Glossary

A cooperative arrangement between two or more public (ie. government) and private sector entities.

A fibrous material produced by mechanically or chemically reducing plants to their component parts from which pulp, paper and paperboard sheets are formed after proper slushing treatment.

A computer that uses specialised technology – including computer hardware and algorithms that take advantage of quantum mechanics – to solve complex problems that classical computers can’t solve, or can’t solve quickly enough.

Semiconductor particles a few nanometres in size with optical and electronic properties that differ from larger particles due to quantum mechanics. Quantum dots may be ‘tuned’ to provide specific visual effects.

A fundamental theory in physics that describes the behaviour of nature at and below the scale of atoms. It is the foundation of all quantum physics.

A type of 2D matrix barcode which stores information as a series of pixels in a square-shaped grid. Typically, smartphones are used to scan QR codes, displaying an image of the code and converting it to, say, a standard URL for a website. QR codes can store up to 4,296 alphanumeric or 7,089 numeric characters and are clearly distinguished from datamatrix barcodes by large squares placed at three corners of the code, which are used for alignment. Compared to standard UPC barcodes, QR codes offer faster reading of the optical image and greater data storage capacity in applications such as product tracking and item identification.

An act of cybersecurity fraud using QR codes to redirect victims to malicious websites or prompt them to download harmful content. The goal of this fraud is to steal sensitive information, such as passwords, financial data, or personally identifiable information, and use that information for other purposes, such as identity theft, financial fraud, or ransomware.

A wireless, non contact technology that uses radio waves to transfer data and passively identify a tagged object. RFID systems are usually comprised of an RFID reader, microchip tags, and antennas. The reader gives off radio waves and gets signals back from the tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information. The tags are now so small that they can be neatly implanted into paper. They can typically be detected at distances ranging from a few millimetres to several metres. RFID is used in various commercial and industrial applications, including tracking items along a supply chain.

A form of offset security printing involving the split duct process, which results in a gradual change of two specific colours.

A non-destructive analytical technique used to identify and study the molecular composition and structure of materials. It works by detecting molecular vibrations, which provide unique spectral fingerprints for different substances. Named after Indian physicist C V Raman, who discovered the Raman Effect, this technique is widely used in chemistry, materials science, biology, and other fields for analysing a wide range of substances.

A 2D picture represented as a rectangular grid of pixels.

The task of converting a vector graphic image into a raster image (ie. a series of pixels, dots or lines which recreate the vector image). The higher the resolution, the greater the number of pixels per unit area. Raster images are used for ensuring a smooth transition of colours and shades, with the most common use being for processing photos. The most popular raster graphics editor is Photoshop.

A pack of 500 sheets of paper or other substrate.

A system representing the colours used on a digital display screen. Red, green and blue can be combined in various proportions to obtain any colour in the visible spectrum.

The bouncing of light off an object (as opposed to light that transmits through or is absorbed by an object).

The darkest black that can be made from the four CMYK ink colours, consisting of 100% cyan, 100% magenta, 100% yellow, and 100% black.

A common business process for collecting written information about the capabilities of various suppliers. Normally, an RFI follows a format that can be used for comparative purposes. An RFI is primarily used to gather information to help make a decision on what steps to take next. RFIs are therefore seldom the final stage of procurement and are instead often used in combination with a request for proposal (RFP) and request for quotation (RFQ).

A document that solicits a proposal from suppliers, often as part of a bidding process, by an agency interested in procuring a commodity or service. An RFP is used when a general need or problem must be solved, and potential sellers are proposing solutions and how much they will cost. Companies evaluating an RFP must consider not only the cost but the effectiveness of the solution.

A document that solicits quotations from suppliers often as part of a bidding process, by an agency interested in procuring a commodity or service. An RFQ is used when a quote is needed for a specific need and solution.

A printing press where the images to be printed are curved around a cylinder. There are three main types of rotary press: offset (including web offset), rotogravure, and flexography.

Also called returning exports, where products are manufactured and designated for export, then exported in order to avoid domestic taxes, and subsequently smuggled back into the original jurisdiction.

A process to cover printed data with a opaque covering so it cannot be read until the final user removes the coating to read the data. Scratch-off ink is often used on lottery tickets to conceal winning numbers.

A process that uses a fine mesh with an impermeable coating, selected areas of which have been removed to allow ink to pass through. Screen printing produces a thick ink layer ideal for printing optical effect security features.

The integration of physical and digital security features into a track and trace system to ensure that illicit traders are not able to, for instance, generate their own, functioning, unique identifying codes, nor copy existing codes, nor access confidential information contained in or linked to those codes. The difference between commercial parcel tracking systems and systems used for government-regulated products such as cigarettes, is one of security. Parcel tracking systems are at less risk of being manipulated by parties within the distribution chain than systems used to track cigarettes and other products exposed to illicit trade.

Inclusions added to security paper during manufacture comprising randomly distributed short thin fibres with specific optical or spectroscopic properties.The fibres can be made of silk, plastic or metal, and may be visible, invisible, multicoloured or fluorescent under UV light.

Paper typically manufactured from wood pulp or cotton containing security features such as watermarks and security fibres.

Polyester threads that are either fully or partially embedded down the length of paper during the paperforming process. Fully embedded threads – typically less than 1.8mm wide – can only be viewed when the document is held up to the light. Partially embedded threads appear intermittently on one side of the paper. Their size is typically up to 4mm wide and they act as carriers for a range of overt security features.

A semiconducting material has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as metal, and an insulator, such as glass. Semiconductive inks can be used to create printed antennae.

A security feature requiring simple, sometimes commercially available tools to view it, such as ultraviolet (UV) lights, polarising filters, magnifiers and lenses. The examiner needs to know where the features are and how to examine them and they are not normally made known to the general public.

The application of a unique identifier to each unit in a lot or batch. The identifiers are numbers but might be printed as alphanumerics or barcodes or might be embedded in a chip activated by radio frequency (RFID). The numbers may be sequential or randomly generated; what is important is that the same number should not be used twice.

A printing press that requires sheets (as opposed to continuous rolls or webs) to be fed into the press prior to printing.

A coating mixture applied to paper or other substrate to improve printing or surface properties.

A cellular (or mobile) telephone with an integrated computer, camera, and other features not originally associated with a mobile phone.

the fraudulent practice of sending text messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or credit card numbers.

The illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations, often to avoid taxation.

An advanced Raman spectroscopy technique used to analyse chemical compositions beneath the surface of a sample without needing to physically cut or otherwise disturb it. In traditional Raman spectroscopy, the laser light and detector are aligned directly on the sample surface, which only provides surface-level information. SORS, however, works by offsetting the detector to capture Raman signals from deeper within the sample.

Produced by the mutual interference of a set of coherent wavefronts. Speckle patterns have been used in a variety of applications in microscopy, imaging, optical manipulation and document biometrics (or fingerprinting). They typically occur in diffuse reflections of monochromatic light such as laser light.

The study of the absorption and emission of light and other radiation by matter. Involves the splitting of light (or more precisely electromagnetic radiation) into its constituent wavelengths (a spectrum), which is done in much the same way as a prism splitting light into a rainbow of colours. More recently, the definition has been expanded to include the study of interactions between particles such as electrons, protons, and ions, as well as their interaction with other particles as a function of their collision energy.

A process employed in offset printing where colours are intentionally allowed to overlap on the transfer cylinder producing a gradated effect.

Any colour printed with its own ink, in contrast to process colour printing which uses four inks (cyan, magenta, yellow and black – or CMYK) to produce all other colours.

An impression, mark or relief formed on a paper substrate by means of pressure from a stamp.

The practice of representing information within another message or physical object so that its presence is not evident in human inspection. The advantage of steganography over cryptography alone is that the intended secret message does not attract attention to itself as an object of scrutiny

The suspension of fibre and other materials in water used to manufacture paper.

The standard language used to communicate with relational database management systems (ie. systems which store and provide access to data points that relate to one another). SQL statements are used to perform tasks such as updating and retrieving data.

The material or base – eg. paper or film – on which an image is printed or a feature applied.

A mobile or web application that can provide multiple services including payment and financial transaction processing, effectively becoming an all-encompassing self-contained commerce and communication online platform that embraces many aspects of personal and commercial life.

Individuals or organisations involved in moving products from manufacturer to consumer.

Security features that are applied to the surface of a banknote or secure document (eg. foil stripes, foil or optically variable ink patches, iridescent coatings) as opposed to features that are created through combinations of printing techniques or features integrated into the substrate, such as threads, fibres and watermarks.

The most ubiquitous and popular type of hologram, mainly exhibiting a characteristic rainbow-coloured pattern. The details of the hologram image are recorded as an interference pattern on the surface (rather than through the volume) of the material. The value of surface relief holograms is that they can be mass-produced mechanically by embossing or casting a relief pattern or image into an inexpensive thermoplastic film or viscous coating on a film or paper.

A protocol for arranging the bars and spaces of barcodes for the encoding of numbers, letters and binary numbers.