Document, Ticket & Certificate Security Ink

What are document and certificate security inks

Document, ticket and certificate security inks are the specialty inks used for identity documents, passports, qualification certificates, tickets, bonds and other high-security print. Unlike ordinary packaging security, the core demands here are that forgery be extremely difficult and verification be multi-layered. The ink system is therefore stacked by detection threshold: OVI colour-shift verifiable by eye, covert UV needing a UV lamp, and IR excitation / IR absorbing features readable only with dedicated IR equipment.

Shenzhen Sojhonink Co., Ltd. was founded in 2002 and produces nearly 1,000 tons of ink a year. We have supplied security inks to document, ticket and security printers as a long-term partner, working across offset, screen, gravure and flexo, adjusting formulation to the substrate, security thread and post-press, and providing free printed proofs for colour selection and press trials.

The logic of high-security documents: multiple layers, multiple detection methods

The core idea is not “use the most expensive technology” but to weave features of different detection thresholds into one net, so a counterfeiter must break several dimensions at once:

• Layer 1 (verifiable by eye) — OVI colour-shift and similar, judged by the public or counter staff with no tool. The most widespread line.
• Layer 2 (a common tool) — covert UV, verified with a banknote lamp; low cost, high reach, the most general covert line.
• Layer 3 (dedicated equipment) — IR excitation / IR absorbing, needing a specific source or reader; highest replication barrier, used for critical marks.

With all three, breaking any one layer does not collapse the defence, and each verifier can check at its own level — the public the first, the counter the second, a professional body the third.

IR excitation and IR absorbing inks: the most covert methods

IR inks are key to high-security documents. They come in two approaches, often used on the same artwork:

• IR excitation ink — emits visible fluorescence under 980 nm IR excitation (green / red / blue selectable), showing no trace when not excited. 850 / 940 nm absorbing codes are available on request. See IR excitation ink.
• IR absorbing ink — absorbs in the IR band while presenting another state in visible light; it can be combined with an IR-transparent ink to form a two-layer masking structure that is invisible by eye but appears under an IR camera. The principle and how printing affects covertness are covered in the article combining IR-absorbing and IR-transparent inks.

The shared value of IR features is that verification requires dedicated equipment, itself a high barrier to replication and misuse — ideal for the critical marks on a document.

The “verifiable by eye” advantage of OVI

OVI optically variable ink shows two or more colours as the viewing angle changes, with no tool required — the representative “public-verifiable” technology on documents and tickets:

• Copy and scan resistant — the colour-shift cannot be reproduced by copying or scanning; an imaging device captures only one angle.
• Immediately recognisable — the public, counters and customs can all identify it without special training.
• Suited to key visual positions — usually placed on the document’s key identity mark, denomination or security mark. See OVI optically variable ink.

Note that OVI’s colour-shift relates to film thickness and printing process — achievable by screen, offset and gravure but with differences in effect; confirm the specific result by proof.

The threshold and fit of covert UV

Covert UV is the most general covert layer on documents and tickets; its role is a low-cost, high-reach verification entry point:

• Colourless in normal light, leaving the artwork unchanged; fluoresces under a 365 nm UV lamp (blue, yellow, red or green selectable).
• Can carry microtext, covert marks or random fibre features to distinguish versions and batches.
• Verification cost is very low (a single banknote lamp), suiting counters and checkpoints that verify quickly at volume. See UV invisible (fluorescent) ink.

For a full cross-comparison of these technologies (detection method, threshold, printing process, typical application), see the Ink Selection Guide; definitions are in the Security Ink Glossary. Where a document needs a signature or stamp verification area, pair it with card signature ink.

Choosing by document and ticket type

Different documents and tickets have different verification authority and circulation scenes, so the combination of security layers should shift with them:

The more professional the verifier and the more restricted the circulation, the more a high-threshold (dedicated-equipment) IR feature fits. Tickets circulating to the public should always keep at least one eyes-only feature (such as OVI) so an ordinary person can complete basic verification.

Substrate and post-press

Document and ticket substrates and post-press are more complex than ordinary printing and directly affect ink choice and placement:

Note: high-security documents usually involve statutory credentials and regulatory requirements. Ink selection should proceed within the customer’s established printing scheme, and the specific process and positions should be confirmed with that scheme at the proof stage.

Sourcing, proofs and compliance

• Packaging — 1 kg cans and 5 kg drums; minimum order quantity is flexible and can be discussed per project.
• Proofs — printed proofs are provided free of charge to confirm colour-shift, fluorescence strength and IR colour development. Ink samples are priced by weight.
• Quotation — prices cover the ink itself only and exclude freight and taxes. Delivery is to a customer-designated location within mainland China.
• Compliance — the IR excitation, OVI and covert UV series can be supplied against standards including EN71.3 and REACH. Compliance documents required for a specific project can be provided on request.
• What we need before proofing — substrate (security paper / composite), printing process and press, existing security features (watermark / thread / others), post-press steps (pouch / lamination / numbering), and the detection method and positions intended.

Document and ticket projects have high demands on covertness and verification levels. Send your substrate and detection scheme through Contact and we will propose an ink combination and arrange proofing.

Still deciding? See the full 12-ink selection comparison table →