Foil Elements

Foil elements – eye-catching and difficult to counterfeit

Foil elements are security features that are easy to identify and therefore highly suitable for verifying authenticity. With their eye-catching designs, which are applied to a prominent area of the banknote or security document, they attract the attention of all users. Security foils enable the creation of flexible designs through the incorporation of gold, copper, or aluminum effects. To produce individual customer designs, G&D uses exclusive, sophisticated origination technologies that offer high levels of protection against counterfeiting.

G&D has many years of experience in providing banknotes with attractive security foils – both in paper production and in foil production. The varifeye see-through window, for example, is completely integrated into the banknote design and is highly effective due to the combination of paper and foil.

G&D’s foil technology is protected and not available for commercial purposes.

Attractive and eye-catching security elements for authentication

Holographic foils are attractive and eye-catching security elements for protection against counterfeiting. Hologram security elements are well-known to the public and cannot be reproduced by digital copying machines. Foil production is based on complex processes. Because the foils contain diffractive surface elements, colors and patterns change, offering scope for individual customer designs. These include holographic motifs with effects that simulate a movement, a change of shape, or a three-dimensional element.

With its large selection of design options, G&D ensures that every foil is unique to a specific banknote denomination or security document, making counterfeit attempts considerably more difficult. Demetallization is used to create transparent areas on the metallic surface. These show different information depending on whether the banknote is viewed face-on or held up to the light.

Small and large text and graphical elements, patterns, or combinations of transparent, demetallized, and colored areas can be used to bring the design to life. The demetallization process provides an optimum, high-resolution contrast and is in itself secure. In contrast to commercially available foils, G&D foils can also exhibit bimetallic effects, such as aluminum plus gold, chrome, or copper.

Holographic foils gain additional security through the use of covert security features. These include features that are visible under UV, laser, or polarized light. With the perfect combination of visible and invisible security elements, G&D is on hand to give advice on technology and design issues.

Innovative OVD-effect foils for intricate design creations

The combination of two complex security feature technologies in a single design presents counterfeiters with an insurmountable obstacle. These security foils offer striking effects and a raft of design options.

OVD foils comprising two metal effects are particularly complex to produce, but their individual customer designs are quickly and easily identifiable. OVD foils can contain holographic, ColourShift, or Magic moiré magnifier effects. They therefore differ considerably – even at first glance. Demetallization provides optimum contrast and high-resolution text and design elements.

OVD foils gain additional security through the use of covert security features. These include features that are visible under UV, laser, or polarized light. With the perfect combination of visible and invisible security elements, G&D is on hand to give advice on technology and design issues.

"Sealing" through foil patches

As well as holographic foils, localized foil patches can also be applied to the banknote using hot foil stamping. Additional overprinting with intaglio printing creates a “sealed” security element that can be easily incorporated into banknote designs.