Can InDesign generate the graphic used on the inside of security envelopes?

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
February 22, 2022
4 replies
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With security envelopes, there is a black "gibberish" printed on the inside, sometimes its also on carbon copy forms to hide sensitive info. Does this have a name to it or can InDesign generate this somehow?

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Colin Flashman

Community Expert

I'd personally use a pattern like this one from either Adobe Stock or similar stock site:

https://stock.adobe.com/au/images/security-envelope-background/68213720?prev_url=detail

The aim of the graphic isn't to be gaussian style noise, but to obfuscate any details that might be in a carbon copy by being similar to what would have been put there by the original's author. I like Brad @ Roaring Mouse's graphic as it illustrates the concept well.

That said, this feature may not be required if you ask your printer to "desensitise" the area that doesn't need to be on the duplicate, triplicate etc. This is done for no-carbon-required (NCR) forms that are in duplicate, triplicate or quadruplicate, and applied to all copies except for the original copy that is hand-written. So far as the printer is concerned, it's an extra plate that contains desensitising ink in the shape of the area that is to have the details not appear in subsequent copies of the form.

If the answer wasn't in my post, perhaps it might be on my blog at colecandoo!

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

It depends really what the overall goal is.

For an envelope a heavy pattern would be enough - so the noise creates the same effect - I'm not sure how useful it actually is - someone just asked can you do it in InDesign - and you can create a complex garbled background using the effect I described.

However, desenstising inks are different and only really relate to carbon copy.

In essence, you can create a pattern in InDesign - but I'd rather speak with a professional envelope printers, which there are only 2 of which in the country I live in.

So I'd be inclined to ask them.

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

Good chance the company doing your envelope conversion has these patterns on hand. Check with your printer.

Vico DriveAuthor

Known Participant

I am the printer 😉 Looking to use the same style on NCR copies and figured there would be a generator in one of the many Adobe programs. Will just see what vector versions I can find online for now.

Brad @ Roaring Mouse

Community Expert

Ah! I see.

I have a few here, but if you want to make a quick and easy one, create a page (e.g. Letter size landscape) and make one text box that covers the area that you need, and Fill With Placeholder Text (lorem ipsum). Make it Justified and remove paragraph returns. Assign Times New Roman 12 point on 4 point leading. Make a second copy of the this text box and change the type to Arial 10 pt on 5 point leading and place it on top of the first box. If you like this, Change all the type to outlines and save it as a PDF you can use anytime you want.

(I used Times and Arial, but you can use whatver you want. I just like to have a serif and a sans serif to obscure what might be in the envelope)