In 2023 alone total trade in counterfeit goods was valued at $1.023 trillion, according to OECD data, accounting for 3.3% of global trade and is expected to grow over time. As fraud becomes more and more prevalent, it is becoming increasingly vital to ensure brand protection and integrity. These counterfeits don’t only harm brands and market shares, but also pose a great risk to consumer’s safety, especially with pharmaceuticals and personal care items.

Security inks are a prominent and effective defense that many companies and brands employ against fraudulent goods in the market. While security inks have been in use for some time, innovations in inkjet printing technology have greatly expanded the capabilities and usage of digital printing in these applications. With the advent of small footprint and easy-to-operate inkjet technologies, such as HP’s TIJ 2.5 platform, customized security printing is even more accessible to brands as weapons against ne’er-do-wells. Thermal inkjet printers like these can be installed or added to existing production lines to offer manufacturers the ability to print customized security markings on a per-unit basis.

To help bolster the defensive capabilities of businesses against fraud and counterfeiting, Wikoff Digital has introduced a patent-pending, ultra-bright set of invisible UV-fluorescent inks that fluoresce vividly and have strong print performance and adhesion in a variety of industrial settings.

Figure 1: Wikoff Digital Fluorescent Red and Blue inks printed at a resolution of 200 DPI, single nozzle row. Illuminated at a 1 ft distance using a 10w 365nm LED Flashlight