Mina’s security products help brands plan physical authentication for products, packaging and printed materials. The first choice is what must be checked: a label, a package, a component or an identifier connected to a record.
Use this overview to compare the carrier, the person performing the check and the information needed afterwards. A visible code, a covert feature and a traceability record serve different purposes.
Discuss security options for your product
Start with the object you need to protect
- Labels and tags: assess the feature, print process, application surface and inspection method together. Explore security labels when a label or tag is an appropriate carrier.
- Printed packaging or documents: discuss covert inks, Micro-chain Code or an appropriate visible feature. The substrate and production process determine which routes should be evaluated.
- The product material itself: assess a material-integrated authentication route where packaging may be separated from the item. See invisible anti-counterfeiting technology for application and reader considerations.
- Fired or demanding-process applications: identify the relevant marking product and test it against the actual process. A temperature or durability claim for one product cannot be assumed to apply to every security feature.
Choose who will perform the check
A visible feature may support a straightforward inspection, while a covert feature may require authorized personnel and Mina’s dedicated reading equipment. Phone-readable AI Cloud Code is a separate option in the portfolio. It should not be assumed that a phone can read every covert mark.
Define the expected result: detecting a feature, reading an identifier or retrieving a record. Agree on how an unreadable, missing or unexpected result will be reviewed.
Add records where the decision requires them
Physical authentication does not automatically provide shipment history or production records. If those are part of the requirement, plan the identifier and data-capture workflow with the traceability cloud platform. For investigation of goods outside an intended channel, review the anti-diversion cloud platform.
Likewise, a readable identifier does not by itself establish product safety, quality or regulatory certification. Keep those acceptance requirements separate.
Evaluate the finished application
Bring representative materials, finishes and process information to the discussion. A useful pilot checks the selected feature after printing, applying, molding, firing or handling steps relevant to the product. Include unmarked controls and the intended readers and operators.
Set practical acceptance criteria for appearance, process compatibility and repeatable verification. Confirm how materials, readers and inspection responsibilities will be managed before expanding the project. Do not select a feature solely from a generic durability claim.
Prepare a useful enquiry
Tell Mina what you need to protect, the risk you are addressing, the materials and processes involved, expected quantities and who will verify the result. State whether you also need channel records, production history or a consumer-facing query.
Send your security-product requirements
For a broader purchasing comparison, read the guide to anti-counterfeit packaging technologies.
