Thats one way to use a press!

Can “Heidelberg Offset” press be modified to print intaglio?

Intaglio produces a result in the print that is physical , a feel is experienced from the way the paper is deformed and the ink sits on the material , no form of offset can produce this ,the report uses the word “appears to the naked eye “, forgeries in most non third world countries are deliberately difficult to copy ,whilst papers can be altered to appear correct they will always” feel ” wrong , many people who handle notes regularly often notice the feel long before they look at it.
I think a clever engineer probably could alter a press but it would be an expensive undertaking, that to be honest if achieved would be more profitable as a legitimate conversion concern as opposed to a criminal risky project.

If you look at the photos in the second article, there are definitely dimensional metal plates that were used to create these bills, one of which includes the border around the bill and Jackson’s shoulders and chest. They don’t look like intaglio plates, though. I think they were perhaps embossing to make the bills seem to have the proper texture to the general public. It’s a very sophisticated setup they had going.
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Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN

If you look close enough, the copper galvanos don’t fit on a offset press, there had to be more equipment than what they show, I don’t think they foiled each bill in this little machine they show, and the bills are not numbered, it’s a huge obstacle to get that one right.

If you were telling people about how you captured a very successful international counterfeiting ring, would you show all the details of how the criminals pulled off the crime?

Yeah, neither would I.
—
Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN

They must have an integrated numbering machine attached to this 1-color Heidelberg GTO offset press. As they photo shows, they have the Bremmer Kruger color bars which means that the paper was printed using a CMYK process which could have required a very high resolution scanning and film making capability to produce the separations.
After the 4-color process have been rendered to the finished product, they could have printed the sheets back to “imprint” the other feature of the $20 dollar bill.
I am still amazed at the patience of these criminals having to print 4 times on each side on a single color GTO!
add to it the extra other “image” that they need to imprint in the process.
The numbering on the GTO they can engaged on the last run as they print the black.
Now they can do all the printing requirements of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police inside where they are laocked up! Hahahahaaaa

Link: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/nouv-news/com-rel/2012/05/120524-eng.htm

Hello again, I just clicked the second link above. I see metal “cliches” or metal engraved plates. They must have procured these overseas with connivance of other criminal organizations maybe from China or HK.
They must have also printed them on a letterpress as I see them to have the real “feel” of the dollar.
What the photo shows on the first link was a 1-color Heidelberg GTO offset press which could have printed the “rainbow background” on the bill.
I guess these criminals must have printed the engraced plates at another location because they cannot be used on the GTO. They must have another Heidelberg KSBA cylinder press or a Heidelberg Windmill to run the engraved plates.
This is such an interesting and thrilling post!
thanks for all your comments on this section.

Did you also see on the second link a table top hot foil stamper to stamp the metallic image on the front of the bill?
Interesting setup.