Why your scanner won’t let you make copies of money and other important documents

No matter how good your scanner is, or how clear the quality of your print, there are some things that you will never be able to recreate. For obvious reasons perhaps, banknotes, cheques, passports, postage stamps and identity cards can never be scanned or printed. This is thanks to what is known as ‘Security Printing’, which has been introduced to prevent forgery and counterfeiting. Banknotes, for instance, are made from either heavy paper or plastic to make them difficult to reproduce. Other important items may integrate a watermark during the manufacturing stage to identify certain products, or embed a hologram which is almost impossible to remove or forge.

Interestingly, these techniques are no longer just being used for high-value documents such as identification and currency. They are now being more frequently seen on business documents, the kind that are important internally as opposed to universally. As commercial printers become more advanced, accessible and affordable, there is now the option for documents to be given the same anti-counterfeit treatment as the above items receive.

These features have been developed over many years and were originally integrated into machines that ranged from traditional offset printers that transfer ink from a ‘rubber blanket’ onto a printing sheet, to flexographic presses that use a flexible relief plate. Now that we have progressed to digital platform printing, and printers themselves have become more commonplace in offices across the world, these anti-forgery measures have been introduced to a number of leading machines. For many years, there has been the inability to scan or print the high-value documents above, but the latest technology allows you to add the security printing aspects to your personal documents too.

Even documents that are less likely to be forged, but might still have valuable information included, can now be secured. With the number of features below now transferable from big, industry presses to smaller office machines, we can all enjoy the protection that comes from Security Threads, Magnetic Ink and Prismatic Colouration.

So no, you may not be able to print money with an EBM scanner, but you can certainly save it. By opting for a printer that has security printing features enabled, you can ensure that all important, personal documents remain exactly that, and what you are producing in-house has an authenticating mark that ensures all ideas are attributed to you.

If the security of your documents, or those of your clients, is something that you take seriously, then please speak to one of our dedicated team today. By understanding exactly what you are looking to protect, we can recommend the best printer to meet your needs. Simply call us on 01376 512575 to find the most secure printer or scanner for you.