Void Pantograph
Definition
A fine-line background print pattern on a cheque or secure document that reveals the word 'VOID' when photocopied or scanned, due to the moiré pattern arising from reproduction at a different halftone resolution.
- Applied to
- Cheques and other secure documents
- Trigger
- Photocopying or scanning the document
- Revealed word
- VOID
- Mechanism
- Moire pattern from halftone resolution mismatch
Common questions
Why does the VOID word only appear on a copy and not on the original?+
The pantograph is printed as a fine line pattern calibrated to the original printing resolution, invisible or nearly invisible to the eye. A copier or scanner resamples the image at a different halftone screen frequency, and the interference between the original fine lines and the new sampling grid produces the moire effect that resolves into the hidden word.
Does the absence of a visible VOID on a suspect copy prove the copy is genuine rather than a photocopy of a real cheque?+
Not conclusively. Some reproduction methods, careful copier settings, or high-resolution scanning and reprinting can suppress or avoid triggering the moire effect, so the void pantograph is one indicator among several, not a standalone proof of authenticity.
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