The counterfeiting threat!
Until recently, most counterfeiting was done by hand and /or by photographic means. Using methods which required many hours of painstaking craftsmanship to achieve a limited number of passable facsimiles of the original document. This is no longer so, it is now possible to colour copy a document which took years to perfect, in a couple of minutes. The operation requires very little skill when compared with the craftsmen of the past - one can become proficient in the use of a colour copier after a few hours training!

The role of the security designer
Generally speaking, graphic designers are primarily concerned with the aesthetic and communicative aspects of the printed message. The security designer is likewise concerned about these aspects but must also provide maximum graphic protection to try and prevent forgery, counterfeiting and fraud. Special cheque papers together with security inks and covert devices are used to highlight when a document has been been either tampered with, colour copied/scanned, counterfeited or forged.