Anti-Counterfeit Labels

Counterfeiting is not usually defeated by one clever device — it is made expensive. A label that is hard to copy, and that shows a visible mark when someone tries to lift and reapply it, does two jobs at once: it raises the cost of the attempt and it makes the attempt visible to the next person in the chain.

We supply anti-counterfeit labels built from those two ideas, in combinations that suit the product and the packaging line: holographic effects that change with viewing angle, tamper-visible constructions that leave a mark on removal, and serialised or coded labels that carry a unique identifier per item. Tell us the product and the threat you are trying to address.

Where Anti-Counterfeit Labels Are Used

Where a product has to be identifiable as genuine:

• Spirits and wine — capsule, neck and back-label security marking.
• Cosmetics and personal care — carton seals and primary-pack labels.
• Nutraceuticals and supplements — tamper-visible seals on jars and cartons.
• Electronics and accessories — warranty seals and product authentication marking.
• Apparel and licensed goods — swing tags and branded packaging seals.
• Tickets, certificates and documents — items where duplication must be detectable.

Need a paper label that shatters on removal specifically? See Frangible Paper Labels. For holographic film as a material, see Laser Film Labels.

Key Features

Optical effects that are hard to reproduce

Holographic and laser-originated effects shift colour and pattern with the viewing angle, which makes them difficult to copy on ordinary printing equipment — a check that can be done by eye, without a phone or a scanner, by anyone handling the product.

Tampering that leaves a mark

Tamper-visible constructions are built so that lifting the label damages it or leaves a visible residue such as a VOID or OPENED imprint. A seal that has been moved cannot be put back and made to look untouched, so a compromised pack is detectable downstream.

A unique identity on every label

Serial numbers, barcodes or QR codes can be printed as variable data, so each item carries its own identifier rather than a shared stock design — which supports batch control and gives you a reference point if a suspect item is found in the market.

Combined to fit your pack and your line

Effects, materials and coding can be combined and supplied as rolls or sheets, die-cut and printed to your artwork — so the security marking is part of the normal labelling operation rather than a separate manual step.

Technical Specifications

• Face stock: holographic, metallised, destructible or tamper-visible film and paper stocks
• Security features: holographic / laser effect, tamper-visible void or opened imprint, serial or QR variable data; other options on request
• Adhesive: permanent or tamper-visible grade, matched to the substrate
• Printing: variable-data printing for serials and codes; your artwork for the fixed design
• Format: rolls or sheets; die-cut to size and shape
• Substrate: matched to glass, carton board, film and label-over-label applications

Tell us the product, the packaging surface and the threat you are addressing, and we will propose a combination of features.

How to Select and Order

• Decide what you are defending against — casual substitution, refilling, grey-market resale and outright copying each call for a different combination; tell us which matters most and the specification follows.
• Choose visible or covert, or both — a visible seal deters and signals; a covert feature is for your own verification or for an enforcement agency. Tell us who needs to be able to check.
• Confirm the substrate and the line — glass, carton board and shrink film behave differently, and the label must run on your applicator; both decide the construction.

MOQ, lead time and freight depend on material, size and quantity — send your specification and volume and we will quote.

FAQ

• What security features can you supply? Holographic and laser-originated effects, tamper-visible constructions that leave a void or opened imprint, and serial or QR variable data. Other options can be discussed on enquiry — tell us what you need to achieve rather than starting from a feature list.
• How does a void feature work? The label is constructed so that peeling it damages the face or leaves a visible imprint on the surface beneath. The pack then shows that it has been opened or relabelled — it does not by itself prove anything about the contents.
• Can you provide a verification app or a traceability system? No. We supply the label and the coding on it. Any verification platform, database or app sits on your side, and the label is printed to whatever identifier your system uses.
• How is this different from the frangible paper labels? Frangible paper is a specific material that shatters when removed, covered on its own page. This page covers the anti-counterfeit requirement as an application and the range of features available for it.
• Can I test before ordering? Yes — request samples and check the effect, the adhesion and the removal behaviour on your own packaging before you commit a specification.

Bofeng New Materials supplies anti-counterfeit labels to spirits and cosmetics brands, nutraceutical producers, electronics brands and licensed-goods manufacturers as part of its Eco Labels range. Tell us the product, the substrate and the threat, and we will propose a combination of features.

Get a quote or request samples: jason.zhan@bofmat.com

Related: Laser Film Labels · Frangible Paper Labels · Paper Labels