A method of illuminating an item is disclosed. The method includes applying adhesive to the item, interspersing a taggant in the adhesive, illuminating the item with an excitation signal, sensing luminescence emitted by the taggant in response to illumination by the excitation signal, and determining the authenticity of the item based on the sensed emitted luminescence. The item can include any item benefited by authentication, and can include a postage stamp. A method of customizing an item is disclosed. This can include the steps of preparing a substrate, applying a security feature to the substrate, printing non-customized information on the substrate, receiving image information, and printing the image information on the substrate.

A plasmonic structure having an identifier pattern indicating a genuine product for preventing counterfeiting, falsification or reuse, includes a metal layer; a photoconversion pattern layer including a plurality of photoconverting nanoparticles disposed in a pattern on and in direct contact with the metal layer; a metal pattern layer including a plurality of metal particles disposed in a pattern on and in direct contact with the photoconversion pattern layer; and an adhesive film disposed on the metal pattern layer. An identifier pattern indicating a genuine product is easily identified even by visual inspection after irradiation with infrared light irradiation. The plasmonic structure is fundamentally impossible to re-assemble after deformation of the plasmonic structure caused by disassembly of a product or packaging container, thereby preventing counterfeiting, falsification or reuse.

A method, comprising: providing a combination of a package and a label attached to the package, wherein the label comprises a fluorescent substance, illuminating the label with excitation light so as to cause the label to emit fluorescence light, capturing an image of the label by using an imaging unit, and detecting the position of the label by analyzing the captured image and/or detecting a degree of adhesion of the label by analyzing the captured image.

An activatable quality label operative to provide an indication of exceedance of a temperature threshold following activation thereof at a temperature less than or equal to an activation temperature, including a readable indicator located on the quality label and operative, following activation of the quality label at or below the activation temperature, to readably indicate exceedance of the temperature threshold, an actuator element operative to activate the quality label and indicia at least partially formed by thermochromic ink, the thermochromic ink having a first visual appearance at temperatures less than or equal to the activation temperature and a second visual appearance at temperatures above the activation temperature, such that a visual appearance of the indicia is indicative of whether the quality label is at a temperature less than or equal to the activation temperature and hence may be activated.

The present invention relates to time temperature indicator (TTI) systems for monitoring the time and temperature exposure of foods, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and similar products. More particularly, the present invention provides a cap system, such as a screw cap system, featuring a TTI system.

Wavelength-selective films are visibly apparent under the selective wavelength. Wavelength-selective films typically reflect off axis the selected wavelength and therefore can provide high-contrast against a background when applied in a pattern on a substrate. However, it is difficult to apply unique patterned embedded images from film. Disclosed is a cost-effective method and construction of a patterned wavelength-selective image to a substrate. In the disclosed wavelength-selective image, wavelength-selective film particles are applied to an adhesive pattern to create the wavelength-selective image.

A thermal-sensitive label includes a label-specific set point temperature visually displayed thereon, and a thermal indicator that changes visual appearance in dependence upon temperature change in comparison with a threshold temperature. The threshold temperature of the thermal indicator is set during manufacture to be a fixed amount above the set point temperature. The thermal indicator has a first visual appearance when a temperature measured by the thermal indicator is below the threshold temperature. The thermal indicator dynamically changes to a second visual appearance different than the visual appearance when a second temperature measured by the thermal indicator exceeds the threshold temperature. A label kit includes multiple labels with a variety of different set-points. Each of the labels may include one or both of a reversing thermal indicator for comparing current temperature to the threshold temperature and a non-reversing thermal indicator for comparing a maximum temperature to the threshold temperature.

A thermochromic electrical device is made of thermochromic plastic material and has a visual indicator pre-printed with regular print or ink to allow visible warning of a scalding situation when the thermochromic plastic portion fades from its original color to leave the warning visible. The electric device may be any one of, for example, a cable tie, a cable connector, a terminal connector, a splice connector, and a cable jacket.

The present invention relates to a labeling element for items, which on a surface thereof is formed with a plurality of pixels with periodic lattice structures, in particular linear lattice structures. Lattice structures with in each case one structural period and an alignment of the structural elements, which are aligned to one another in particular in a linear parallel manner, at an angle with respect to an axis of reference are formed in individual pixels such that when the pixels constituting the labeling element are irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, preferably monochromatic electromagnetic radiation, an image of the labeling element is created on an detector array or a surface, by means of images of at least one order of diffraction of the electromagnetic radiation diffracted by pixels which can be used for identification of the respective labeling element.

This disclosure describes an enhanced temperature validation slide comprising a substrate and a removable label attached to the substrate with an adhesive. In some implementations, the label comprises at least two threshold temperature indicators, a transparent liquid impermeable barrier layer, a designated area for user generated information, an area for displayed information (i.e. a lot number), an area for displayed text or graphics linked to information stored online (i.e. a QR code), and a thermo-chromic visual indicator area. The various implementations of this disclosure may describe a validation slide utilizing any number of the features described above in any combination.