Further global market expansion enabled as first Japanese company to receive highest level security certification for the manufacture of holograms used in banknotes, ID cards, and passports.

Tokyo – Toppan Printing (Toppan), a global leader in communication, security, packaging, décor materials, and electronics solutions, has become the first Japanese company to receive ISO 14298 certification, which specifies requirements for security printing management systems. Certification enables Toppan to offer holograms manufactured in line with ISO 14298 process management standards to countries around the world for use in banknotes, passports, ID cards, and other secure documents.

The accrediting body for ISO 14298 is Intergraf, which promotes certification of security printers around the world in order to contribute to the fight against counterfeiting of government ID documents. Intergraf has so far certified in excess of 140 manufacturing locations in more than 50 countries.

Counterfeiting and falsification of banknotes, passports, and ID cards present a serious issue for public and private sector security printers, end users, and authorities. The security market is seeing an increase in the number of countries requiring ISO 14298 certification as a common global security standard for the awarding of government ID contracts. Toppan has an extensive track record in the production of IDs for government authorities throughout the world and supplies holograms and other security features for the passports and ID cards of numerous countries. With ISO 14298 certification, Toppan anticipates growth in opportunities to serve such needs and drive global expansion of its diverse security solutions for holograms, government IDs, counterfeit prevention, and more.

“We are very pleased that Toppan has received the first Intergraf ISO 14298 certificate in Japan and thus has become the 150th member of the exclusive circle of security printers and hologram manufacturers. We congratulate Toppan for meeting all the ambitious security management system requirements, thereby strengthening its position as a recognized reference for governments relying on ISO 14298 in combination with the Intergraf Certification Requirements, ” said Beatrice Klose, Secretary General of Intergraf.

“Toppan's holograms are already used in the passports and ID cards of multiple countries,” said Takeshi Kabayama, head of Toppan's Secure Business Center. “Being the first company in Japan to be ISO 14298 certified by Intergraf further bolsters our quality assurance and the integrity of the manufacturing process. We hope to contribute to the elimination of fraud in the official document sector by taking advantage of world-class security printing process management and cutting-edge anti-counterfeit technologies.”