January 6, 2010

Counter Counterfeiting

Filed under: Main — Dan Gookin @ 12:01 am

Ever try to scan in some currency and edit it in Photoshop? Sure, you might be breaking the law, though you may also have a legitimate reason to want to photo-edit a twenty or fifty. When you attempt it, you’ll be met with an interesting error message.

PhotoshopScreenSnapz001

Well, the message is surprising but certainly not as startling as having the Secret Service rap on your door.

Photoshop uses a special, secret algorithm to detect when you copy currency. They won’t tell what the algorithm is, but most folks guess that the algorithm is at least in part based on something called the EURion Constellation.

The EURion Constellation is a grouping of objects which can be detected by a scanner or by photo-editing software like Photoshop. As the name implies, the grouping looks similar to everyone’s favorite star constellation, Orion. Here’s what the grouping looks like:

150px-EURion.svg

If you get a new $5, $10, $20, or $50 bill you’ll find items on the bill in the grouping shown above. If you have a $20 handy, look on the back and you’ll see the EURion grouping used on many of the teensy, golden “20” symbols on the left side of the bill.

I suppose the grouping is found on all the bills, either that or Photoshop is using some other algorithm to detect currency.

Curiously, the $100 bill doesn’t have this type of protection; scanning and editing a $100 bill in Photoshop apparently doesn’t pose a problem.

Now, of course, I’m not encouraging you to copy currency. It is illegal. Then again, photo-editing your face onto a $50 bill is supposedly okay, but Photoshop will not let you print your efforts. So be it.

3 Comments

  1. A similar thing happened when some friends and I opened a $5 note image we borrowed from the Reserve Bank of Australia website for use in a Powerpoint in Photoshop CS3. I think it said that it wasn’t designed for printing such things. Now I have a vague knowledge as to why it said that. Publisher 2007, on the other hand, didn’t say a single thing when I proceeded to print of no less than five one hundred dollar notes as a gag bribe for someone, but the Australian banknotes are polymer and are difficult to counterfeit (although it has been done).

    Comment by Douglas — January 6, 2010 @ 3:00 am

  2. Cool story. Is it true that an Australian bank note won’t survive a trip through the wash?

    Comment by admin — January 6, 2010 @ 7:25 am

  3. I believe so. I’ve never personally had one go through the wash, but with the material they’re made of, I think they could stand a washing.

    Brings a whole new meaning to money laundering 😉

    Comment by Douglas — January 7, 2010 @ 9:59 pm

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