Escher® Portraits – Advancing Digital 3D Portrait Design

Intaglio is a quintessential feature for high-security designs. Its unique look and tactility make it easy to authenticate banknotes and identity documents within seconds.

Traditionally, intaglio portraits are hand-drawn interpretations of photographs or paintings. By contrast, the Escher® method, developed by Orell Füssli, uses three-dimensional (3D) models for intaglio designs. According to the company, this unlocks new possibilities for design teams and issuing authorities while posing significant challenges for counterfeiters.

The technique was presented at the recent Hight Security Printing (HSP) EMEA and Latin America conferences in Sofia and Santiago in March and June this year respectively.

The Escher method

The Escher method explores different 3D intaglio workflows and methodologies within the context of banknote design and production. It takes its name from Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972), a Dutch graphic artist renowned for his woodcuts and lithographs inspired by mathematics.

To date, Orell Füssli has produced two house notes, exploring two kinds of images. One is a 3D model designed by an artist, the other an object digitised by a 3D scanner. All digital 3D objects, from scans to computer-generated models, consist of 3D polygon meshes and 2D photographic textures, and both 3D images on the house notes are compatible with the Escher method. Using a 3D model or a 3D scan is entirely up to the design team and the central bank.