable labels, plastics, paper
• For government organizations: tax stamps etc.
• For security document: passports etc.
SPOT-TAG : Incontestable authentication
SpotTagTM is a high security chemical marker, solely detectable using a dedicated reader. It is easy for the end user to validate, and totally non-reproducible.
Equally at home in secured as non-secured substrates, the simple printing of the chemical signature onto a product is enough for instantaneous and incontestable authentication.
Technology:
A proprietary chemical marker, SpotTag® is compatible with all printing technologies, as well as all types of inks and varnishes.
Applications:
SpotTagTM knows how to be discrete. This clever technology is intended to be used with all types of marked materials (packaging, products themselves, documents etc.) without making any modification to the composition of the material.
• Effective for Brand Protection applications: packaging, label seals etc.
• Responds to a multitude of concerns faced by government organizations, and can be applied to tax labels, ‘breeder’ documents and official documents.
Advantages:
• undetectable to the naked eye, even under ultraviolet or infrared.
• totally unique, and its reproduction is impossible.
• offers top security features through the association of a unique chemical marker and the dedicated optical reader.
• gives an unambiguous result: authentication is an immediate YES/NO as determined by the reader due to the presence of the chemical marker.
GHOSTTAG: Invisible security ink
A security printing solution totally invisible to the naked eye
Ghosttag is an invisible ink that can only be revealed using a dedicated, proprietary reader, unlike standard fluorescent inks visible using 365nm UV lamps.
This solution can be customized to fit your product and requirements via all commercially-available printing processes:
1) Inkjet (CIJ and TIJ) for securely printing variable data, ensuring the security of your tracking system. Arjo Solutions has developed a smartphone add-on to read 2D codes (Datamatrix or QR) and provide all software functions needed to manage and query traceability codes.
2) Standard printing (offset, rotogravure, flexography and screen printing) for simply but securely protecting your products by printing fixed, brand-specific wording.
Applications:
• Secure traceability on packaging and the products themselves
• Government documents: serialization of tax stamps.
• Wide range of products (packaging, drinks, spirits, tobacco, replacement parts, etc.)
Advantages:
• Cannot be detected with the naked eye in natural light or under UV or IR light
• Combines immediate authentication and identification (with or without markings)
• Compatible with all types of substrates (paper, plastics, metal, etc.)
