The cover isn’t just for show

For our first stop, there’s no getting around the cover. The material used for the cover is both flexible and durable to protect the passport. The surface—adorned with an intricate coat of arms—can also feature some shapes in relief to enhance the look of it. Whichever the issuing country, you can tell at a glance!

But that’s hardly enough to satisfy the border control agent. And if they’re going to be thorough, then they have a tough job ahead! Because your passport could contain more than 60 secret security features aimed at dissuading the most persistent forgers! Even just looking at the cover, a pass with the UV lamp might reveal some hidden design elements. In some cases, a dynamic image applied through special foiling can be spotted when tilting the passport.

Your information is safe in the data page

Moving on to our next destination, the data page. This is the part of the passport that deals with your identity, making it the most popular spot for visitors. Given the importance of its integrity, your information is enshrined here in layers upon layers of security features. Most newer passports use polycarbonate data pages (PCDP) which, on top of being more durable than paper, offer many more security features.

Barren visa pages aren’t all that empty

We are completing our tour with a trip through these vast empty fields known as visa pages. Some of your pages may already be filled with visa stamps that keep track of your movements internationally, which is what most people coming to these parts would be looking for.

First, a closer look at the underlying paper. In contrast to regular paper, visa pages are UV dull to allow for other UV features to stand out. When held to a light source, visa pages reveal a watermark—an image formed with variable paper thickness. These variations can even be felt when pressing your fingers against a stack of these pages. Among countless other features, the paper also contains chemical sensitizers to prevent tampering, which will irreversibly stain the paper when altered.

Now moving on to printed security features. You most certainly noticed the unique background of visa pages, which is composed of line patterns called Guilloches. These patterns interweave to produce complex shapes, combined with rainbow printing for maximum effect. Another pattern you most certainly wouldn’t notice is the anti-copy pattern that appears only when scanned or copied.

The chip has it all backed up

Now, as we flip over the back cover, we’ve reached the end of our journey. But there’s still one inconspicuous yet crucial component we’ve missed, whose existence is only implied by a symbol on the front cover. We are talking about the chip of course! This is a secure integrated circuit embedded either in the cover or PCDP, which carries a digital copy of your personal information and more. The information can be used to cross borders through automated passport control kiosks, or simply to verify your information as an additional layer of security. Along with the chip, an antenna is hidden away between the layers to allow your passport to communicate with the world!

Your journey has only just begun

From the cover to the individual visa pages, the passport is filled to the brim with secret features making it one of the most secure documents in the world. You may already be privy to some of the secrets, but we are eager to share even more with you during passport creation and design. We at Toppan Gravity are committed to helping you build a unique and highly secure passport, ensuring your citizens’ strong identity across the world.

Curious to find out more about our passports? Then, click here to explore our offering or get in touch with us directly.