Quality and Colour: The Unsung Guardians of Secure Documents

If you only read media reports, it would be easy to assume that the most significant advances in identity document security stem from digital innovation, with biometric verification, blockchain-based identity management, and digital certificates dominating discussions.

However, speakers at two separate High-Security Printing™ (HSP) EMEA conferences from the US Homeland Security Investigations Forensic Laboratory challenged this assumption, highlighting the critical role that high-quality printing and precise colour reproduction play in securing identity documents.

At HSP EMEA in Lisbon (2020), Elizabeth Gil likened document security to designing a bicycle, where every element must not only be robust but also seamlessly integrated. Her analogy underscored that physical security features must complement digital advancements rather than be replaced by them.

The role of colour

At the recent HSP EMEA in Basel (2025), forensic document examiners Hillary Hoover and Kristen Welch, from the same US government organisation, presented their research into how colour fidelity and advanced printing techniques provide a crucial defence against counterfeiting.