StarBright™
De La Rue (United Kingdom)
StarBright™ is a colour-changing windowed security thread developed by De La Rue for banknote protection. The thread is embedded into the paper substrate and appears in a windowed format, surfacing at intervals across the face of the note, making it immediately visible to the public as a first-line authentication feature.
The thread produces a colour-shift effect when the banknote is tilted, transitioning between distinct colours in a manner that is immediately recognisable and impossible to replicate with standard printing or foil reproduction techniques. It can incorporate demetallised text — such as the issuing authority's initials or the denomination value — visible when the note is held up to the light, adding a secondary transmission-based verification layer for tellers and trained cash handlers.
StarBright™ was deployed across multiple denominations simultaneously within a single banknote series, with thread widths ranging from 3mm on lower denominations to 6mm on higher-value notes, and denomination-specific demetallised text incorporated into each. This approach allowed central banks to maintain consistent series-level security architecture while differentiating denominations through the thread specifications.
StarBright™ is designed to work in combination with other De La Rue and third-party features — notably the Spectrum™ iridescent printed feature and SICPA's SPARK® Orbital™ optically variable ink — as part of a layered security strategy.
StarBright™ is a trademark of De La Rue International Limited and is not available for commercial applications. It has since been succeeded in the De La Rue portfolio by the STARCHROME® and KINETIC STARCHROME® thread families, which extend the colour-shifting concept with additional holographic animation effects.
- Name
- StarBright™
- Category
- Security Feature
- Effect Types
- Colour shift
- Company
-
De La Rue
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- Linked Features
- 2 security features