Andreas Iten: Oumolat Housenote

Hi, my name is Andreas Iten and I am a Swiss graphic and security designer.

My background is a graphic design degree from the University of Lucerne in Switzerland. Over the past 15 years I have worked across various fields, from print media to multimedia stage design. Today, I work full time independently in Zurich and offer design solutions specializing in security design, print, web, motion graphics, and scenography. Check out my portfolio here: https://andreasiten.ch

What was the problem you needed to solve?

On behalf of Oumolat, a security printing company from the UAE, I was tasked with designing a sample banknote intended to showcase the printing company’s capabilities. This note is not used for payment, but it has the same security features as a real banknote. The design needed to incorporate oriental patterns, with the theme focusing on light and shadow. The core idea was that when you hold this note up to the light, the lantern illuminates. The challenge was to translate the complexity of these patterns into base files, which would serve as the foundation for further work on security features for this housenote. Since I work in a field where design is closely tied to security, I can provide some information about the design, but I cannot share any security-related information.

The solution - What Astute Graphics tools you used and why?

Oriental patterns are mathematically complex, so I created two levels: the lower layer determined the colors, while the drawing layer was based on the same structural foundation as the color layer. MirrorMe from Astute Graphics was ideal for this. For the drawing layer, I also used WidthScribe to vary the line thickness, creating a gradient where the lines become finer at the top and thicker as they move downward. InkScribe helped ensure that the drawing appeared fluid, almost like it was done with a pen. It’s important to note that these two layers, which were created using Astute Plugins, are a graphical basis and will be further processed for banknote printing using specialized software and tools.

MirrorMe allowed me to create the design much more efficiently and with greater precision than with native Adobe Illustrator tools.

How did MirrorMe and WidthScribe help speed up your workflow compared to native Adobe Illustrator tools?

MirrorMe allowed me to create the design much more efficiently and with greater precision than with native Adobe Illustrator tools. It offers numerous options, like adjusting the number of axes, layer-specific mirroring, and working non-destructively. Without the flexible adjustments provided by this tool, the pattern exploration phase would have taken much longer with native Adobe Illustrator tools. The Width Gradient tool also helped balance the design quickly, whereas doing this manually in native Illustrator would have been a lengthy process.

Security Printing: Oumolat Security Printing
Substrate: Landqart
Concept and Design: Andreas Iten
Inks and Spark® feature:  Sicpa
Foil: Kurz
Origination: Jura