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Since its founding in 1982, Security Print Solutions (SPS) has lived a low profile business existence as a specialist supplier of high end security print solutions to the trade.

This is set to change as SPS looks to transfer its security print and finishing expertise to the brand protection label market. ‘We have grown our business by 50 percent over the last two years to a six million GBP turnover, and with this new direction we are looking for still higher growth in the next two to three years,’ asserts director Graham McGuire.

The success of SPS has been built on the back of innovation. For example, in 1990 the company was the first to pioneer security holograms onto UK checks and other paper substrates. Spending on R&D annually exceeds a six figure sum, and SPS has demonstrated its expertise across a wide range of high security products including checks, tax stamps, visas, certificates, store gift vouchers, discount vouchers and event tickets.

It is not a huge leap from here to brand protection labels. ‘Whilst our activity within the label market is small, we are quickly growing our security label capabilities in the tobacco, alcohol, auto and white goods market places,’ says Graham McGuire. ‘Over the past two years we have produced well in excess of one billion tax/revenue stamps for export, mainly to the Middle East.’

McGuire stresses that although any competent label converter can print basic security labels, they are not necessarily operating in a controlled security environment, with secured enclosures, audited and controlled waste management and so on. ‘We are regularly vetted by check suppliers and we have ISO 27001 for secure information handling,’ says McGuire.

END USER FOCUSThis strategic shift to the brand security market will entail extensive market research to target the end sectors most requiring protection. ‘The end use is the critical starting point – where is the label to be applied and how?’ says Graham McGuire. ‘This dictates the label substrate, adhesives and finished configuration of the label, whether sheet format, reels or banded individual items. Another extremely important point to understand is the types of fraud and the potential for alteration. Why would people alter? What would be the minimum or maximum security required? The final part would be design, not just a fancy good looking design, but a design which is very easy on the eye, provides great depth of protection and is easily authenticated. Our experience in bank note software means we can protect from alteration and counterfeit fraud in one.’

Once the overall strategy has been agreed, SPS will then look at the functional characteristics required: ‘The label can be applied to the packaging as a seal or on the product itself. Each application has its own specific characteristics to ensure the maximum protection of the product, for example

Security SpecialistTRADE SECURITY SPECIALIST SPS is aiming to transfer its expertise in high-end security print and finishing to the brand protection market. Andy Thomas reports

"The label can be applied to the packaging as a seal or on the product itself. Each application has its own specific characteristics to ensure the maximum protection of the product"

(L-R) Will Duggins and Graham McGuire with Rotatek Universal press

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Focus Label Machinery Ltd: Kendryl Park • Chapel Lane • Bingham Nottingham • NG13 8GF • England • Telephone: +44 (0) 1949 836223 • Fax: +44 (0) 1949 836542E-mail: admin@focuslabel.com • Web: www.focuslabel.com

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using adhesives specifically formulated to create maximum adhesion and tamper resistance. There are numerous substrates to adhere to, from plastic bags and cardboard boxes, to specific end user requirements for metal components.’

UNDER ATTACKCounterfeiting techniques never stand still, and much has changed over the last two decades.

Security Holograms are now universally used in significant volumes. ‘But this begs the question – how good is international security control of the billions of security

holograms produced?’ asks McGuire.SPS has reacted to this by developing

multi-colored UV security graphics printed over the holograms to create an additional layer of hologram protection. In recent years innovations have focused on security graphics in conjunction with the extensive use of multi-color UV and a system called Stealth Security Print to protect data. Some of these innovations have also been patented to protect the commercial interests of both SPS and its print partners.

McGuire stresses that the physical label is only the first part of the secure system.

‘The second part is the validation, traceability and closing of the verification loop – the security system. Software and systems are available to work with the security label to validate them at various points for added protection. The use of websites, numbers, barcodes and the reading of information by the potential buyer or end user guarantees and validates the label, creating a complete secure system.’

During the last 13 years, SPS has focused on developing unique inline security printing techniques, installing a Rotatek offset press capable of up

"The use of websites, numbers, barcodes and the reading of information by the potential buyer or end user guarantees and validates the label, creating a complete secure system"

MULTI-LAYERED security print from SPS

LABELS&LABELING |45

NOVEMBER 2013 | L&L

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to 9-color security printing, hologram stripes or patches, numbering – including personalization and 2D barcodes – and die-cutting in one production process. The press is capable of producing over

one million tax stamp labels per hour incorporating multiple security features.

An order has recently been placed for an additional and identically specified machine.

PROTECT AND SURVIVEIn the view of SPS, security labeling is a highly diversified field, covering:

Brand protection - l Assuring authenticity of product contained

in labeled packagingl Protecting brand reputation from

counterfeit goods

Tax stamps - l Revenue streams for governments,

used on alcohol and tobaccol Reduction in contrabandl Traceability of imported/exported goods

Pharmaceutical labels - l Authenticity of prescriptions l Security seal to products l Product integrity

Tamper evident - l Detection of opened boxes or packaging

through tamper evident labels

Security visas - l Genuine/legal entry into a country for

border official verificationl Easy to read and authenticate on

inspectionl Protect countries from illegal immigrants

and unofficial entry

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