Glossary

The conversion of data or information into a format that requires a key or password to access the data.

Repeated, sometimes unspaced lines of text in the background or security thread of a secure document.

A framework used to assess an organisation’s business practices and performance on various sustainability and ethical issues.

A GS1 subsidiary organisation administering Electronic Product Code systems and coordinating the development of associated data standards.

Ink that rubs off when an attempt is made to erase information in the area that has been printed. The ink will also affect the paper in the same manner as solvent/chemical reactive inks, providing two security features in one. Often used to print the background of a cheque.

A 1D (linear) barcode developed as a superset of the UPC code, with an additional digit allowing a tenfold increase in the number of possible unique values. Like UPC codes, EANs encode global trade item numbers (GTINs) in line with GS1 international standards.

A 1D (linear) barcode of the EAN/UPC symbology, used to label small consumer products with limited space for a barcode.

A body created within the European Union to support EU member states in the fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime, like currency counterfeiting.

The Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) is a directive of the European Union which places limits on the sale and merchandising of tobacco and related products in the EU. The TPD aims to improve the functioning of the internal market for tobacco and related products, while ensuring a high level of health protection for European citizens. Under the TPD, all member states were required to implement unit-level track and trace and security features by May 2019.

Taxation imposed by countries as a levy for specific items such as tobacco or alcohol. Also called sin tax due to its association with so-called ‘sinful’ products.

Part of the qualification process to receive a tender document. The buyer (eg. a government organisation) is requesting a provider to express an interest in providing goods and services for a project.

A black rectangle printed on the edge of labels and other printed materials, which is read by a machine to locate where one label starts and the next ends. 

Refers to the combination of scanning and software programmes with unique physical characteristics intrinsic to a product or secure document. Fingerprinting is based on the fundamental premise that at the microscopic or molecular level the characteristics of every printed document or package are unique to that item.

State treasury.

A rotary relief printing method whereby a mirrored 3D relief of the required image is created in a rubber or polymer material. A measured amount of ink is deposited upon the surface of the printing plate, which then rotates, making contact with the substrate and transferring the ink.

An optically variable element visually perceived as an image hovering or floating in space above or below a document’s surface.

A type of luminescence, describing the ability of some molecules or materials to absorb ultraviolet (UV) energy and immediately re-emit this energy within the visible spectrum, as a glowing light. The emitted light disappears as soon as the excitation light is extinguished. There is no persistence of emitted light as in the case of phosphorescence.

UV-activated fibres that are randomly distributed across the surface and through the volume of security paper during the papermaking process.

Small coloured or colourless particles of a different size randomly embedded in paper pulp during the manufacturing process. The particles glow when exposed to UV light.

UV-activated ink that ceases to glow immediately after the illuminating light source has been turned off.

Small, coloured discs with fluorescent properties usually mixed into the paper pulp during the papermaking process.

A material comprising a polyester carrier with one or more coatings, a release layer and an adhesive layer. The foil is transferred – generally by heat – onto paper, and the carrier is stripped away, leaving the coating bonded to the substrate by the adhesive. This coating can be plain or imaged, monochrome or coloured, colour-shifting, iridescent, metallised, holographic, etc. Also known as hot stamping or transfer foil. Foils are generally applied to banknotes as a continuous stripe (typically measuring 6-10mm wide) or a patch (typically square, circular or elliptical).

Security feature reserved for special departments or officials. Special tools or laboratories are required to reveal their presence and characteristics. The presence and nature of these features are generally kept a closely guarded secret and they are typically used after an enforcement raid to provide definitive proof of the authenticity of a product or document. Such proof can be used, if necessary, as evidence in a court of law.

A hardware design aspect that defines and prescribes the size, shape, and other physical specifications of components. A form factor may represent a broad class of similarly sized components, or it may prescribe a specific standard.

Also known as process colour printing – a conventional printing method based on four colours: the so-called CMYK colours of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Together, these colours can reproduce on paper almost 70% of the colours visible to the human eye.

A papermaking machine consisting of a moving endless belt of wire or plastic screen that receives a mixture of pulp and water and allows excess water to drain off, forming a continuous. Fourdrinier was first machine to produce a continuous web (roll). It is more suited than cylinder mould for producing lightweight paper for documents such as tax stamps. See also Dandy roll.

Capable of being broken. Refers to security labels or tax stamps which break up when removed or tampered with.

Solvent- or water-based ink printed onto a security document. When solvent or ink eradicators are applied to the document the fugitive ink spreads out creating a smudge, which denotes the attempt to tamper with the print.

An analytical method combining gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify different substances within a test sample. Used in fuel integrity programmes.

A subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on creating new content, such as text, images, audio, or video, by learning patterns from existing data. Common examples include language models like GPT (which powers ChatGPT) or image generation models like DALL-E. Unlike agentic AI, generative AI operates under user prompts and can’t perform tasks on its own initiative.

A GS1 standard number unique to each stock-keeping unit (SKU) or specific product type, but not unique to a product at unit level.

A type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving an image onto a cylinder. Like offset printing and flexography, gravure uses a rotary printing press.

A printing technique that uses varying shades of gray to produce an image. Unlike full colour images created by combining different colours of ink, grayscale images are produced solely from black ink.

A not-for-profit organisation that develops and maintains global standards for identifying products, associations, services and localisations and for exchanging data. The best known of these standards is the barcode, a symbol printed on products that can be scanned electronically and that is widely used in supply chains around the world.

A 1D (linear) alphanumeric barcode for labelling outer packaging and logistics units, such as pallets. Can hold more information than EAN-13 codes.

A printed security feature composed of geometric, complex patterns of interlaced or interwoven curved fine lines that are difficult to reproduce using digital print or photocopiers.

A method of lamination whereby heat is used to transfer print from one substrate to another. Most US cigarette tax stamps are applied by this method.

The term ‘hologram’ is derived from two Greek words: ‘holos’ meaning whole or complete and ‘graphos’ meaning an image. The term therefore describes a recorded image which is complete, in that it shows, through the diffraction of light, the whole volumetric space of the image – with depth, colour and movement. This is in contrast to a conventional picture, painting or photograph which displays an object from a single viewpoint only.

A method of transferring a foil from a polyester carrier to paper or other substrate through the combination of heat and pressure. Hot foil stamping can be used to support holographic anda other optically variable images which can be transferred, using heat and pressure, onto another substrate such as paper or plastic. The layers containing the image are extremely thin, typically 5-6 microns. Therefore, they need to be supported on a thicker material such as 19-micron thick polyester. The action of stamping the foil with a heated die causes a ‘release’ layer between the image and polyester support to melt, while simultaneously softening an adhesive ‘size’ coating. These combined effects allow the image to leave the polyester support and adhere to its new location.

An adhesive that is solid at room temperature and becomes liquid when heated. Used to bond two surfaces when cool.

The production, distribution or sale of counterfeit, adulterated or diverted goods via illegal and unregulated channels. Also includes the evasion of taxes on legally produced goods.

Cigarettes which are legally produced under unique brand names – or no brand name at all – and destined primarily or exclusively for illicit distribution, outside the jurisdiction where they are produced.

The light that emanates from a defined light source, such as the sun or a lightbulb, and illuminates an object.

Signs, indications, tokens or distinguishing marks.

The part of the electromagnetic spectrum between 700nm and 1.0mm wavelength. IR light lies immediately beyond red visible light and is therefore invisible to the naked eye. IR light is used in detectors and special equipment to detect security features of banknotes and other documents.

A technique that projects tiny droplets of ink directly onto a substrate, which then penetrates the surface. As there is no printing plate, the technique is favoured for printing variable and personalised data.

A security printing process that is synonymous with banknote printing but also used on ID documents and some tax stamps. The area of the image to be printed is recessed into the surface of the printing plate via engraving or etching and the recessed areas filled with high-viscosity ink. The excess ink is wiped from the plates and heavy pressure is applied to transfer the ink to the paper. The resulting raised ink profile gives intaglio-printed documents their characteristic tactility.

The result of the interaction between two superposing waves. Interference pigment flakes are used in colour-shifting inks, and interference foils with colour-shifting properties also exist.

An independent, non-governmental international organisation with a membership of 165 national standards bodies. Through its members, ISO brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.

A network of physical objects that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.