Security Label Design and Printing

There Is No Single "Security Label"

The term covers very different technologies that do not defend against the same threat. Choosing correctly starts with defining the problem: do you want to detect that a package was opened, prevent a label being moved to another product, or let a customer verify authenticity?

Types and What They Protect Against

• VOID label — leaves a VOID pattern on the surface when removed. Detects opening.
• Fragile label — disintegrates when peeled. Prevents transfer to another product.
• Hologram — hard to reproduce optically. Visual deterrence.
• Scratch-off code — hidden until revealed. Establishes who saw it first.
• Unique QR — verified against a database. Enables customer verification.
• Serial numbered — each label a unique record. Enables volume and channel tracking.
• UV print — invisible in normal light. For field inspection by staff.

Choosing

I want to know if the package was opened

VOID or fragile is enough. Placement matters: the label must bridge the lid and body diagonally. A VOID label on a single surface proves nothing.

I want to stop the label being moved

Fragile material. These do not lift in one piece; they break into fragments.

I want customers to verify the product themselves

Unique QR verification, preferably under a scratch coating. A hologram alone cannot do this — it deters visually but produces no verifiable record.

I want deterrence at low unit cost

Hologram strikes that balance.

Layering Works Best

In practice the strongest result comes from combining layers: fragile material carrying a hologram, with a scratch-off QR beneath. Each layer answers a different threat.