Using Excentro

CREATION OF LATENT IMAGES

Excentro version 1.6 allows the creation of simple latent images using Bas-relief effect.
Latent Image is a term that originally came to security printing field from photographic
domain. In most cases it has a plain and simple meaning: the image that appears
under certain viewing conditions. These conditions could be anything from viewing
the security print at certain angles or viewing the image through special polarizing filter.
While some of the techniques that produce latent images use special printing or post
process methods (polarized plastic or micro-perforation), most of the intaglio (and even
litho/offset or digital) printers can benefit from latent images without any additional
investments. All they need to do is to prepare the security paper design in certain way.
Excentro 1.6 allows simple and quick solution for the later case.

CASE STUDY
The pictures below show a typical illustration of classic latent image design. The main
idea behind it is to use the different line screening (or rather guilloche background pat-
tern) for the different areas of the design. Since intaglio prints are not flat the light will
be reflected differently from these areas the hidden image will appear when viewed
from certain angles. Photo copying devices can be fooled this way as well: depending on
the direction of the copiers scan conversion some areas will appear thicker or thinner
revealing the latent image.

Creation of Latent Images (draft)

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 Using Excentro

CREATING LATENT IMAGES WITH EXCENTRO

To create the latent image effects with Excentro you will need to use the following steps:
1. Latent images are created using the Bas-relief effect that operates on raster
images. So as the first step you will have to create underlying raster or vector image
in TIFF or PDF format using Adobe PhotoShop, Illustrator or any other graphics
software you are used to work with.

2. As the second step you should launch Excentro application and place the image
on new or existing document layer using Place New Image command from
Images submenu of Structure menu.

3. After the image is placed you should configure its attributes (position,. size and
resolution) using Excentro Control inspector the same way you would do for
the image objects for relief generation.

Creation of Latent Images (draft)

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 Using Excentro

4. The next and the final step would be to create two sets of line (or sine waves or
any other guilloche paths) patterns that will overlap the imported TIFF or PDF
image and activate the Bas-relief effect for these.

There are three basic rules for this step:

Lines (or sine waves) should intersect roughly at 90 or angle close to this
value. Otherwise the latent image will not be seen clearly when the image
will be rotated by hand.
The only active field in Bas-relief effect panel of Excentro Control
inspector should be Stroke Increase (all other fields are designed for actu-
al relief generation effect: when parts of the guilloche paths get additional
offset or height when they overlap the underlying image).
The original Stroke Weight in Path panel of Excentro Control of the
first set of the paths should be 0 (zero) and Stroke Increase field of Bas-
relief effect panel of Excentro Control should have some positive value.
This way the lines appear only on black areas of the image.

Original stroke weight of the paths is 0 (zero) on white areas of the underlying
image and 0.25pt upon the dark areas.

Creation of Latent Images (draft)

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 Using Excentro

It should be vice versa for the second set of the paths: the original Stroke
Weight in Path panel of Excentro Control for the second set should have
the same positive value as the Stroke Increase for the first set and Stroke
Increase field of Bas-relief effect panel of Excentro Control for the sec-
ond set should be the negative of this value. This way the paths will appear
only on white areas of the underlying image. On the black areas of the image
Stroke Weight and Stroke Increase will negate each other and the result-
ing line width will be zero.

Original stroke weight of the paths is 0.25pt on white areas of the underlying
image and 0.25pt 0.25pt = 0 pt (zero) on the dark areas of the image.

After you have finished with placing and positioning of the paths and the underlying
image you can export the design in Illustrator format or add some add some more guil-
loche elements to it (like borders, rosettes or backgrounds).

Creation of Latent Images (draft)