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Sophisticated and engaging features integrated by design.

De La Rue is the only global banknote printer who also produces a polymer substrate. With De La Rue the need to ultimately manufacture a printed banknote is designed into the substrate from the start.

Print designers and substrate designers work in a team, leading to innovative and novel SAFEGUARD® design and security features. These features enhance the visual appeal, design themes and security of SAFEGUARD® banknotes.

Perfect for:

Full design integration of the substrate and final banknote
Enhancing the security and visual appeal of SAFEGUARD® banknotes
Introducing visual intrigue that encourages public engagement
Emphasising the secure window

There are multiple SAFEGUARD® specific features, including ILLUMINATE (which builds up texture, strong colours and intrigue around the window) and ARGENTUM (which is a specialist silver ink that allows mirror-like free-form shapes on the final banknote).

Get in touch

We are here to answer your questions about this feature. Simply get in touch with Mark Spencer, Technical Product Manager

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Case studies

A new design technique for Mauritius 2000 Rs

Windows are fundamental to the security of Safeguard® banknotes and De La Rue continues to innovate in this area, creating more secure windows that have greater impact. The Mauritius 2000 Rs banknote was the first example of a polymer window that used a new design technique, ILLUMINATE, to inject vivid colour and unique texture into the window. ILLUMINATE uses a combination of inks, including matte and iridescent inks; this example combined coloured gravure and white print marks to generate a striking window, framed by a vibrant sugar cane. Using this technique strong, deep colours are now possible and polymer banknotes are no longer limited to the muted window colours of the past.

A new series for the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank

In 2019 the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank issued a new series of banknotes on SAFEGUARD®. Each banknote incorporated a unique tactile emboss feature to help the blind and visually impaired. Notes also contained GEMINI™ (transforming the image into two colours under UV light), BLINK phosphorescent feature, the hide and reveal feature MASK™ and a holographic stripe with a clear depth effects. Substrate and print designers worked together to ensure innovative integration, such as the hummingbird on the foil appearing to be about to feed from the fuschia tubular flower that is printed in gravure across the second window of the note.

Artist collaboration for the new Maldivian banknote series

The Maldives Monetary Authority, issued their new series of banknotes in 2016, with local artist Abdullah Nashaath working alongside De La Rue’s team of designers to design the banknotes. The all-over IRIDESCENCE, became an innovative feature that complemented the aesthetics of the banknotes by providing an additional visual pattern that reinforced the theme of each banknotes. The pattern varied by banknote and continued, via each print mark, into the secure window, making each window distinct. This layering of secure print, linking to the secure window is just one example of innovative integration that is possible for banknotes printed on SAFEGUARD®.

SAFEGUARD® Sophisticated and engaging features integrated by design.