Cotton Banknote Paper – Trusted by the World’s Major Currencies
Cotton paper has been in use for hundreds of years and continues to be the basis for all the world’s major currencies. People trust the familiar look and feel of cotton banknotes, and the security offered by their embedded, applied, and printed features. As society’s standard payment medium, cotton banknotes still provide excellent value.
Cotton paper is exclusively customized in the paper-making machine to secure banknotes against counterfeiting by means of embedded watermarks, security threads, and machine-readable elements. Printing on cotton paper enables exploitation of the full potential of security features and intaglio printing to provide the recognized look and feel of banknotes. The paper stock used is prepared following shortening, bleaching, and cleaning of the natural raw material cotton.

Benefits of cotton banknotes for central banks
Cotton banknotes provide central banks with a cost-effective payment medium that is publicly accepted, secure against counterfeiting, and functional during processing and circulation. Trusted for their convenience, cotton banknotes are ideal for displaying attractive security features in prestigious banknote design. With embedded security features and their familiar intaglio print, cotton banknotes have a unique feel that effectively serves to prevent counterfeits from being accepted.
- Trusted basis for the world’s major currencies. Over 98% of the world’s population uses cotton-based banknotes, trusting their familiar tactile feel as the first deterrent against acceptance of a counterfeit.
- Security against counterfeiting built in. Exclusive customization of the paper with embedded overt and covert security features plus the restricted availability of the cotton banknote material and production process safeguard its security.
- Excellent value option. Cotton banknote paper is cost-effective, providing high value at low cost. Cotton banknotes constitute a very effective, universally accepted payment medium that is both secure and functional during processing and in circulation.
- Trusted supply from Louisenthal. As a long-term partner to the world’s central banks, customers trust our proven research and technology expertise, as well as our reliable service delivery.
Benefits of cotton banknotes for banknote printers
Flexible, reliable supply of a secure substrate with excellent runnability and high print quality are requirements for every banknote printer. Louisenthal’s cotton paper meets these needs, offering unlimited opportunities for attractive banknote design as an ideal platform for printing innovative features. With excellent print performance, embedded and printed security features, and strong intaglio tactility during their lifetime, cotton banknotes guarantee central bank acceptance.
- Excellent print performance. As the basis of banknotes for centuries, cotton paper is the standard on which banknote printing has evolved. The fact that is has stood the test of time demonstrates the excellent print runnability of cotton paper.
- Ideal platform for innovative banknote features. Compressible cotton fiber paper supports advanced intaglio features and displays attractive security features in a prestigious banknote design.
- Security against counterfeiting built in. Exclusive customization of the paper with embedded overt and covert security features plus the restricted availability of the cotton banknote material and production process safeguard its security.
- Trusted supply from Louisenthal. As a long-term partner to the world’s banknote printers, customers trust our proven research and technology expertise, as well as our reliable service delivery.