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How much do you know about security printing?

Due to an increase in counterfeiting crimes around the world, companies and organisations are looking for new solutions that will protect their data and assets and ensure that they don’t fall victim to fraudsters.

As the UK’s leading security print experts, we are often asked about the best ways to protect our clients high-value documents, and about security printing in general. So, we’ve put together the most frequently asked security printing questions that we receive, along with our responses.

SECURITY PRINT PRODUCTS

Q1: Why are security printed products important to the education sector?

The counterfeiting and fraudulent alteration of certificates has increased considerably in recent years, creating a huge headache for many organisations. Fake certificates are used to assist in illegal entry into a country, as well as to secure employment in fields for which an individual is not qualified, damaging the reputation of businesses and awarding bodies and even placing the public at risk.

Our expertise in document fraud prevention, detection and deterrence have assisted universities, colleges, education authorities and awarding bodies throughout the world to protect their brands and reputations from the damage created by fraud. We currently provide secure certificate printing solutions to over 100 UK and international organisations.

A1SP produce all manner of security print documents for a variety of sectors and industries, including Certificates, Cheques, Gift Vouchers, Examination Printing, and Government Documents that require different levels of protection against fraud, tampering and counterfeiting.

Want to know more about our Security Print products?

• Cheque Printing: Cheque Printing | Accredited Printer | Printed Cheques (a1securityprint.com)
• Government Documents: Security Printers | Visas, Vehicle Documents, Tax Stamps (a1securityprint.com)
• Gift Voucher Printing: Gift Voucher Printing (a1securityprint.com)

Q2: How can you ensure the security of integrated products?

Integrated products are documents that have cards or stickers integrated into them.

A1SP can incorporate a full range of security features into the design and production, such as holograms, micro-printing, reactive inks and sequential numbering.

The card or sticker is then integrated into the document using a precision die-cut laminate patch applied to the reverse.

A1SP is one of the leading manufacturers of integrated products in the UK, producing anything from small runs up to millions at a time.

Integrated stickers are often used as a delivery note or invoice by online retailers to simplify their delivery and returns processes. The production process ensures a perfect colour match between letter and label because they are both created from the same document, ensuring that corporate branding remains consistent.

Higher security integrated stickers are also used for government departments, inspection agencies and retailers for immigration and identification purposes, and vehicle window stickers.

Q3: Do you offer On-Demand printing?

Yes. A1SP provides an end-to-end solution which includes software integration with your existing processes automating the transfer of compatible data files for production.

Daily data files are personalised and despatched on a same/next day basis, depending on the Service Level Agreement.

The A1SP team provide a fully automated solution to reduce clients time and speed up the production process.

With flexible ‘on-demand’ production, designs of documents including certificates, gift cards, permits, and vouchers can be regularly updated, keeping your brand fresh, with topical and seasonal imagery.

If your audience is technologically savvy and will enjoy digital delivery, then speak to us about our e-vouchers – instant rewards which can be personalised and even feature a photograph or short video.

Q4: What kind of personalized printing do you provide?

Data-Driven Solutions:

The combination of the digital presses and our skilled IT team enables a complete bespoke personalisation service for efficient and secure despatch. The digital presses have in-line finishing and booklet making to minimise handling and maximise efficiency during the production process.

Working with your data we can offer a complete print on demand and fulfilment service. Our highly efficient variable data printing and finishing processes streamline production and provide you with the peace of mind that the right documents will arrive in the right place at the right time.

Personalised products include:

• GCSE / A-Level certificates
• University and Higher Education Institution certificates
• Optical Mark Reading “OMR” scannable forms
• Membership cards
• Cheque infilling
• Vouchers and Coupons
• Ownership documents and Licences (Vehicle, Land, Property, etc)

SECURITY FEATURES

Q5: What’s the difference between counterfeiting and forgery ?

On the face of it, forgery and counterfeit are synonyms for “fake” – but they’re not actually the same thing, especially when you’re talking about falsified identity documents.

Counterfeit: an imitation of a genuine document. Counterfeits don’t contain the genuine security features and can be detected physically (something about it might not “feel” quite right) and covertly (inspected under magnification, ultra-violet and infrared light).

Forgery: a genuine document that has been fraudulently altered. Forgeries can be detected where inks and complex background designs have been damaged during tampering. Secure verification can be performed using encrypted QR Codes and smartphone Apps.

Q6: What makes your hologram technology outstanding?

Holograms are highly recognisable secure devices used on documents ranging from tickets to banknotes. Over the years, advances in technology have enabled more and more sophisticated features to be included in hologram designs, keeping them ahead of potential counterfeiting attempts.

There are different layers of security within a hologram. The first layer is the “overt” visual recognition which is easy for the public to identify. Then within the hologram itself are dynamic movements, three-dimensional images, as well as micro and nano features that can be forensically verified.

A bespoke, registered image hologram is best for security and brand image. A1SP have created many holograms for countless blue-chip companies, bolstering their corporate identity whilst giving the utmost protection against counterfeiting.

We are also able to offer alternatives where the client doesn’t have the budget for a bespoke hologram and the volume or value of the product is lower. Then we can apply the A1SP house “Iris” hologram, which contains many security features and can be cut out to a client logo shape.

Q7: How do you prevent fraudsters from tampering with documents?

Where there is a concern that fraudsters are likely to alter or tamper with your document, there are measures that we can put in place to help identify that interference has occurred. A diverse range of tamper evident inks are available to aid detection when a document is susceptible to fraud.

Paper and inks are engineered to be solvent sensitive, reacting against chemicals to leave a clear stain if an attempt to remove or amend printed data is made from items such as cheques or tickets.

Aqua-fugitive inks have been developed to react against an attempt to alter a document using a water-based solution, which would cause the ink to smudge and fluoresce under an ultra-violet light.

In addition to base inks and paper sensitivity, transparent laminates which incorporate optically variable inks or holograms can be applied onto the document to seal the personalised information to the page. An attempt to remove the laminate would damage and tear the document.

Q8: Who do you work with?

 Awarding bodies, educational organisations, governments, financial institutions, electoral commissions, printing and print management companies from all over the world look to A1SP to help them with their security document printing and fulfilment challenges, and provide effective solutions to their individual problems.

Whatever your industry, if you are looking for an experienced, reliable and accomplished security printing company that is familiar with the particulars of manufacturing and international distribution, then you could speak to A1SP.

Last question: Why choose A1SP over other companies?

Our commitment to quality, reliability and exceeding expectations has remained unparalleled since the 1930s, helping to establish our reputation worldwide as one of the leading security printers for the production and management of your secure documents.

Printing is only one part of the service that we provide to our clients, as we manage your project from implementation and manufacturing through to fulfilment and secure distribution.

Whether you manage secure print for your client or you are responsible for coordinating a print project for your organisation, you need a security printer that takes care of the complicated stuff so you can focus on your job.

If you have questions that we didn’t cover on this list, just get in touch with one of our security print specialists!

Call us:+44 1215540044 or leave us a message.