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A1 Security Print has recently continued its investment in its digital printing capacity with the installation of a Xerox Versant 4100. This latest investment underpins a strategy to grow their variable data and colour digital offering in the security print sector. 

Over recent years, data has become increasingly important in the fight against fraud. Clients’ data is encrypted and personalised onto a security printed basestock for products such as certificates, licences, event tickets and vouchers.

Wayne Thompson, IT manager, comments:

Fraudsters aim to do one of three things: change a document, copy a document, or reproduce a document. Security printing is about building numerous layers of complimentary security features to combat all three of these.

Firstly, we make sure the paper itself is difficult for fraudsters to source. We then add complex secure designs, tamper evident inks, covert and verification inks, and holograms to the paper. These days my department plays a significant role incorporating additional layers of security within the data, for instance by adding our encrypted VeriSecure QR code.

Tony Pullen, Sales Manager comments:

“A1 has multiple web-to-print portals supporting the education and retail markets. These portals enable our clients to upload variable data and PDFs directly from their systems via an API link. The web-to-print portals then manage the workflow through our fleet of digital toner-based equipment, including the new Versant 4100. Our portals also allow our clients to track the progress of their orders through our business right up to the point of delivery. The Versant 4100 was the perfect fit into our existing fleet and works well with the client- facing technology”.

Jim Richardson, Managing Director, comments:

“We took our time and looked at various options to replace the Versant 2100. What we were looking for was increased capacity, consistent quality, and an improvement on monthly costs. In the end it came down to a two-horse race between an ink jet technology and the Versant 4100. There are some unique challenges that need to be overcome when considering digital equipment in the security print sector. We use unusual substrates such as watermarked papers and threaded materials with covert security features. We also use unusual inks and add holograms to base stocks that all need to feed through the digital equipment, not to mention the security designs we print that are specifically created to make it difficult for a forger to replicate. Any equipment we choose must be able to deal with all these variables. After several months of testing and evaluation, the Versant 4100 proved to be the best fit for A1’s needs”.

Summary

A1 Security Print Ltd is part of the security printing division of MCARRP Holdings, which also includes Orion Security Print. The digital fleet within the Security Print Division includes two Xerox Nuvera 144’s a Versant 180, Versant 2100, a Versant 4100, a MGI DP8700xl and a continuous feed Nipson Digiflex

The Xerox Versant 4100 comes with eight in-feed trays and a high-capacity stacker which enables A1 Security Print to pull multiple secure base stocks and self-collate in-line. The faster output speeds mean improved production efficiencies and greater capacity.