Watermark magazine presents English Digest 

Invaluable source of information on security printing industry in Russia and the CIS countries
Publication frequency - two issues a year
Circulation - 5000 copies

 Contents № 5 October 2009 

JUST HAVE A LOOK

SPARK security feature broadens the opportunities of visual authentication control

Security abilities of Goznak will very soon be completed with a new reliable and perspective element. We are talking about SPARK. The specialists believe that the element application will lead to a new level of visual security: SPARK is easy to identify and practically impossible to counterfeit.

THE PLASTIC IS ADVANCING, THE PAPER DOESN’T GIVE UP

The Watermark has analyzed the world tendencies in the field of paper substrate production

Banknote production substrate is not only a carrier of printed information, it is also one of the key elements of the banknote security complex. The first banknotes were printed on paper, which at that time was a security element itself. Hereinafter the banknote base was gradually improved: covert images – watermarks – were formed within the paper, threads and strips were embedded, fibers of different colors were added. At the end of the 1980s in addition to paper, there appeared polymer substrate Guardian. In recent years “hybrid” substrate variants combining natural and artificial fibers appear more and more often. Both the technological parameters of the banknote substrates and their security elements are constantly perfected.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES OF OFFSET PRINTING

The new technology — “halftone in offset” — seems quite plain and inexpensive, but its security potential is very high

Today “Goznak” is ready to offer its customers a new and inexpensive technology for printed product security. Goznak nowadays is the only holder of the patent for the invention. Alexander Mochalov, Deputy Director of Security Technologies of Goznak described the unique development.

SECURITY TECHNOLOGIES CONQUERED KAZAN

The three days of the Watermark Conference were filled with presentations, meetings and informal companionship

In the opinion of participants of the 3rd International Security Printing Conference – the Watermark Conference which took place on June 23–25 in Kazan, the present Conference turned out to be the most successful in the history of the event. The intensive working program was smoothly combined with wide opportunities for leisure, and the excellent infrastructure of the Korston hotel complex specializing in large-scale forums holding made the stay of the Watermark Conference participants and guests in Kazan as comfortable as possible.

IN SEARCH OF NEW IMAGES

Customers want to check security features quickly, easily and uniquely

Among most of remarkable reports many participants of Watermark Conference-2009 mentioned speech of Hans de Heij, senior staff member cash policy department of the central bank of the Netherlands, about innovative approaches to banknote design.

STRENGTHENING OF BANKNOTES AB INTRA

A new technology of Crane Currency company gives an opportunity to increase banknotes’ resistance to wear and tear while protecting their security features

“Banknotes should be protected and damage-proof, - says Natali Garic, regional sales director of Crane Currency. – Security features do not have long life if a banknote is not durable”. With an aim to prolonging life of banknotes Crane Currency company introduced its new development – Endurance™ technology –at Watermark Conference in Kazan. This technology gives an opportunity to produce banknotes which are resistible to wear and tear while protecting their security features. Natali Garic gave more information about new technology in the interview to our correspondent from the Watermark magazine.

ADDITION TO THE KINEGRAM® FAMILY

“Protection must be expedient”, — they say at Leonhard KURZ

Peter Muehlfelder, banknotes sales and marketing manager for the KURZ Group, introduced two new security features developed by Leonhard KURZ company, at the Third International Academic and Research Watermark Conference. The new security features are called KINEGRAM reColor® and KINEGRAM reView®. Following his presentation Peter Muehlfelder gave an interview to our correspondent from the Watermark magazine.

“AMOEBA” WILL FRIGHTEN COUNTERFEITS AWAY

The new variant of a background image is much more difficult to counterfeit than the traditional guilloche grid

Background grids are widely used in the world to protect securities and documents against counterfeiting. They consist of thin lines and create a pattern quite difficult to imitate by copying and counterfeiting. The Belarusian Company “Cryptotech” of the Department of the State Notes of the Ministry of Finance offered their method of improving background images. Leon KOROCHKIN, Director of “Cryptotech”, presented it at the 6th Pan-European High Security Printing Conference (Cross Conference).

SCIENCE AND BUSINESS MET IN KIEV

The connection between the scientific and commercial holography was clearly observed at the HOLOEXPO Conference

The 6th International Conference HOLOEXPO-2009, which took place on July 1–2 in Kiev contributed to the rapprochement of science and practice. In any case, that’s what its participants believe.

TAKE A PICTURE FOR A HOLOGRAM

A hologram photo on an ID-card now is not only an opportunity of extra personalization, but also a good protection

Soon it will be possible for owners of ID-cards to see themselves on the holograms. These cards are commercially available thank to Hologram Industries, a French company. Hugues Souparis, the head of Hologram Industries, told about this new development and other news of the company to the Watermark magazine.

THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS OF “COIN CONSTELLATION-2009” INCREASED

The present Competition has achieved a record in the number of coins submitted

A competition held for the third time is a tradition already. It is already serious. “Coin Constellation-2009” stepped over the bounds of the CIS and Europe, having enlarged its geography dramatically to compare with the previous years. And the number of coins submitted increased more than twice to compare with “Coin Constellation-2008”; in comparison with “Coin Constellation-2007” it grew four times already. These are quantitative indexes. As for the qualitative ones, i.e. the coins which won in their categories, the readers of The Gold Chervonets may see and evaluate them. The winners of the “Coin Constellation-2009” Commemorative Coin Competition were named in September. The Award Ceremony took place in Saint-Petersburg.

SAVE COIN’S SOUL

In the SA Mint they say when a machine works with a coin instead of a man, spirituality disappears

Natanya van Niekerk, deputy general manager numismatic division RSA Mint, says that overindulgence of computer technology deprives a coin of soul. Creating her coins as a designer and sculptor she prefers to work with material by hand, feeling contact with her creation. There is no color printing or holograms on the coins made by SA Mint. However we can remember them because of their beauty and art perfection. In the interview to the Gold Chervonets magazine Natanya van Niekerk told about new coins minted by South-African Mint.