Security Features · Fifteen Technologies
The specimen book.
Every Cloudbreak document carries an engineered combination of these technologies — overt features anyone can check, covert features that catch the professional, and machine-readable features that settle the question in a second.
15feature technologies
4feature families
10+integrated per document
[ 01 ] SPECIMEN LAB
Don't take our word for it. Test it.
Four of our features, live on this page. Everything you see here behaves the way the real thing behaves on a real document.
CLOUDBREAK SOLUTIONSSECURITY DIVISION
Certificate of Authenticity
This certifies that the document bearing this control mark is genuine, integral and traceable.
[ 02 ] FEATURE CATALOGUE
Fifteen technologies, four families.
Numbered as they appear in our specification sheets — grouped here by the job each family does inside the document.
Substrate & paper
WHAT THE DOCUMENT IS MADE OF01Advanced WatermarksCustom multi-tone and true-tone watermarks integrated into the paper itself.
02Security PaperSubstrate with unique fibres, textures and watermarks that resists unauthorised reproduction.
06Hard PaperDurable, high-quality stock that resists wear — and makes tampering or copying harder.
07WaterproofWater-resistant paper and ink that protect critical information from spills and the elements.
10Invisible FibresFibres hidden in the substrate that glow under UV — able to conceal images, portraits and logos.
Print & finish
WHAT IS PRESSED AND PRINTED ONTO IT03Embossed TextRaised lettering and patterns you can verify by touch — impossible with standard printing.
04Silver & Gold FoilMetallic foil stamping for seals, logos and text — elegant, and hard to duplicate without special equipment.
08Micro TextVerification text printed so small it is only readable under magnification.
12Gothic NumbersStylised numbering in a unique gothic face — alterations become visually obvious.
13AnticopyPatterns engineered to defeat — or expose — photocopying and scanning attempts.
Security inks
WHAT REACTS, SHIFTS AND RESISTS09Security InkInks that change colour, react to certain conditions, or resist chemical tampering.
11Thermochromic InkHeat-sensitive ink that reveals or hides detail as temperature changes.
Verification & traceability
WHAT PROVES IT, AND TRACKS IT05Invisible Security (UV)Marks and hidden images that appear only under UV light — without affecting the document's normal appearance.
14QR SoundsQR codes carrying digital audio verification or embedded data as an extra authentication layer.
15Unique Serial NumberingSecure sequential, randomised or encrypted numbering for full traceability.
[ 03 ] PRINTING TECHNIQUES
How the pattern gets onto the page.
Four core printing disciplines from the security-press world — each one chosen for a specific job in the document's defence.
P·01
Guilloché security designs
- Definition
- Intricate, mathematically generated geometric patterns used in security printing to enhance document security and deter counterfeiting.
- Application
- Used on banknotes, passports, certificates and other secure documents as backgrounds, borders and integrated security elements — complex, interlocking line work that is prohibitively difficult to reproduce.
- Authentication
- Verified by inspection, or with specialised authentication tools.
P·02
Watermarking
- Definition
- Visible or invisible marks incorporated into documents to support authentication and security.
- Application
- Company logos, seals or authentication data — incorporated as true-tone or multi-tone watermarks in the sheet itself, or as digital watermarks — to distinguish genuine documents and make unauthorised reproduction far harder.
- Definition
- —
P·03
Microprinting
- Definition
- Extremely small text or patterns, difficult to reproduce accurately — unreadable to the naked eye, verified under magnification.
- Application
- Adds fine security detail that photocopiers and desktop printers simply cannot resolve.
- Used for
- Security documents, certificates, tickets, visas, passports, ID and driver's licence cards.
P·04
Split-duct (rainbow) printing
- Definition
- Also known as rainbow printing — a single-pass process that combines multiple inks into smooth, continuous colour transitions.
- Application
- Creates distinctive colour patterns that are extremely difficult to reproduce accurately — an instant visual tell on any forgery.
- Used for
- Security documents, certificates, tickets, visas, passports, ID and driver's licence cards.
[ 04 ] INK TECHNOLOGIES
Under the lamp, the inks talk.
Five specialist ink families — each reacting to a different stimulus, each catching a different kind of fraud.
| Technology | What it does | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| UV printing | Creates visible or hidden features that appear only under ultraviolet light — reproducible only with specialist equipment. | Security documents, certificates, tickets, visas, passports, ID & driver's licence cards. |
| Thermochromic | Heat-sensitive inks that change appearance with temperature — printed elements appear or disappear. | Certificates, tickets, vouchers; also packaging and promotional products. |
| Magnetic | Contains ferromagnetic components readable by specialised sensors — the basis of MICR in banking. | Serial numbers, security threads & fibres; cheques and deposit slips; currency. |
| Optically variable (OVI) | Colour-shifting ink producing different colours at different viewing angles — an instant visual check. | Banknotes, passports, driver's licences, ID cards, product verification labels. |
| Coin-reactive | Responds to specific stimuli — heat, light or chemicals — to reveal hidden features and expose tampering. | Passports, visas, driver's licences, government documents, product packaging. |
SCROLL TABLE SIDEWAYS →
[ 05 ] HOLOGRAMS & FOILING
The features people recognise on sight.
Three-dimensional images and metallic foils — the most publicly legible layer of document security, and among the hardest to replicate.
H·01
Security holograms
- Definition
- Three-dimensional images created with holographic technology, featuring intricate patterns and optical effects — movement, depth and colour-shifting that are extremely difficult to reproduce accurately.
- Application
- Banknotes, identification cards, visas, passports and product packaging.
H·02
Foiling
- Definition
- Metallic or holographic foil applied to a document to create distinctive visual and security features — seals, logos, serial numbers and other verification marks.
- Types
- Hot-stamp foiling · cold foil transfer · holographic foiling.
BENEFITS
- Visual authentication — instantly recognisable, extremely hard to replicate.
- Anti-counterfeiting — the complexity and uniqueness of holograms and foils make documents highly resistant to reproduction.
USE CASES
- Government documents — passports, visas and driver's licences, to prevent tampering.
- Product packaging — brands authenticating goods against counterfeits.
[ 06 ] NUMBERING & CODES
Every document, one of one.
Unique identifiers and machine-readable information — connecting the physical document to its digital record.
N·01
Barcodes & QR codes
- Definition
- Printed or embedded optical codes storing unique or secure information — enabling automated verification, tracking and authentication.
- Types
- 1D linear barcodes (UPC, EAN, Code 128) · 2D matrix codes (QR, Data Matrix) · invisible UV barcodes, hidden in normal light and visible under UV.
N·02
Security numbering
- Definition
- Unique, traceable, tamper-evident numbers assigned to each document during production — sequential, randomised or encrypted, and linked to a database for verification.
- Printing techniques
- Laser numbering (precise, durable, tamper-evident) · inkjet & thermal transfer (high-speed production) · dot-matrix (legacy security systems).
- Authentication — unique identifiers confirm document authenticity.
- Traceability — documents tracked through issuance, distribution and use.
- Tamper detection — control numbers reveal alterations.
- Data security — encrypted or digitally signed information.
[ 07 ] SAMPLES
From the portfolio.
A selection of document classes we produce — scroll the strip. Placeholder imagery is shown until live samples are supplied.
Which of these fifteen belong on your document?
That's a conversation — and the first one is free.