Printing Techniques Used to Secure Border Crossing Documents
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International Journal of Volume 2 Issue 1 Criminal Investigation 31-40 PRINTING TECHNIQUES USED TO SECURE BORDER CROSSING DOCUMENTS Cristina Marcela BOROTA Abstract The issue of counterfeiting travel documents has always been and still is a current issue. It developed in our modern world where science and technique made possible to use or even purchase high technology devices (scanners, copiers and last generation high performance computer-aided printers, special printing machines, thus contributing to increasing the number of counterfeit documents and all these have made more difficult for the competent authorities to find counterfeit documents or even made impossible to tell which are the genuine documents issued by the competent authorities. Along with the technical progress and the use by the counterfeiters of most recent techniques and means to make or even change the documents, there’s a constant need for the progress of technologies to achieve or protect travel documents. This paper is intended to outline printing types used to secure border crossing documents , the procedures to obtain and achieve them and the features particular to each printing type; these features can be identified by means of magnifying devices and not only. Keywords: relief printing, flexography, offset, rotogravure printing, intaglio, serigraphy, dot-matrix, ink-dot, laser printing, digital offset printing, laser gravure, innosec fusion, thermal transfer printing, thermal dye sublimation, photo technique. Introductory notes quality and it also entitles the holder to Generally, a state border crossing travel abroad.1 document is an official paper issued by a Upon the examination of a border competent authority of a state or an crossing document, a number of form and international organization acknowledged content requirements are taken into abroad. worldwide entitling the holder to cross These are manufactured at ever increasing through an especially developed place, standards as these standards are required intended for international passenger traffic. by an International Civil Aviation We would like to mention here the simple Organization (ICAO) as they tried to apply passport, work, diplomatic passport, new safety measures and it is more and identity card, travel document as well as more difficult to be reproduced by the other documents established based on counterfeiters. some international agreements entered Criminal law does not distinguish between countries. Travel document between the various means to manufacture certifies before the Romanian and foreign 1 Chapter II, Section 1, Art. 6 paragraph (4) of Law authorities, holder’s identity, citizenship, 248 / 2005 concerning the free movement of the Romanian citizens abroad. http://www.ijci.eu eISSN: 2247-0271 31 PRINTING TECHNIQUES USED TO SECURE BORDER CROSSING DOCUMENTS counterfeit documents as it refers only to “the technical and scientific findings as their effects – a forensic technical report well as expertise”. The convincing power outlines a wide variety of counterfeits in of the technical-scientific finding report is travel documents, the counterfeiters resort conferred by the rigorous scientific to various methods to commit the crimes, substantiation of the opinions expressed from the simplest ones bringing about within its contents. For a legal expert to gross fakes, detectable with the naked eye, find a material which is counterfeit to the perfect ones which could mislead whether partially or totally must have even the specialists. sound knowledge of safety measures, of According to counterfeiter’s reach, the technologies of how to make and counterfeits can be divided into the protect travel documents. following categories2: Hereinafter I shall focus on the a) intellectual COUNTERFEIT - a main printing techniques to secure border counterfeit difficult to be detected as crossing documents, on their features as the documents are issued by well as on how important is for the individuals who are entitled by law to forensic specialist to be acquainted with make it. them in his activity to find a counterfeit b) material COUNTERFEIT which can material. be of two types: TOTAL COUNTERFEIT consisting of total Printing techniques counterfeiting (imitation) of a A RELIEF PRINT is an image document and PARTIAL created by a printmaking process where COUNTERFEIT consisting of the protruding surface faces of the matrix are alteration of a part of the original inked; recessed areas are ink free. Printing document. the image is therefore a relatively simple One of evidence means listed by matter of inking the face of the matrix and criminal law (art. 64 of the Code of Civil bringing it in firm contact with the paper. Procedure) the overwhelming importance In intaglio, the recessed areas are the of which when establishing the truth is printed areas. The whole matrix is inked, outlined by the frequency with which and the ink then wiped away from the judicial bodies resort to its administration surface, so that it remains only in the in the legal proceedings is represented by recesses. 2 Tactics of border police, lecture notes, Module II, Oradea, 2006 32 International Journal of Criminal Investigation, 2, 1, 31-40 C.M.BOROTA cylinder. A plastic substrate is mounted on its surface and it is used as a dye to press and form the raised areas. The use of this cylinder with rubber layer outlines the so- called pearled borders. However it does not confer the effect of an embossed seal. This procedure is generally used to protect Fig. 1. Relief print – ink accumulation on borders the laminated cardboard. This process is easily recognizable from pearl-like borders. This aspect is also influenced by other factors such as: contact pressure, the structure of the area to be printed and ink composition. Moreover, the strong contact of the moulding cylinder with paper area is also outlined by the effect of a raised seal which can be noticed by the use of a Fig. 3. Flexography – pearl-like borders spotlight laterally. In many documents, In the case of FLAT PRINT, printing this print is used in printing of a serial elements are at the same level with non- number or the number of the document. printing elements. OFFSET PRINT belongs to the category of flat printing but printing is of a high quality. Through this procedure, inked images have a uniform appearance when regarded by means of a magnifying device. Fig. 2. Relief print – effect of a raised seal Another printing procedure used in the case of travel documents is FLEXOGRAPHY also called INDIRECT RELIEF PRINT. Flexography is a printing process which utilizes a flexible relief plate that can be adhered to a printing Fig. 4. Offset printing –uniform aspect http://www.ijci.eu eISSN: 2247-0271 33 PRINTING TECHNIQUES USED TO SECURE BORDER CROSSING DOCUMENTS Offset printing is a commonly used size of recessed alveoli determine the printing technique in which the inked quantity of ink which is transferred to the image is transferred from a plate to a support. Very fluid and quick drying inks rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. are used. It also allows ink overlapping. It is based on the repulsion of oil and Alveoli structure can be visible in many water, the offset technique employs a flat cases. Microscope examination shows the image carrier on which the image to be cogged borders of images which are to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while printed. This printing is palpable and can the non-printing area attracts a water-based be seen in oblique light. Generally, this film keeping the non-printing areas ink- print is used to secure passport laminated free. In the case of many travel documents, cardboards. background drawing of pages is impressed by means of this printing type. The procedure employed is IRIS or RAINBOW printing. In this case, there’s no clear delimitation of colors as these interpenetrate. EMBOSSED PRINTING is a category of printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface, Fig. 5. Rotogravure known as the matrix or plate, and the INTAGLIO print also belongs to incised line or area holds the ink. It is the category of embossed printing which is distinguished by the fact that the printing a printing technique through which the elements are arranged lower than the non- printing image is engraved on the surface printing elements. ROTOGRAVURE or of a printing plate. First of all, thick and GRAVURE and INTAGLIO printing fal highly colored ink is applied on a printing within this category. plate, and then ink is cleaned from the ROTOGRAVURE PRINTING is areas which cannot be printed (which are a printing technique using printing plates not recessed). Finally, the ink left on the with recessed areas or alveoli making up engraved parts of the printing plate (the the inked image. Printing plate is in direct image to be printed) is transferred on the contact with the support. The depth and the support at a high pressure. Pressure pushes 34 International Journal of Criminal Investigation, 2, 1, 31-40 C.M.BOROTA the support to penetrate the recessed areas of the printing plate thus achieving a raised tactile background which could be recognized in oblique light. It can be generally seen on the inner covers of passports and visas. Fig. 7. Serigraphy DOT MATRIX - A DOT MATRIX PRINTER is a type of computer printer with a print head that runs back and forth, or in an up and down motion, on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like the print mechanism on a typewriter. Fig. 6. Intaglio printing Each dot is produced by a tiny SCREEN PRINTING is a direct metal rod, also called a "wire" or "pin", printing method, the process of producing which is driven forward by small levers an image by pressing color to a thin piece (pawls). of canvas (matrix) directly on the printing The image made up of these dots is surface.