METALIX™

Type: Printed metallic security feature — specialised ink applied within polymer banknote windows or on opacified substrate

Overview

Metalix™ is a CCL Secure proprietary security feature exclusive to the Guardian™ polymer banknote platform. It is described as a breakthrough metallic effect with a brilliant sheen and lustrous colour, enhanced by the smooth and non-porous surface of Guardian™ polymer banknotes. Unlike conventional metallic inks used in commercial printing, Metalix™ is engineered specifically for the banknote environment, where durability, consistency, and resistance to degradation in circulation are critical requirements.

Technology & Effects

Metalix™ produces a striking metallic appearance — most commonly gold, copper, or silver tones — that is visually distinct from standard printed colour and immediately recognisable to the public as a premium security indicator. It has high resistance to chemicals and oxidation, preventing tarnishing of the metallic print colours. Cclsecure This durability advantage is directly tied to the Guardian™ polymer substrate: the smooth, non-porous surface of the film allows the metallic ink to perform consistently throughout the note's extended circulation life, without the absorption or fibre interference encountered on paper substrates.

When tilted under light, a metallic sheen appears as a vertical pattern that shifts depending on the angle, in one of the available colours. This dynamic lustrous quality adds an optically variable dimension to what is primarily a printed metallic effect, enhancing its public recognition value beyond a simple static metallic print.

Form Factors & Application

Metalix™ can be applied onto windows or the opacified layer of the substrate, achieving a wide range of design possibilities. This dual placement flexibility allows designers to use it as a standalone window element — where it is visible from both sides of the note — or as part of the opaque printed design on the note face. It is available in multiple colour options and can be applied to any shape or motif, making it a highly adaptable design tool as well as a security feature.

Security Levels

Metalix™ functions primarily as a Level 1 (public) authentication feature. Its brilliant metallic sheen is immediately visually distinctive and cannot be replicated with conventional offset inks or standard commercial metallic printing. The impossibility of achieving the same tarnish-resistant, lustrous metallic effect on paper substrates provides an additional substrate-dependent authentication cue — the presence of a convincing Metalix™ effect is itself confirmation of a genuine Guardian™ polymer note.

Notable Deployments

Metalix™ is one of the most widely used features in the Guardian™ portfolio, appearing across numerous central bank deployments. Romania's 20 Lei banknote features a gold Metalix™ trumpet within the complex window design. Banco de México's 50 Peso polymer note incorporates Metalix™ in copper colour within the large complex transparent window. The Banque Centrale de Mauritanie's 20 Ouguiya note uses Metalix™ Gold in the background of the main window and in a half window displaying a crescent and star motif.

Name

METALIX™

Category

Security Feature

Effect Types

Metallic

Company

CCL Secure
Company Website

Product Page

View on Supplier Site

Linked Features

1 security feature