Advanced Copier & Printer Technology

Advanced reprographic technology improved dramatically during the 1990s. The technology is expected to continue to improve into the next century. Some types of equipment can accurately reproduce the colors and fine-line detail of security documents and are seen as a threat to currency.

Market surveys indicate that as quality, affordability, and availability increase, advanced equipment is becoming the standard in offices, copy centers, and printing facilities. The color copier/printer of the '90s has been compared with the color television of the '70s, when color became the standard, rather than the exception.

Sophisticated copiers, printers, electronic digital scanners, color workstations, and computer software, which today can interface with each other, can present threats to currency. This equipment does not require extensive expertise to operate and is becoming widely accessible through copy centers, corporate offices, and even home use. For this reason, it is important to incorporate security features in U.S. currency that will be effective in countering this type of threat.

Advanced Full-Color Copiers
Advanced full-color copiers use a digital electrophotographic process to produce high quality plain paper copies. Some of these copiers interface with personal computers, allowing the user to scan an image directly into the computer or print an image from the computer.

Digital Scanners
Scanner equipment electronically scans an image or text from an original document and digitizes it into a computer-readable form. With the proper software, a user can display and edit an image on-screen, store it electronically, print the image in color or use it to make offset, letterpress or gravure printing plates.