Security design to protect brands
OFTENTIMES, unscrupulous people take advantage of established brands by making cheaper, subpar imitations of goods, usually at the expense of the business and reputation of the brands.
This rampant growth of the counterfeiting business has necessitated the incorporation of security design features in products.
In addition to being a crucial component in the creation of banknotes, certificates and other important documents such as land grants, licences and passports, security design is one of the elements of brand protection.
Highly defined print lines are used to create intricate designs that are difficult to duplicate and print.
According Tajul Arifin Abd Karim, SIRIM Packaging and Security Design Centre (PSDC) technology and operations department head, with normal graphic printing, the lines measure one to two points and are printed on a 2,400dpi printer.
The lines for security design, on the other hand, are as fine as 30 microns and use a 6,000dpi printer.
“Security designs employ mathematical calculations. We use special software that allows us to produce mechanical patterns, such as geometric, organic and relief patterns. It‘s all controlled. The combination of machine and software makes it near impossible to reproduce the design,“he added.
The security design elements can be segmented into three categories — overt, covert and semi-covert.
Generally, the first level of security design elements are visible to the naked eye, enabling instant authentication of products or the identity of documents via visual inspection. This allows users to validate the product or document quickly and easily at the point of inspection. An example is the hologram.
The covert technique offers a higher level of protection. The security features are not readily visible and special equipment is needed to identify them. Therefore, covert security design elements can provide a higher level of protection. Examples include special liquids such as DNA ink or the usage of UV light to detect infrared (IR) and ultraviolet pigments.
This semi-covert technique is a combination of overt and covert techniques, employing a design that cannot be seen entirely without the use of special gadgets. Microtext — extremely small text — is an example of this.
The benefits of incorporating security design in consumer goods are plenty. A brand is an asset of any business and should be protected.
“Counterfeit issues can devalue the brand name and damage the business as they could shake consumers‘ confidence in the product,” said Tajul.
By circumventing counterfeit issues, security design protects the brand name and reinforces its strength, paving the way for its growth as customers come to identify the products and business, and consequently refer these products and services to others.
“Nowadays, a product cannot depend on aesthetic value alone. The incorporation of security design will enhance the product, making it more valuable and traceable,“explained Tajul.
Security design can be beneficial for consumers too as they will be assured of purchasing authentic goods of good quality.
In this era of smart technology, smart security design has become a key security design offering. As its name suggests, smart security design combines security graphic design and technology to enable users to interact with it.
“The advancement of security design technologies is moving towards the implementation of a tracking system that will reveal the source or ingredients of a product. Those who want to know more about the product can scan with a special application,“said Tajul.
With Industry 4.0 knocking at our doors, industries are rapidly changing. In preparation for the digital age, it is essential for the country to have a strong foundation in security design capabilities, including in software.
PSDC is collaborating with SIRIM Industrial Centre of Innovation in Sensors to research and upgrade a tracking system and produce QR security code.
“Normally for this level of security, Radio Frequency Identification is required, but this application is expensive in Malaysia. QR codes can typically be copied. We are trying to come up with a version that can protect a combination of soft and hard copy, we began this endeavour in April and hope to have something tangible in a few months,“said Tajul.