Print Solutions Magazine, February 2003 -- Manufacturing

BY DENNIS MCGARRY, CDC

Steven Spielberg's latest Hollywood hit, Catch Me If You Can, hits close to home--the story is based on the real-life experience of reformed criminal and counterfeiter Frank W. Abagnale Jr. In the years since Abagnale paid his debt to society, he has acted as a document security expert and consultant for Dayton, Ohio-based manufacturer Standard Register (SR) and has helped the FBI nab counterfeiters and forgers. DMIA hired Abagnale in 1993 to talk about document security at its Annual Meeting. The recent media attention to forgery and counterfeiting casts new light on an old subject.

As the importance of security documents increased during the past decade, a handful of manufacturers emerged as experts in the field. Others got by offering basics such as void pantographs. Today, many manufacturers ask, "How can I offer new security products, a successful program, and get distributors to partner in sales of secure documents?"

The Importance of Education

According to Roger D. Buck, CDC, director of sales at Fort Scott, Kan.-based manufacturer Ward/Kraft Inc., and Dave Wandling, CDC, vice president of marketing at St. Louis-based manufacturer The Flesh Company, the answer is educating distributors. Both manufacturers say educating their own production staffs is a major part of that goal. Buck and Wandling agree that everyone in their plants should understand how critical security documents are to end users.

Early on, The Flesh Company provided an educational booklet for distributors to use for reference or to hand to customers. "The booklet focused on why end users need to know about document security--not how the technology works," Wandling says. It outlined fundamental concepts surrounding document security but didn't cover specific features. "It has been a great tool for getting distributors and end users to understand the importance of document security," he says.

George Phillips, president of Verify First Technologies, a licenser of document security technologies in Paso Robles, Calif., agrees that it's critical for manufacturers to help educate distributors. He says technologies with "wow" factors are easier to sell to distributors (and ultimately to end users). Otherwise, Phillips says, most distributors will revert to selling basic security features, which criminals have learned to defeat easily.

Securing More Than Documents

Thomas L. Jay, vice president of sales and marketing at supplier SICPA, based in Springfield, Va., says he often recommends that printers new to security documents outsource jobs to more experienced firms. "In time, as we work with those manufacturers and bring them up to speed, they're better able to handle some of the complex document security measures," he says. "The primary reason we do this is to protect the end user and the supply chain."

A critical aspect among security manufacturers and suppliers is having a secure plant. SICPA requires manufacturers to sign security agreements and provide a minimum amount of security within their plants, Jay says. Here are typical security actions manufacturers take:

* Shredding security paper waste and unshipped security documents

* Canceling samples, file copies and documents that leave production areas

* Marking outer cartons

* Installing security systems for their buildings

* Rendering plates useless

* Instituting password-protected composition systems

* Drug-testing employees

Many manufacturers producing high volumes of security documents have some or all of the above measures in place. At more secure plants, such as bank-note printers, security levels can be even higher, including full-time guards and locked access in and out of production areas. Some printers quip that such facilities have more in common with jails than with printing firms, except the production crew is allowed to go home when it wants.

Getting Support From All Sides

Deciding what security features to offer customers can be easy, but getting your production staff to buy into security is critical. Ward/Kraft used a team approach that included three general managers and one composition manager. Buck says they were instrumental in getting the firm's staff to understand the challenges of implementing security technologies. The team meets weekly with the company's sales, order entry, scheduling and production departments to create awareness of new technologies and features. Buck says the four managers were motivated from the start, which added to Ward/Kraft's success.

Buck says suppliers such as SICPA often visit Ward/Kraft to provide training and support for key production personnel. Paper suppliers such as Appleton, Wis.-based Appleton, Portland, Ore.-based Boise Paper Solutions and Stamford, Conn.-based MeadWestvaco also have programs to educate manufacturers and distributors. Jay says SICPA provides on-site technical support to plants when they refine new processes. The firm educates distributors whenever possible, realizing they have direct contact with end users.

"It's very important to have a balance of security in all aspects of the supply chain, including the manufacturing and processing of all secure documents," says John DeMarco, product manager for security papers at MeadWestvaco. "A document is only as secure as the weakest link in the supply chain. To minimize the risk of a document being compromised, it's necessary to include security controls in all aspects of how the document is manufactured, processed and archived. Without a balance of all three aspects, a company exposes itself to unnecessary risk."

Security Documents for Tomorrow

How we view documents in the future depends on how we think of them now, Phillips says. "As security printers, we need to go way beyond the typical document security technologies that are offered now," he says. "We need to be forward-thinking, offering covert security devices that are off the radar screens of the best counterfeiters."

Many document printers advocate layering overt and covert security features to provide effective document protection. Phillips recommends that document security distributors focus on these high-tech solutions:

* Interactive, covert, thermochromic messages that react when heated or cooled

* Optical variable devices, which are interactive holographic devices that can include imbedded messages

* Anti-copy printing that utilizes microscopic images to create encrypted algorithms and digital watermarks

* Microscopic images or text embedded in halftone dots

* Machine-readable, molecular and spectral taggants embedded into inks and papers

* Tamper-resistant security strips, which are printed or stamped background areas that are difficult to alter once printed upon

Over the past few years, digital printing technologies have made it easier for counterfeiters to recreate documents. Something counterfeiters can't do, however, is produce hidden or covert features unknown to them. Although covert security features aren't infallible, their use greatly helps to protect end users. If problems arise, those end users can prove their extraordinary efforts to provide safe documents.

As security documents continue to evolve, savvy document providers will find opportunities in many areas. Phillips says commitment and forward thinking are critical to successful document security programs. "This is not just a plug-and-play effort," he says. "The commitment means time and work to make the process function for the end user."

Dennis McGarry, CDC, is vice president of manufacturer and technical programs at DMIA. Email him your comments at dmcgarry@PSDA.org.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Xpedx, Covington, Ky., teamed up with International Paper to pay homage to American volunteerism by presenting printing and converting techniques on nine International Paper products. The two produced a 9 x 11-inch, spiral-bound brochure, which encompasses 28 pages plus a sleeve. An embossed, die cut and varnished insert on Carolina® 15 pt. CIS offers a detailed replica of the Aviation Volunteers' fire station. For more information, call (859) 655-4715. Visit www.xpdex.com.

Oce-USA, Chicago, Ill., introduced four new scanners for the wide-format market. The scanners, which scan originals up to 36 inches in width at resolutions up to 800 d.p.i., are well-suited for reprographics, graphic arts and geographic information system professionals, according to the company. The scanners add color functionality, increased speed and higher resolution with the addition of smart card technology. Also, the company recently won the First Annual Excellence in Service Business Optimization Award at the 32nd annual Association for Services Management International Summit and Expo held in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, call (800) 714-4427. Visit www.oceusa.com.

Hewlett Packard Co., Palo Alto, Calif., introduced HP Indigo Press w3200, a high-speed digital offset color press. Designed for high-volume commercial, publishing and direct mail applications, the web-fed, 7-color press creates customized, high-impact products that incorporate personalized text and images, composed and printed in real time, according to the company. It delivers a print speed of 8,000 8 1/2 x 11-inch full-color images per hour and is fully compatible with HP Production flow, a production management system. For more information, call (650) 857-1501. Visit www.hp.com.

MACtac® Printing Products, Stow, Ohio, introduced five spliceless products to its prime, thermal transfer and direct thermal roll product lines. The products help converters supply their customers with splice-free roll and fanfold label products. According to the company, benefits include fewer web breaks, which reduce downtime; less material scrap, which increases profitability; improved registration control, which reduces material waste; and reduced winding, which helps streamline operations and reducing labor costs. The products include two prime labels, two direct thermal and one thermal transfer product. For more information, call (800) 548-3456. Visit www.mactac.com.

GPA, Chicago, Ill., launched a promotion to highlight the collection of Ultra Bak® Media for HP Indigo Digital Presses. The promotion talks about the benefits of the digital media line, including media construction, runnability and print quality. Ultra Bak® Media for HP Indigo Digital Presses is available in four standard grades of pressure- sensitive offset, matte/satin, semi-gloss and high-gloss paper. For more information, call (800) 395-9000. Visit www.labelexperts.com.

Encad Inc., San Diego, Calif., launched an improved Graphic Outdoor Plus water-based pigment ink for its NovaJet printers. According to the company, the new ink provides better color "pop," improved jetting reliability and enhanced image quality. The vibrancy is most noticeable when printing yellow, red and green. For more information, call (858) 452-0882. Visit www.encad.com.

FLEXcon Inc., Spencer, Mass., added to its DigiPRO product line 16 new products, nine top-coated polypropylene films, six top-coated polyester films and one top-coated polyester overlaminating film. The products, which have a 2-year shelf, are designed specifically for printability on HP Indigo Digital Presses. According to the company, DigiPRO digital imaging films are ideal for variable imaging and product identification labels, point-of-purchase and promotional decals. For more information, call (508) 885-8420. Visit www.flexcon.com.

Mohawk Paper Mills Inc., Cohoes, N.Y., announced a broad range of papers scripted specifically for NexPress 2100, a digital production color press that provides on-demand printing for short runs with quick turnarounds. The papers include Navajo, Satin 2.0 and 50/10plus. For more information, call (800) 844-6455. Visit www.mohawkpaper.com.

Xeikon America Inc., Wood Dale, Ill., showcased its DCP 320 D and DCP 500 SP digital presses at Graph Expo® 2002. The DCP 320 D is equipped with a large roll unwinder from Roll Systems to ensure maximum productivity. The DCP 500 SP, running 14 pt. paperboard, will print a packaging application, point-of-purchase signs and pocket folders. For more information, call (630) 616-5600. Visit www.xeikon.com.

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