Wednesday, March 30, 2011
How Is Money Printed?
Background
Since October 1, 1877, all United States bills have been printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The Bureau runs printing facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas. U.S. bills weigh 1 gram each and are printed on paper made of cotton and linen. Red and blue fibers are woven throughout the paper by the paper manufacturer, according to Bureau specifics. Because people recognize faces before noticing other security features, U.S. notes include portraits of famous Americans. This helps to detect counterfeit bills. Since 1866, it has been illegal to use the portrait of any living person on a bill.
Engraving
To prevent counterfeiting, U.S. currency is printed using a complex process involving over 65 steps. The first step in the intaglio process is to engrave the image of the bill into a soft steel plate by hand. This plate is called a master die. In order to preserve the master die for future use, a process called siderography is used to transfer the image on the die to a printing plate. In this way, master dies are preserved for future use. In fact, the first portrait of President Lincoln to be used on a bill was engraved in 1869 and could still be used to make a bill today.
Printing
At the printing press, ink is spread on the printing plate and then wiped back off so that ink remains only in the grooves of the plate. The plate is then pressed into the paper under approximately 20 tons of pressure. This pressure ensures that the paper gets into the grooves where the ink is and creates a slightly embossed finish. High-speed rotary presses are used to print the bills, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing can print 8,000 sheets per hour.
Finishing
After printing, the bills are screened for defects. Upon passing this examination, the bill are overprinted, a simple printing process that is not part of the intaglio printing. The seal of the U.S. Federal Reserve is printed on the bills in black ink. Green ink is then used to print the U.S. Treasury seal and serial numbers onto the bills. Cutters separate the sheets of printed bills into individual notes. After cutting, the bills are packaged and sent to one of the 12 Federal Reserve districts for bank distribution.
Security Features
The security features added to U.S. bills to stop counterfeiting are continuously changing. Metallic flakes are sometimes added to certain inks used on currency that appear black or green, depending upon the viewing angle. Microprinting involves printing tiny words onto currency. The naked eye can see the printing but cannot read the words, as this requires magnification. Fine line engraving involves drawing a series of very thin lines in the background of the portrait on the bill. These lines blur when photocopied. Many different security techniques have been used in the past, and many more are sure to be developed and used in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YNeFV9R9Ss
Read more: How Is Money Printed? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4570033_how-money-printed.html#ixzz1I4SKmhB0
Since October 1, 1877, all United States bills have been printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The Bureau runs printing facilities in Washington, D.C., and Fort Worth, Texas. U.S. bills weigh 1 gram each and are printed on paper made of cotton and linen. Red and blue fibers are woven throughout the paper by the paper manufacturer, according to Bureau specifics. Because people recognize faces before noticing other security features, U.S. notes include portraits of famous Americans. This helps to detect counterfeit bills. Since 1866, it has been illegal to use the portrait of any living person on a bill.
Engraving
To prevent counterfeiting, U.S. currency is printed using a complex process involving over 65 steps. The first step in the intaglio process is to engrave the image of the bill into a soft steel plate by hand. This plate is called a master die. In order to preserve the master die for future use, a process called siderography is used to transfer the image on the die to a printing plate. In this way, master dies are preserved for future use. In fact, the first portrait of President Lincoln to be used on a bill was engraved in 1869 and could still be used to make a bill today.
Printing
At the printing press, ink is spread on the printing plate and then wiped back off so that ink remains only in the grooves of the plate. The plate is then pressed into the paper under approximately 20 tons of pressure. This pressure ensures that the paper gets into the grooves where the ink is and creates a slightly embossed finish. High-speed rotary presses are used to print the bills, and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing can print 8,000 sheets per hour.
Finishing
After printing, the bills are screened for defects. Upon passing this examination, the bill are overprinted, a simple printing process that is not part of the intaglio printing. The seal of the U.S. Federal Reserve is printed on the bills in black ink. Green ink is then used to print the U.S. Treasury seal and serial numbers onto the bills. Cutters separate the sheets of printed bills into individual notes. After cutting, the bills are packaged and sent to one of the 12 Federal Reserve districts for bank distribution.
Security Features
The security features added to U.S. bills to stop counterfeiting are continuously changing. Metallic flakes are sometimes added to certain inks used on currency that appear black or green, depending upon the viewing angle. Microprinting involves printing tiny words onto currency. The naked eye can see the printing but cannot read the words, as this requires magnification. Fine line engraving involves drawing a series of very thin lines in the background of the portrait on the bill. These lines blur when photocopied. Many different security techniques have been used in the past, and many more are sure to be developed and used in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YNeFV9R9Ss
Read more: How Is Money Printed? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4570033_how-money-printed.html#ixzz1I4SKmhB0
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