Solutions | Certificates

At the heart of any high security document is the paper it is printed and produced on

With growing access to computers, digital imaging software and scanners, photocopiers and high-quality printers, the level of threat to secure documents is increasing.

Staying ahead of the increasingly sophisticated technologies used by fraudsters is essential.

Portals’ papers have always been the substrate of choice for certificates and our ever more sophisticated security features will ensure that you also stay one step ahead of the fraudsters.

Over a hundred Issuing Authorities and expert Security Printers put their trust in us to deliver long lasting, secure and trusted products each year. There is no better testimonial than that!

Harriet Plumb, Sales Director

Certificates

The role of a certificate is incredibly broad, encompassing vital events, ownership, authentication and entitlement credentials.

Proof and validity are becoming increasingly important and a key requirement for all manner of organisation from government services, academic and education establishments, to more commercial departments, businesses functions and professional bodies.

Typical applications include:
– Vital event, birth certificates and breeder documents
– Certificates of authenticity, ownership and origin
– Deeds and title documents
– Entitlement and Credentials

Each application type will have its own specific set of threats challenges, requirements and solutions.

Specialist market sector expertise

At Portals, we have the flexibility to select the exact security features that counter against the specific threats they are facing.

Click on the links below for more details.

Vital events, birth certificates and breeder documents

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Certificates of authenticity, ownership and origin

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Motor vehicle title solutions

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Entitlement and credentials

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Vital events, birth certificates and breeder documents

Vital events certificates are official documents that record key life events. These certificates serve as formal proof of an event and can be used to access related services and entitlements, including the issuance of identity documents such as a passport or identity card. Despite the importance of the integrity of these documents, many certificates in use today come with little or no security.

The challenge

Birth certificates, breeder documents and other vital events records are coming under increasing attack of counterfeit in order to falsely obtain identity documents with greater entitlements attached to them, for example passports, national ID cards or driver’s licenses.

The solution

Enhancing the physical security of the certificate is an easy and quick option to implement. In addition, by upgrading these features to include those commonly used in currency and passports means that document checkers are already familiar with them.

We would recommend such enhancements include multi-tonal cylinder mould watermarks, embedded fibres, tamper evidence features and document sensitisation treatments to the risk of chemical abrasion.

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Certificates of authenticity, ownership and origin

The importance of providing trusted proof of authenticity, ownership and / or origin is as paramount today as it has ever been.

The challenge

With the continued growth of counterfeit and alteration, and the associated impact on revenues and sector credibility, it is vitally important to always stay one step ahead of the criminals.

The solution

The use of a focused suite of security features built around a multi-tonal watermark alongside a combination of easy to identify and verify features, making it is quick for users to both understand and authenticate with minimal or no training. We would therefore recommend to include Cylinder mould / VAT made watermarks, security threads embedded into the sheet itself and fibres or planchettes that are integrated into the paper during manufacture.

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Motor vehicle title solutions

Motor Vehicle Title documents remain a constant target for counterfeit and alteration.

The challenge

Motor Vehicle Title documents remain a constant target for counterfeit and alteration. As a result, AAMVA (The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators), one of the world’s largest issuance organisations, recommends the inclusion of a blend of at least 10 overt and covert security features as the minimum specification for the production of security printed Vehicle Title certificates. Each jurisdiction within the AAMVA community is further encouraged to include additional security elements, ensuring a fully robust and resilient solution capable of countering the ever-increasing strength of today’s threats from fraud and alteration.

The solution

By deploying a mix of visible and hidden security features, multiple layers of defence are created. These defences can include features such as fibres and planchettes embedded into the base substrate at the time of manufacture. Portals strongly advocates the inclusion of easy-to-verify features such as watermarks that are quick for users to both understand and authenticate. Tamper evident features are also highly recommend to offer further protection against the threat of attack and alteration.

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Qualifications, entitlements and credentials certificates

Proving and attesting your qualifications, entitlements and credentials is as much a requirement for today as it has ever been.

The challenge

Relied on by a multitude of different organisations including government services, academic institutions, commercial businesses and professional bodies, this type of certificate is designed to provide absolute trust in the permissions, awards and achievements it claims. As a consequence, it is, by default, a prime target for attack from alteration and forgery.

The solution

As with all our other physical certificate solutions, our recommendation is to include obvious and easy to verify features such as a cylinder mould watermark, and layer up a number of complementary techniques to help deter the threat of counterfeit documents. We also endorse the inclusion of tamper evident features, such as chemical sensitisation, rendering obvious any attempts of attempted alteration, deliberate damage or obliteration of key data.

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Your choice of security

Cylinder Mould Watermark

Cylinder Mould Watermark

Recommended by Interpol, cylinder mould made paper is recognised as being the most secure paper type available and despite developments in counterfeiting technology the three dimensional multi-tonal watermark remains virtually impossible to simulate.

Electrotype Watermark

Electrotype Watermark

A highly effective additional feature to an overall watermark design, easily incorporated alongside a multi-tonal cylinder mould made watermark.

Threads

Threads

Security threads enable the security and aesthetic design of the document to be taken to another level – they are easy to verify and recognise and are obvious if absent or altered in any way.

Fibres & Planchettes

Fibres & Planchettes

The random nature of the fibre and planchette dispersion within the paper means no two sheets or pages are ever the same making counterfeiters attempts to use repetition of layout ineffective.

Port-Hole™

Port-Hole™

Highly secure feature consisting of a series of small and purposefully manufactured holes in the paper, within which a security thread that runs through the sheet is deliberately exposed. Virtually impossible to simulate outside of the cylinder mould manufacturing process

Chemical Sensitisation

Chemical Sensitisation

If a chemical substance is used to attempt to alter the information printed on the sheet, the specific area of attack will react to that chemical and show up as a coloured staining, the colour of which indicating the type of chemical being used.

Toner Adhesion

Toner Adhesion

A specialist additive, included in the size bath to help absorb and lock in printing inks and improve toner adhesion. This facilitates the subsequent laser printing of personalisation data or barcodes and QR codes on the document or certificate

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