What is Secure Print & Why is it Important

With identity theft and document forgery on the rise, securing important documents is more critical than ever. Documents like banknotes, cheques, passports, and gift vouchers are prime targets for criminals, who forge or steal them for identity theft or financial gain. According to Action Fraud, this costs the UK £5.4 billion annually. To combat these threats, the print industry has developed advanced security printing techniques to prevent counterfeiting and protect vital documents.
In this blog, we’ll explore what secure print is, the techniques used to safeguard documents, and how these innovations help combat forgery and fraud
What Does Secure printing involve?
Security printing involves incorporating features or using specialist materials during the printing process that makes it difficult for the document to be tampered with, copied or falsified.
Security Printing Techniques
Here at Hague, we use a number of security printing techniques to offer the highest level of protection for your documents.
Our cheque printing is recognised for exceeding the C&CCC (Cheque & Credit Clearing Company) requirements. Our reputation for being a leader in offering security printing solutions means we’re regularly asked by governments, corporations and universities to implement high-security document systems.
Here’s a list of some of the security printing solutions we can help you with:
- Holographic foils
- Hologram stickers and labels
- Barcodes
- Complex numbering metrics
- Bespoke and secure designs
- A range of adhesives that can be used across differing materials
- Complex security inks
- Printing on security paper
- MICR numbering
- Audit number and codeline verification numbers
Why is security printing so important?
It might be hard to believe, but identity theft has risen to a record level in the UK, with 189,108 recorded cases in 2018 according to Cifas, the national fraud prevention service. And when it comes to forgery, printed items are a key target for criminals.
Some documents and printed items face a higher risk of theft or forgery than others, including membership cards, cheques, stock certificates and education certificates. So what can your business do to ensure your printed items are made more secure?
If you have ever wondered why security printing is so important, read on to find out more.
It can authenticate an official document
By embedding a hologram (an image that can only be reproduced using the master copy) as part of the printing process, you can not only make official documents more secure, but they’ll also look even more professional too. Hologram printing is suitable for a whole range of official documents, including university degree certificates and membership documents, and it will make life much harder for the fraudsters too!
It will prevent event tickets from being replicated
For music lovers, a ticket for a concert or festival is a prized possession, as it not only provides proof that they are going to see their favourite act live but it reinforces that your event is legitimate too. Unfortunately, the popularity of some events can encourage fraudsters to try and scam unsuspecting fans, but by using a bespoke hologram as part of your ticket printing you will help to prevent tampering and make them more secure.
It will reinforce that your product is the genuine article
As a business, your brand and reputation are extremely important and valuable to you – especially if you produce luxury or high-value products. To avoid the risk of counterfeiting, using a unique holographic sticker as part of the packaging design will help to reinforce to customers that your product is authentic, rather than a fake. In addition, this visible and effective security feature will help to protect your brand message and heritage, and also highlight the product’s quality too.
Protect Your Documents With Hague’s Secure Print Solutions
With nearly four decades of printing experience, we’re one of the UK’s leading print management firms. To find out how our innovative security printing solutions can help protect your documents, complete our online enquiry form, leaving your contact details and a brief message, and a member of our print team will shortly be in touch.