:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: How to Counterfeit :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Written by --------------------------> The Wave This article deals with how to make counterfeit money. Before reading this article it would be a very good idea to get a book about photo-offset printing, for that's how you'll have to print it. For someone who is familiar with offset printing, printing money is a breeze. Real money is made by a process called gravure. It involves carving out of a metal block (but I don't think anyone can do that by hand-if you can, you should be on That's Incredible!). When you are done (if you did everything correctly) you will have a finished product nearly identical to real money, depending on your printing skills. Well, let's get started! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First I'd like to tell you briefly how offset printing works. It starts by making negatives (kind of like when you take a picture with your camera). Then you take the negatives and put them on a piece of masking material (usually orange). Then you expose the STRIPPED negatives or FLATS to a lithographic plate with an arc light plate maker. The BURNED plates are then developed with the proper developer chemical. These plates (one at a time of course) are wrapped around the plate cylinder of the press. The press to use should be an 11 by 14 (or so) offset such as the 11 by 17 AB Dick 360. Then the printing begins! To learn in detail how to do each of these steps you should again get a book on the subject. The presswork takes some practice, but you'll get the hang of it. Ok, quit babbling on, Wave, and start the good stuff! By the way you can pick up an 11 by 14 offset for about $500 if you shop around (or you can ** BORROW ** a press from your local Insty Prints at about 3:00 in the morning!). First, like I said before, you need negatives. Make 2 negatives of the portrait side of the bill and 1 of the back side. After developing them and letting them dry, take them to a light table. Get some opaque and, on one of the portrait sides, touch out all the green (the seal and the serial numbers). Line that one up on the FLAT and leave about 1/2 inch from the top of the flat. Then for the other portrait, touch out everything BUT the seal and serial numbers. The back side doesn't require any retouching because it is all one color. Now, make sure all the negatives are lined up right, or REGISTERED, on the flats. By the way, every time you need another serial number, just shoot 1 neg. of the portrait side and cut out the serial number. Cut out the old serial number from the flat and replace it with the new one. Ok, now you have 3 flats, each represents a different color-black and 2 shades of green (which of course are made by mixing inks). Now you are ready to burn the plates. Take a lithographic plate and mark 3 marks on it. These marks must be 2 & 9/16 in. apart, starting on one of the short edges. Do the same thing to 2 more plates. Then take 1 of the flats and place it on the plate, lining the short edge up with the edge of the plate-EXACTLY! Burn it, move it up to the next mark, and cover up the exposed area you already burned. Burn that and do the same thing 2 more times-moving the flat up one mark. Then do the same process with the other 2 flats (each on a separate plate). Develop all 3 plates. You should have 4 images on each plate with an equal space between each bill. Roll the Presses! ---- --- ------- The paper you will need won't match exactly, but you can make it pretty damn close (close enough for the cashier at K-Mart!). The paper to use should have a 25% rag content. I have found that Disaperf computer paper works great - that's the kind that you can barely see the perforation. Take this paper (cut the pinfeed holes off first!) and load it into the press. Be sure to set the air, buckle, and paper thickness right. Start with the black plate (the one with out the serial numbers). Wrap it around the cylinder and load black ink in. Make sure you run more than you need because there will be a lot of rejects. Then, while that's printing, mix the inks for the serial #'s and the back side. You'll need to add some white and maybe yellow to the serial # ink. You need to add black to back side. Experiment till you get it right. Clean the press and print the other side. Now you have the bill with no green seal or serial numbers. Print a few with one serial number, make another and repeat. Keep doing this until you have as many different numbers as you want. Then cut the bills to the exact size with a paper cutter Now you have a lot of money, except there is still one problemo - the paper is pure white. To dye it, mix the following in a pan: 2 cups hot water, 4 tea bags, and about 16-20 drops of green food coloring (experiment). Dip one of the bills in and compare it to a brand new REAL bill. Make the necessary adjustments, and dye all the bills. Then it is a good idea to make them look used. Wrinkle them, rub coffee grinds on them, etc. Congradulations! You're rich! Some of the info was taken from The Poor Man's James Bond, but most from personal knowledge. Also, it would be a good idea to see the movie To Live and Die in L.A. It is about a counterfeiter and they did a good job of showing how to do it. Well, that's all folks! Call the Shadowkeep AE------------> (513) 832-1938 AE:TAC