Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interferometry. In principle, it is possible to make a hologram for any type of wave.
Lamination is the technique/process of manufacturing a material in multiple layers, so that the composite material achieves improved strength, stability, sound insulation, appearance, or other properties from the use of the differing materials, such as plastic. A laminate is a layered object or material assembled using heat, pressure, welding, or adhesives. Various coating machines, machine presses and calendering equipment are used.
Security printing is the field of the printing industry that deals with the printing of items such as banknotes, cheques, passports, tamper-evident labels, security tapes, product authentication, stock certificates, postage stamps and identity cards. The main goal of security printing is to prevent forgery, tampering, or counterfeiting. More recently many of the techniques used to protect these high-value documents have become more available to commercial printers, whether they are using the more traditional offset and flexographic presses or the newer digital platforms. Businesses are protecting their lesser-value documents such as transcripts, coupons and prescription pads by incorporating some of the features listed below to ensure that they cannot be forged or that alteration of the data cannot occur undetected.
A security thread is a security feature of many banknotes to protect against counterfeiting, consisting of a thin ribbon that is threaded through the note's paper.
Identity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status of the bearer. The term also encompasses the activity of acquiring identity documents from legitimate bodies by falsifying the required supporting documentation in order to create the desired identity.
A kinebar is a gold bar that has a diffractive optically variable image device embossed into the surface of the gold. The device used is a "Kinegram" made by OVD Kinegram AG (Switzerland). The Kinegram technology is exclusively provided to governments, and is intended both as a high-security feature and for visual appeal.
The cédula de identidade is the official national identity document in Brazil. It is often informally called carteira de identidade, "RG" or simply identidade in Portuguese. The card contains the name of the bearer, filiation, place of birth, date of birth, signature and thumbprint of the bearer. Other national documents can legally be used as an identity card, such as a federative unit-issued driver's license, passport or, for minors, a birth certificate. Each card has a unique RG number. As of 11 January 2023, the CPF number will be used as the RG number on new identity cards.
The United States passport card is an optional national identity card and a travel document issued by the U.S. federal government in the size of a credit card. Like a U.S. passport book, the passport card is only issued to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals exclusively by the U.S. Department of State. The passport card allows its holders to travel by domestic air flights within the U.S., and to travel by land and sea within North America. However, the passport card cannot be used for international air travel. US passport cards are used to verify identity and US citizenship. The requirements to attain the passport card are identical to the passport book and compliant to the standards for identity documents set by the REAL ID Act.
Croatian passport is issued to citizens of the Republic of Croatia for the purpose of international travel. The passport has the purpose of serving as proof of Croatian citizenship and identity. Responsibility for their issuance lies with the Ministry of the Interior; and for citizens abroad, passports are issued by the local embassy or consulate. Croatian passports are valid for ten or five years, and are not renewable. Every Croatian citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Economic Area and Switzerland.
Greek passports are issued to Greek citizens for the purpose of international travel. Biometric passports have been issued since 26 August 2006, with old-style passports being declared invalid as of 1 January 2007. Since June 2009, the passport's RFID chip includes two index fingerprints as well as a high-resolution JPEG image of the passport holder. From 18 December 2023 the issuance of new generation of Greek passports started by selected authorities and after 9 January 2024, only the new generation of passports are issued. Every Greek citizen is also a citizen of the European Union. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland.
Security paper is a paper used in security printing that incorporates features that can be used to identify or authenticate a document as original, e.g., watermarks or invisible fibres in paper, or features that demonstrate tamper evidence when fraud is attempted, e.g., to remove or alter print such as amounts or signatures on a cheque. Examples of this kind of papers are used for banknotes and used for identification such as passports and certificates, such as birth certificates and different types of academic and qualification certificates, as well as government documents, e.g., voting ballots and tax strips. This also extends to personal and business checks, stock certificates, certificates issued by financial institutions and sensitive government-issued documents. The main use of security paper is to stop people from counterfeiting.
The Albanian passport is a travel document issued by the Ministry of Interior to Albanian citizens to enable them to travel abroad. They are also used as proof of identity within the country, along with the Albanian ID card.
Security holograms are labels with a hologram printed onto it for sale security reasons.
The German Identity Card is issued to German citizens by local registration offices in Germany and diplomatic missions abroad, while it is produced at the Bundesdruckerei in Berlin.
Documento Nacional de Identidad or DNI, is the main identity document for Argentine citizens, as well as temporary or permanent resident aliens. It is issued at a person's birth, and must be updated at 8 and 14 years of age, and thereafter every 15 years. It takes the form of a card, and is required for voting, payments, military service inscriptions and formalities. They are issued by the National Registry of Persons (RENAPER).
Specialized Enterprise Holography Ltd. (SE Holography) is a company that specializes in production of holograms and holographic security elements. Holography, a member-company of the EDAPS Consortium, is among the founders of the security printing industry in Ukraine. Established in 2000 with the support of the International Centre the Institute of Applied Optics on behalf of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Holography Ltd. is a member of the International Hologram Manufacturers Association (IHMA), a member of the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and a member of the Counterfeiting Intelligence Bureau at the International Chamber of Commerce of Ukraine.
An optical variable device or optically variable device (OVD) is an iridescent or non-iridescent security feature that exhibits different information, such as movement or colour changes, depending on the viewing and/or lighting conditions. The particular changes of appearance when rotating and tilting are reversible, predictable and reproducible. OVDs cannot be photocopied or scanned, nor can they be accurately replicated or reproduced. OVDs are often used as security devices and anti-counterfeiting measures on banknotes, government-issued identification documents, or credit cards. OVDs can be created through a combination of printing and embossing.
The Greek identity card is the official national identification document for Greek citizens. It is issued by the Hellenic Police.
Plastic cards usually serve as identity documents, thus providing authentication. In combination with other assets that complement the data stored on the card, like PIN numbers, they also serve authorization purposes, most often as bank cards for allowing their holders to do financial transactions. Early and simpler cards feature only hard-to-imitate integrated photographs, security holograms, guillochés, or a magnetic strip on which few bytes of personal data could be stored. Today, smart cards, i.e. those equipped with an electronic chip, serve as high-security active electronic documents that allow their holder to qualify for driving cars, receive medical treatment, do banking and more.
