There are overt and covert methods of protecting important documents such as birth certificates, driver’s licenses among others. UV inks are one example; QR codes and RFID are another. Through its PrismaID, Prismade is bringing printed electronics to these documents, adding a new level of security.

Dr. Karin Weigelt, co-founder of Prismade along with Jan Thiele, said that PrismaID’s development dates back to 2017.

“At its core, it is a printed code that transforms a signal on a touchscreen into a dynamic data stream,” Dr. Weigelt noted. “Since then, we have developed this into a technology platform that works for many substrates, materials, form factors and applications.”

The idea behind PrismaID is to have a technology that lives between optical (QR codes, etc.) and electronic (RFID, NFC, etc.) recognition, while offering significant advantages.

“Thanks to being printed at available printers at high volumes, the cost is comparable to standard color printing, and due to the use of functional inks, it is not as easily copiable as a QR code,” Dr. Weigelt reported. “Additionally, since you have to interact with it to activate the code, it provides a unique approach to data privacy – it is impossible to activate without the user knowing it.”

Dr. Weigelt noted that PrismaID smart labels are ideally suited for a wide range of markets, adding that the technology is currently being implemented by several companies.

“The technology can bring its benefit to all applications where you want to bridge a print product securely with a digital application,” Dr. Weigelt said. “Especially in high volumes, NFC/RFID is often not feasible due to the high cost, and as soon as security is a requirement it is difficult to use QR codes. That is why our focus goes towards security documents (ID, visa, passports, banknotes, certificates of any kind) and valuable documents like loyalty coupons, bonus cards, etc.

“Besides that, the new PrismaID label has the additional use case that it is the first one in the market to secure documents after they have been created,” added Dr. Weigelt. “For example, birth certificates, driver licenses or land ownership documents are often very basic documents with no digital security at all. Here our new transparent label can provide an added security layer without changing the complexity and the cost of the document.”

Prismade is the FutureLab of edding, a leader in industrial markers, and they have been working on several projects along the idea of a “digital marking.”

edding has launched easycheck, its digital business solution for fleet management, including its Software as a Service (SaaS) app and a verification label on the driving license. This label features a patented digital code printed from special ink that is read by standard mobile phones and works with all driving licenses, both in paper and plastic cards. With easycheck, drivers can verify their licenses on their smartphones. Seven companies with more than 300 drivers are currently already using edding’s fleet solution.

“easycheck allows edding to offer a smart, color-based product for Industry 4.0, whilst tapping another market segment for corporate accounts. We are delighted that by combining our knowledge of ink with the profound digital expertise of our FutureLab, we are able to support our customers in the digitization of their business processes. In parallel with our core business, edding will be devoting more attention to the field of New Ink Solutions, in other words, the development of special inks with particular technical properties,” said edding AG CEO Per Ledermann in announcing easycheck.

“The first one that has been released now under the edding brand is using the new transparent security label for a document management solution for company cars in Germany,” Dr. Weigelt added.

Dr. Weigelt noted that Prismade is working closely with Heraeus and Witte Group on PrismaID.

“From Hereaus, we are using the functional ink and their support regarding the ink development and processability,” Dr. Weigelt added. “The Witte Group is a very experienced manufacturer for security products and has supported us in bringing PrismaID into this new form factor of a security label. With this setup, our technology is right away scaled up and available for any volume. I think our focus on industrial scalability from day one is still something that you rarely see in the printed electronics space.”

Dr. Weigelt said that the feedback on PrismaID from customers has been excellent.

“The first impression is always the ‘magic effect’ that the technology creates,” Dr. Weigelt noted. “No one expects a piece of paper (or a label) to interact with your smartphone in such a way. As a second thought, the fun and intuitive way to digitally interact with a ‘boring’ document are being highlighted as well, compared to taking a picture of a QR code or having to enter a number code. Additionally, it becomes clear that the environmental impact of electronic applications is getting more and more important for the end-user – something that our technology is solving as well since we do not need batteries or conventional electronics.”