Banknote printing: tradition forges trust

Banknotes need to be one thing above all and that’s counterfeit-proof. Since the mid 19th century, Bundesdruckerei has been proving that it can reliably achieve this. The high quality of the banknotes that we produce goes a long way to generating acceptance of a currency – and we always have our finger on the pulse of technological and scientific developments. We enjoy the full confidence of our clients.

As a traditional German company, Bundesdruckerei can look back on more than 250 years of experience in the production of ID cards, banknotes and security documents. As part of the Bundesdruckerei Group, Bundesdruckerei GmbH is owned by the Federal Government and, within the framework of the parent company, acts as a security service provider for the Federal Republic of Germany. In international banknote business, we are also a trusted and innovative partner for governments and central banks worldwide.

In addition to their primary function as a means of payment, banknotes are the calling cards of a country, serving as an expression of a nation’s culture, aesthetics and tradition. Bundesdruckerei understands these needs and requirements and translates them into unique and customized banknote products and solutions – employing the quality and reliability that ‘Made in Germany’ stands for.

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Die Bundesdruckerei – Vertrauensdienstleister bei der Banknotenproduktion.

Our services and advantages

Security is in our DNA

Many individual components are perfectly combined and integrated to ensure that Bundesdruckerei produces secure banknotes. Our entire infrastructure meets the highest security requirements. This warrants a closed security loop from design to the printing process, right through to banknote storage. We work with a network of long-standing and accredited suppliers. When selecting suppliers, we are guided exclusively by quality, reliability and expertise. This allows us to respond very flexibly to specific customer needs and to offer the best solution as a neutral partner.

State-of-the-art production

In addition to customized solutions, we also offer integrated solutions – from development of the technical and optical design to the individual selection or development of security features right down to printing the banknotes on various substrates. We use sophisticated printing processes and reliably integrate additional security features while keeping a close eye on aesthetics, thus giving the banknotes their unique structure and functionality, always matched to the respective substrate type.

Our state-of-the-art production line together with our highly skilled and motivated team of specialists ensure a very high quality standard. Extensive quality assurance measures guarantee the quality of our work. All of this is rounded off by our excellent reliability and adherence to delivery dates.

Security features made to measure

Banknotes must be one thing and that’s secure, which is why the requirements for security functionality are so very high. Banknotes must be tamper-proof and counterfeit-proof as well as unambiguously identifiable – both by humans and machines. Depending on the security feature level, authentication must be possible both with the naked eye and, in the case of machine-readable 3rd‑level security features, using special sensors.

In order to achieve the highest possible level of counterfeit protection, we integrate security features from all three levels into the banknotes in perfect interaction and according to customer specifications.

Design and security in union

Banknotes are part of a nation’s cultural identity. There should, therefore, be both functional and aesthetically appealing. Bundesdruckerei boasts a seasoned team of excellent designers. In close cooperation with our customers, we develop not only the regular banknote series, but also commemorative banknotes, for example, for special events or anniversaries. We seamlessly integrate the security features into the design, bringing the two into union.

Identify and meet needs

Thanks to our experience and many years of expertise, our customers can rely on us to recognize their needs and provide them with advice tailored to their requirements. This begins with the choice of substrates and extends to security features right down to inks and design. When requested by customers, we check the counterfeit security of existing banknote series and then prepare expert reports.

Secure accreditation

Our various accreditations are confirmation of the quality of our products. We are accredited in many relevant areas, including:

Into the future with tradition and innovation

Banknote producers must always stay one step ahead of counterfeiters. In order to maintain our lead and continuously improve our performance, we invest heavily in our innovation work. Innovation is both a challenge and a driving force, a fact demonstrated by our vast number of national and international patents in security printing. We are already working today on all-encompassing solutions for the currency of tomorrow.

What’s more, Bundesdruckerei’s staff are involved in many international research projects and are members of international expert committees. Globally networked with other experts from business and academia, the company is shaping the latest technologies in security printing and is thus in a position to gain a decisive technological lead. Thanks to innovative solutions involving many patents, we are a driver for counterfeit protection in security printing – both today and in the future.