Designed as a "trust challenge" for its readers, the cover features silver block foil with the words "Do Not Remove".
Published by Condé Nast, 'The Great Trust Experiment' issue examines the achievements of money-lending networks, such as Kiva and Zopa.
The silver scratch-off areas were applied by Celloglas using latex varnish (in silver), which was applied using a screen process. One example was the cover line, which stated: "World Cup winner revealed: XXXXXXXX". Underneath the varnish are the words " by data" – a link to its feature on how data can help with World Cup predictions.
"We worked closely with Wired, trialling different techniques to make sure the latex didn't scratch off too easily. The method we chose combined a special matt varnish with silver latex, which made the magazines easy to bind and ensured the silver latex covers arrived on the newsstand in perfect condition," said Steve Middleton, sales director at Celloglas.
According to Wired magazine, the cover has proved popular with readers commenting on Twitter about their temptation to scratch the latex off. There is also a YouTube video of one reader scratching off the varnish to reveal what's behind it.
