This paper will examine a number of key technologies used to authenticate identity documents. In the most common practical use these documents are examined by busy inspectors using the unaided eye. The paper will therefore commence with a summary of the attributes of the key printing technologies that have evolved to keep these documents secure. It will also outline the technologies used by the counterfeiter to copy these documents.It will then go on to examine some of the other devices used for verification such as the hand lens, UV illumination and retro-reflective viewers. Throughout this treatment the contribution of Non-Impact Printing technologies will be highlighted, both from the perspective of the security printer and the forger/counterfeiter. The potential for both NIP and Digital Fabrication technologies to contribute to future secure solutions is emphasized.