The usage of Optical Variable Ink

Here’s a detailed breakdown of its primary uses:

1. Banknotes and Currency

This is the most widespread and critical application of OVI.

• How it's used: OVI is typically applied to specific, prominent features on a banknote, such as:

  • Large numerals (denominations)

  • Architectural elements or vignettes

  • National emblems or symbols

• Purpose: It is a key public security feature. Anyone can instantly authenticate a banknote by simply tilting it to observe the color change. This makes it impossible to replicate with standard printers, copiers, or scanners, which can only capture a single, static color.

• Famous Example: The color-shifting numeral "100" on the bottom right corner of the current US $100 bill (shifts from copper to green). Many modern currencies like the Euro, British Pound, and Swiss Franc use more dramatic shifts (e.g., purple to green, gold to blue).

2. Passports and Official Travel Documents

Governments use OVI to protect the integrity of passports, visas, and ID cards.

• How it's used:

  • Printed on the cover of the passport (e.g., the national coat of arms).

  • On the biographical data page to protect critical personal information and the photo.

  • On visa stickers and residence permits.

• Purpose: To prevent forgery and illegal alteration. It allows border control agents and officials to quickly verify the document's authenticity.

3. Identity Cards and Driver's Licenses

Many countries are incorporating OVI into their national ID cards and driver's licenses.

• How it's used: Often used on the cardholder's photo, birth date, or as a background pattern.

• Purpose: To prevent identity theft, fraud, and the creation of fake IDs.

4. Certificates and Legal Documents

OVI is used to authenticate documents that hold significant value or legal status.

• How it's used: On university degrees, professional licenses, stock certificates, bonds, and land titles.

• Purpose: To ensure the document is original and not a counterfeit copy, thereby maintaining its legal and financial value.

5. Brand Protection and Anti-Tampering

High-value brands use OVI to combat the counterfeit goods market and protect their revenue and brand reputation.

• How it's used:

  • Luxury Goods: On labels, tags, and packaging for items like handbags, watches, apparel, and shoes.

  • Pharmaceuticals: On product packaging to guarantee the medicine is genuine and safe, helping to combat the dangerous fake drug market.

  • Software and Electronics: On certificates of authenticity (COA) labels for software and on the packaging of high-end electronics.

  • Alcohol and Cigarettes: On tax stamps and seals to prove duties have been paid and to prevent product diversion.

6. Tax Stamps and Excise Duty Labels

Governments use OVI on stamps affixed to products like alcohol and tobacco.

• Purpose: To prove that excise duty has been paid to the government. The difficulty in replicating OVI makes it a powerful tool against tax evasion and the smuggling of untaxed goods.

Why is OVI So Effective for These Uses?

The usage is so prevalent because OVI possesses key properties that make it an ideal security feature:

1. Immediate Visual Verification: No special tools, lights, or magnifiers are needed. The "tilt test" is instant and intuitive for the public and officials alike.

2. Extremely Difficult to Replicate: The technology behind the ink—the precise formulation and the manufacturing of the multi-layer interference flakes—is highly specialized, expensive, and tightly controlled by a few companies (e.g., SICPA, Gleitsmann). It cannot be scanned, photocopied, or digitally reproduced.

3. Durability: OVI is resistant to fading and abrasion, ensuring the security feature lasts for the lifetime of the product or document.

4. Versatility: It can be applied using various printing methods, including silk-screen, gravure, and offset, allowing it to be integrated into existing high-security printing processes.

In summary, the primary usage of Optical Variable Ink is as a high-security, first-line authentication feature that protects the value, integrity, and security of currency, official documents, and branded goods from forgery and counterfeiting.