AURORA™

Type: Printed colour-shifting security feature — specialised ink combination applied within polymer banknote windows

Overview

Aurora™ is a printed optical security feature exclusive to CCL Secure's Guardian™ polymer banknote platform. It utilises an optical effect called angular metamerism, in which an ink pair appears as one colour at a certain angle of light, then a totally different colour at another angle of light. Two colour-switching ink pairs designed together create enormous complexity for a would-be counterfeiter. Cclsecure

Technology & Effects

Aurora™ combines two colour-shifting GSWITCH™ inks to create dynamic effects when the banknote is tilted. When viewed at an angle in reflection, the colours change and appear similar to each other. When viewed flat in transmission, the inks appear as two different colours. Cclsecure

This dual-state behaviour — convergence in reflection, divergence in transmission — is the defining characteristic of Aurora and its primary authentication mechanism. The colour switch effects of the two inks have the unique property of being similar in reflection but differing when viewed in transmission, giving the public a fast and efficient method of authentication. Currencyaffairs The underlying GSWITCH™ ink technology is CCL Secure's proprietary colour-shifting ink system, available in a range of colour combinations that can be tailored to the note's design palette.

Form Factors & Application

Aurora™ is a printed feature applied within the transparent window area of Guardian™ polymer banknotes, where the transmission viewing mode is accessible. It is printed onto the window using a screen printing process, allowing it to be integrated into complex design motifs — geometric patterns, portraits, national symbols — rather than appearing as a simple rectangular patch. The feature is polymer-substrate-specific and not available for paper banknotes.

Security Levels

Aurora delivers intuitive Level 1 (public) authentication through its angle-dependent colour behaviour, requiring no tools or devices — just a tilt and a transmission check. The two-ink angular metamerism effect is not replicable with conventional offset or screen-printing inks, providing meaningful resistance to simulation at Level 2.

Notable Deployments

Aurora™ was used in the main window of the Banque Centrale de Mauritanie's 20 Ouguiya Guardian™ polymer banknote, issued in November 2021, where it was applied as a combination of two colour-switching inks within a book and Islamic pattern design.

Name

AURORA™

Category

Security Feature

Effect Types

Colour shift

Company

CCL Secure
Company Website

Product Page

View on Supplier Site

Linked Features

1 security feature