How Australia’s Banknotes Are Made
Design
A design brief is prepared so that the design consultants and designer will be fully aware of features required in the banknote series by the issuer and printer. On the surface it is a simple brief: to design a banknote around the contributions of the people to be depicted on the banknote, within the constraints required for a high security document. In practice, it is quite complex.
Once themes have been established, designers are commissioned to develop the designs. Through collaboration, various common threads are established to create a 'family' feel to the series, yet still allow each design to have its own character. Examples of these common threads may be font for text and numerals, and signatures of the people portrayed. As the designer goes about the task of creating a banknote, there is an important role for the issuer, printer and the design consultants to oversee the project.
The design project is split into various phases, and each must be completed and signed off before the next starts. These different phases include initial concepts, development of these concepts, development of portraiture, conversion of the developed artwork into a security document, and finally, proofing and printing. Progress at each stage is reviewed by the panel of consultants. The various designers themselves meet to review each other’s' work and discuss commonality issues. The designers are also in contact regularly with artists and technical experts from Note Printing Australia Limited (NPA) to ensure that what they are doing is consistent with the RBA's requirements and production capabilities.
Manufacture of Printing Plates
Once a designer's conceptual design has been accepted by the RBA, skilled artists and designers at NPA begin the process of developing a design around the theme selected and converting it into a banknote. Part of this involves transforming the design into large-scale line drawings.
These drawings become increasingly more complex as the design is developed to include security features. Computer aided design (CAD) technology is also used because of its flexibility and efficiency. During this process, the RBA continues to take advice from the panel of consultants. When the banknote design is complete, printing plates are made. Separate plates and printing processes are required for the background colours and patterns and the major design elements on each side of the banknote. The background is printed flat using an offset printing process, called simultan, producing an effect like painting with watercolours. Printing plates for the background colours and patterns are produced photographically.
