PEAK® Family
Giesecke+Devrient (Germany)
Type: Printed and embossed optically variable latent image security feature — applied during banknote printing on paper substrate
Overview
PEAK® is a G+D proprietary banknote security feature whose name stands for Printed Embossed Anticopy Key. The unusual characteristic of PEAK® is its production process, in which the banknote paper is simply printed and embossed — fine lines in carefully selected shades are embossed to produce a three-dimensional, optically variable image, with different information and colours visible depending on the angle from which the banknote is viewed. The feature is produced by combining the printing stage with a subsequent embossing step, creating an interaction between the printed substrate and the physical relief structure that cannot be captured or reproduced by photocopying or scanning — making PEAK inherently anti-copy by design.
It is possible to combine a variety of printing processes, such as offset and intaglio, with the PEAK® security feature. The PEAK family comprises three related but technically distinct variants — PEAK, PEAK-pixel, and PEAK Dynamic — each exploiting the print-emboss interaction in a different way to deliver increasing levels of visual complexity.
PEAK®
The base variant. A latent image is created by applying colourless embossing over a printed area of the banknote. The embossed structure interacts with the underlying print to produce an optically variable element that is palpable to the touch and becomes visible under oblique light at a shallow angle. At straight-on viewing angles the feature is inconspicuous; tilting the note reveals the hidden image. The combination of a tactile (embossed) and visual (latent) element in a single printed security feature addresses both Level 1 public authentication — the public can feel the raised structure — and a more scrutinised visual check under oblique lighting.
PEAK-pixel®
An advanced variant that introduces multi-colour capability through raster dot printing. PEAK-pixel is created using blind embossing on a substrate printed with raster dots. When viewed under oblique light at a sharp angle, the embossed hemispherical elements reveal their effect — these elements are designed so that each one has different-coloured pixels on the opposite side surfaces. Depending on the direction of the light source, one of these colours appears more vivid and intense, and this dominant colour defines the overall hue of the image. The interaction between the raster-printed substrate and the embossed structure generates the PEAK-pixel effect with a noticeable colour shift.
This bi-directional colour behaviour — where the perceived dominant colour of the image changes depending on the direction of illumination — is the defining characteristic of PEAK-pixel and significantly raises the authentication complexity relative to the base PEAK variant. PEAK-pixel appears on the Eswatini 200 Lilangeni banknote (2023 series), produced by G+D, where it is used as a multi-colour latent image feature.
PEAK Dynamic®
The most sophisticated variant, combining the PEAK embossing concept with G+D's FIT® (Fine Intaglio Technology) laser engraving system. The new generation of latent images provided by FIT® delivers a genuine digital change of image, embedded in a 3D environment, created using high-resolution laser engraving directly onto the intaglio printing original, and applied to the banknote as a blind embossing on a reflective, metallic substrate. This enables not just a static latent image but a digitally designed, angle-dependent image switch — different content becomes visible at different tilt angles — elevating the feature from a simple hidden image to an active, dynamic optical security element. The precision of the laser-engraved origination makes PEAK Dynamic one of the most technically complex printed security features in G+D's portfolio.
Security Levels
All three PEAK variants operate primarily at Level 1 and Level 2. The base PEAK and PEAK-pixel are tactile and visual features verifiable without tools. PEAK Dynamic, with its digitally-controlled image switching behaviour, provides a higher authentication benchmark suited to retail and expert verification. None of the variants are machine-readable in the traditional sense, but their embossed structure is detectable by banknote processing equipment with suitable sensors.
- Name
- PEAK® Family
- Category
- Security Feature
- Effect Types
- Embossing
- Company
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Giesecke+Devrient
Company Website - Product Page
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- Linked Features
- 4 security features