Kodak launches invisible barcode ink

Kodak has developed a virtually invisible clear ink this week which can be used for security applications, including identification of counterfeit versions of a wide range of printed materials.

Kodak NexPress Red Fluorescing Dry Ink is clear to the naked eye, said the company, but fluoresces red when illuminated with an appropriate ultraviolet light source.

The ink can be used to print unobtrusive images and non-reproducible barcodes which then can be read with specialised readers. It allows clear barcodes to be printed inline and can encompass variable data printing, allowing each printed piece to be marked with unique information, it said.

The ink and scanner combination was developed by Kodak in partnership with InData Systems which specialises covert or hidden bar codes for product authentication, tracking, and information retrieval.

"The red fluorescing barcode itself is the pass/fail authentication," said Kodak at the debut of the technology, which took place at the IPEX 2010 exhibition in Birmingham, UK, this week 

"It is difficult to counterfeit and if the barcode does not light up for the UV reader, the document is not genuine."

The ink will be available commercially next month.