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EubyNews

Euby Talk: Checks, Security Features, PSDA Show, Pressure Seal, Our Economy

By November 9, 2009April 2nd, 2015No Comments

From time to time we receive contact from a client or even prospective clients advising us that the “void panto” on their checks is not visible on copies being made on a color printer. Unfortunately, with the continued improvements of digital copiers and scanners, most often “void panto’s” can be defeated …many times without the user even trying to do so! Obviously, if you have a dishonest person puposely trying to defeat the feature, they will probably succeed in a short period of time. It is always important to remember that you want to show “due deligence” in “layering” various security features so that when one is defeated, there is another one that must be dealt with. The two most common security features for check stock are the before mentioned “VOID PANTOGRAPH” and “Safety Paper”. Both have weaknesses that can be exploited, and both come with added costs. Safety papers do add security, however, with the advent of the various “opaquing fluids” like liquid paper etc and higher end color copiers, the altered reproductions can look as good or even better than the originals! So what can you do? Contact your Suncoast marketing sales representative for a comprehensive review of your negotiable check stocks, and ask for their suggestions on how to improve and “layer” your security features. There are many options to choose from, and several of them “add no additonal cost” to your documents! You can add art effects that are difficult to duplicate, “micro printing” ( like the US treasury uses ) that fills in when duplicated, and warning boarders…all at no additional charge. Of course, we can add other deterrents also, including the “void pantos”, safety paper, toner adhesion enhancement, true watermarks, thermochromic inks, bleed thru control numbers and many, many others.

Give your Suncoast Marketing Representative a call…and insure you can respond to your banking institution showing you have exercised your “due deligence” in the event of your company experiencing an incident of check fraud ! Euby…….. P.S. Did you know that the person signing a check can be held “personally responsible” if the signature line on corporate checks does not list you in a “representative capacity”? ( See UCC Section 3-402(2) for further information ) Make sure you list the “Company Name” and Authorized Signature to avoid any issues .

Reviewing several notes from the PSDA Chicago show that I jotted down during a presentation by economist Dr Joe Webb. Some very interesting thoughts on various economic topics and figures. Long before any talk of a recession, our US GDP had been performing in the “sub par” levels…..since 2003 quarter 1 it has not been “above par levels”. That is below a 3.5% growth level EXCEPT three quarters in 2004. Worse yet..the last three quarters reported ( Q 4 ‘08 and Q 1 and 2 ‘09 are actually NEGATIVE. Couple that with the continued expansion of the money supply ( from $ 800 B to over $ 1,800 B in less than two years WITHOUT goods and services to absorb it ….. Stagflation is and will be here for a while….. Remember that term ( only if you are old enough ) and most certainly will be followed by an inflationary period…. All these factors will continue to make unemployement situation even worse. As productivity continues to increase without any real GDP growth, it creates further “slack” in the economy so there is no need to hire…. and the Dollar will continue to decline. Not the cheer up message I had hoped for….I will post more as he updates me. Obviously this is one economists opinion… but he has been extremely accurate the last few years. Lets hope he is not so “on target” with this prognosis.

Laser printers and Pressure Seal systems performance are greatly affected by changes in Temps and Humidity…too warm and too humid will create document curl on laser printers, and jams on Pressure Seal systems. Too cool and too low humidity will create static electricity issues. Both create havoc in document processing. When the humidty and temps drop as they do this time of year, and the humidty drops below 40% the amount of “static electricity” will greatly increase in your production equipment. Static can adversely affect your toner and paper creating blurred print, spotting of toner, uneven images etc. If the paper is cold, and having a “dry feel” the static will build to a point that duplicate sheets will feed due to their “sticking together”! Too warm and too much humidty ( over 55% ) will create serious document curl in laser printers, and then moisture in the pressure seal systems creating jams. To help with these issues allow toner and documents to “cure or climitize” for 48 hours in the proper enviorment before using them, and always “fan apart” the documents before loading creating air pockets between the sheets. Also, remember that both too little humidity and too much humidty are both troublesome…and great care should be taken to insure your laser printers and pressure seal equipment is in the proper enviroment, and that “cure time” is allowed if your consumables are stored in adverse enviroments.