Never-seen-before digital features could bring significant benefits to the security printing market.

THE global market for security printing and brand protection is forecast to grow from $30-billion in 2019/2020 to $36-billion by 2024. Security printing in the commercial segment is vital for brands, finance and other institutions that deal with secure documents, card/identification printing, packaging, vouchers, tickets and stickers.

With the rise of the digital landscape and wider use of e-payments, this segment needs to adjust to new market realities. This situation has been compounded by Covid-19, which continues creating economic uncertainty and forcing the sector to focus on risk management. As counterfeiters become more sophisticated and respond more rapidly to the latest available security printing technologies, solutions need to offer a higher level of sophistication and complexity.

Conventional printing, such as offset, screen and intaglio printing, are the primary technologies used to produce security printed matter such as travel documents, tax stamps and banknotes.

Conventional printing technologies enable print service providers to print elements that are universally-regarded as security features, which can be identified visually with small accessories such as a magnifying glass or UV light.

Traditionally, digital printing technologies haven’t played a prominent role in the printing of security features. On the contrary, they’ve been used to forge documents successfully. However, over the last four years, HP Indigo and Austrian-based Jura Security Printing, have moved into this field.

Kemtek Imaging Systems’ digital print manager, Carl Zerle, points out that the ongoing development of HP Indigo’s patented liquid electrophotography (LEP) digital colour printing technology, and Jura’s graphic security software and materials, have realised top-quality layered overt, semi-covert, covert, and forensic security printing for multiple applications. Applications include personal ID cards, tax stamps, lottery scratch cards and payment cards.

Electroink enhancements

‘With HP Indigo security solutions, converters can create a digital armour in one pass – combining multiple security levels and security features – delivering a result unlike anything counterfeiters have ever experienced before,’ reports Carl.

The HP Indigo digital LEP printing process utilises special liquid inks that contain electroink particles of one to two microns, which are used in all of HP Indigo’s presses. The inks are electrically-charged to control their placement onto a photoconductive plate. Due to the inks’ unique formulation, print quality and performance characteristics, they are virtually independent of the pigment. This enables HP to provide a highly comprehensive set of inks, including spot colours, taggants, invisible inks, etc.

Available in South Africa from Kemtek Imaging Systems, the new-generation B2 HP Indigo 15000 digital press represents a major step forward in the digital age of options and protections that are now accessible to end-users. In terms of security printing capabilities, the new Fine Line RIP (with full 1 600dpi option) creates super-sharp linework and micro text at 0.8 point. This is exceptionally important for reducing options for falsifying documents and, ultimately, protecting products and individuals.

Furthermore, the press offers a sixth and seventh colour station if required, high-definition imaging, premium white and invisible yellow electroink, integrated G7 Standard, plus AI-driven production efficiency including five input source feeder (optional), AAA discard and reprint, Optimizer user interface as standard, predictive press care, faster colour calibration and pause mode.

For more information on HP indigo’s security printing capabilities, visit: www.kemtek.co.za/prod_brand/hp

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