Hot Stamping Foil Increases Document Security

Hot stamping foil has long been used to create stunning visual effects on all types of printed materials, including folding cartons, labels, greeting cards, stationery, and more. And, while foils have been used in security applications for years, market concerns over counterfeiting of all types of documents have helped fuel continued growth in the field.

1. Transparent foil. Used as lamination to encapsulate data and photographs to provide evidence of tampering; sometimes combined with UV reflective properties.

2. Metal foil. Used to protect substrates from being copied. High reflectivity and bright glossy surfaces are more difficult to reproduce digitally.

3. Holographic foil. Dramatic light diffraction features can be created, changing color and appearance, making it very difficult to reproduce or simulate accurately.

The stamping process "embeds" features into the substrate and can create a tactile effect on the image. Foils can be used in combination with complex embossing dies to personalize embossed images. Foil can also be used as an additional layer of security, integrated and used in conjunction with documents to prevent fraudulent alteration or duplication.

As with all document security features, the foil stamping authentication feature can be authenticated in up to three ways:

1. Level 1. Visual features, such as color changes, do not require "tools" to examine.

2. Level 2. Features that require the use of tools, such as micro text magnification, on-screen slideshows, hidden features for laser pointer display, etc.

3. Level 3. Requires extensive lab testing and forensic capabilities that can corrupt files.

The design of the foil safety feature must recognize the needs of the customer and how they will use the feature in practice. Level 1 functions are still the primary method of verifying documents, often due to time constraints on checking documents (concert and sporting event ticketing, which requires crowds to enter the venue quickly). Primary functions are almost always combined with secondary and tertiary functions.

Higher-level authentication methods can only be used when the document is challenged. This allows more time to examine the document more thoroughly in a controlled environment (usually in a border control application or a government bureau of investigation). The hot stamping foil feature will be part of a more thorough document inspection and can serve as an early detection device for documents deemed suspicious.