From the desk of:
Randy Houser
President
The Wells & Drew Companies
How Secure Are Your Vital Business Documents?
Think about all the print documents your business produces. Customer files, employment records, marketing materials, confidential correspondence and more. How good a job are you doing at keeping these vital documents private and secure?
In an age of mass digital thievery, you’d better believe there are software programs out there designed to forge or copy any kind of business document for use in identity theft and other nefarious purposes. Laser-printing and other digital applications enable criminals to successfully swindle, embezzle and counterfeit documents in the modern age—and it happens all the time.
If we’ve succeeded in getting you to stop and think, it’s good to also know there are measures you and your printer can take to counter these cyber-hazards. Security printing—the use of special printing techniques—can ensure that sensitive or valuable documents aren’t reproduced and used against your business.
Among the most effective security printing techniques is the use of watermarks, an image or pattern that—when viewed with a light behind the paper—appears lighter or dark than the paper surrounding it. In the printing process, a watermark pattern is embedded into the paper itself, pressed in by a roller-mounted die while the loose paper fibers are still wet—thus the term, “watermark.” Watermarks are a standard practice in stationery used by universities, law firms, corporations and professional organizations.
Watermarks are a permanent part of the paper and can’t be altered or duplicated.
Engraved printing is another effective countermeasure. When a printer engraves or etches an image onto the paper, it becomes virtually impossible to reproduce the exact same engraving without the tools the printer has. Yes, it can be more costly than standard printing—but it guarantees security from tampering or forgery, which can result in far greater expense to your business.
Wells & Drew has a distinguished record of success in protecting our clients with security printing. To find out more, contact us at 800-342-8636 or email [email protected].
Randy Houser
President
The Wells & Drew Companies
