regular pattern (fig. 1), intertwined lines which can have different thickness and form pseudo-volume elements due to sharp breaks (fig. 2); microprinting; design elements in the form of a colorful flood filling (fig. 3); other raster elements (dots, strokes) or special anti-copy patterns (fig. 4). Background images are printed by offset, rain [..]

side stitching (fig. 1); saddle stitch method (fig. 2–4). In the first case sheets of a book block bound by a saddle stitching and sewed by a thread along the binding edge, i.e. at a certain distance from the spine. In the second case sheets are bound by a saddle stitching and joint by a thread or metal staples along the whole binding edge (fig. [..]

cards without any digital data (fig. 1); cards with a bar-code (fig. 2); cards with a magnetic stripe (fig. 3); chip cards (fig. 4); combined magnetic chip cards. a b c d Fig 1. Germany. Identity card (size 115×75 mm): а — front side; b — back side; c — transparent laminate which covers a paper b [..]

By material: single-layer covers are made from one sheet of the material (fig. 1); multi-layer (fig. 3) cover is a board covered with a synthetic material, a leather (fig. 2), a fabric or a paper. By design: with design elements applied with inks by any printing method, foil stamping, blind embossing. By hardness: soft; hard. By form of angles: [..]

 — Covert Laser Readable image A security mark (an image, symbols or text) which is invisible to the unaided eye and under a microscope. The image is visualized in laser beams with the help of special devices. It is formed when recording a hologram image using the method of the electron-beam lithography. A covert laser readable image is an area o [..]

 — Diffractive Identification Device An optically variable image which contains elements changing the color at different angles of illumination and observation. A color changing effect determined by interference and linear polarization of light on diffraction gratings embedded in a transparent thin-film dielectric medium (fig.3). When the axis of [..]

An image is formed by a print head, which consists of a set of pins driven forward by the power of an electromagnet. A print head moves line by line along the sheet. Pins hit the paper through the printing ribbon and a dot image is formed. The number of pins may vary from 9 to 24. Characteristics of the print: clearly visible dot structure of text [..]

front endpaper (an inner side of the front cover sheet); back endpaper (an inner side of the back cover sheet). Endpapers are usually made of a special security paper which differs from inner paper sheets in order to prevent partial document forgery (book block unstitching and sheet replacement). A holder’s data is usually placed on back endpape [..]

absence of sharp contours and lines; raster lines of spacing elements are visible in the areas of light halftones; absence of relief; notched edge of an image (fig. 1c, 2b). a b c Fig. 1. Latvia. Passport: а —data page; b — laminate overprint, applied by means of gravure printing; c — print fragment: a [..]

By optical properties: reflection hologram forms an image in reflected light. Aluminum foil or a transparent dielectric which reflects not more than 10-20% of light (transparent hologram) are used as a reflection layer; transmission hologram forms an image in transmitted light and visualized against the light. By manufacturing method: analog hol [..]