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BOPP (Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene)

The polymer film substrate for polymer-substrate banknotes (Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada). Distinguished from cotton-linen paper notes by FTIR-ATR (CH3 methyl peaks...

Cotton-Linen Substrate

The traditional banknote paper substrate made from cotton fibre (and sometimes linen), containing no lignin, non-fluorescent under UV, textured under magnification; used...

Intaglio Printing

A high-pressure printing process in which ink is forced into engraved recesses in a steel plate and transferred to paper, producing a...

KINEGRAM

A diffractive optically variable image device (DOVID) in holographic foil used on passport biographical pages and visa stickers; produced by OVD Kinegram...

Microprinting / Microtext

Text printed at 0.2-0.5 mm letter height, legible under a 10x loupe on genuine notes but smeared into an indistinct grey line...

Multi-Tone Watermark

A watermark produced by graded modulation of substrate thickness during papermaking, creating a range of light-to-dark tones visible in transmitted light; more...

Optically Variable Ink (OVI)

An ink containing thin-film interference flakes (metal + dielectric layers, manufactured by SICPA and others) that produce a visible colour shift with...

See-Through Register

The precise front-to-back alignment of partial printed elements so that they combine into a complete image when the note is held to...

Windowed Security Thread

A polymer strip embedded in the substrate that alternates between being below the surface (visible as a dark stripe in transmitted light)...

Explained in

• Currency Security Features: Substrate, Threads, OVI, MicroprintingA feature visible only at oblique viewing angle, produced by differential intaglio surface profile; on the US $100, tilting reveals 'USA' within the denominati...