A mess-free coloring system comprising a coloring medium and optionally one or more coloring utensils is disclosed. The coloring medium can include a substrate with or without decorative effects and one or more coating layers on a surface of the substrate. In various examples, the one or more coating layers include a color-triggering developer, e.g., in the form of a substantially clear resin, and an opaque pigment. Decorative effects integrated with or disposed on the substrate, while initially obscured by the one or more coating layers, can be revealed when the coating layers are mixed with at least one color precursor stored and dispensed from a coloring utensil. The opaque pigment is selected and configured such that, upon receipt of at least one color precursor by the one or more coating layers, a change in the pigment's reflective index occurs as the pigment dissolves into the clear resin developer.

An image transfer sheet for producing a temporary tattoo having a base release sheet upon which a tattoo image is formed. The tattoo image comprising an image layer composed of a permanent adhesive and a water soluble adhesive having one or more inks integrated therewith. Wherein, after the tattoo image has been applied to a user and then subjected to water, the water soluble adhesive breaks apart and the permanent adhesive no longer has the ability to bond thereby allowing the tattoo image to easily be removed from the user.

A method for preparing a color laser marked article using three infrared lasers L-1, L-2 and L-3 having respectively a laser emission wavelength of (L-1), (L-2) and (L-3) includes the steps of laser marking with the infrared laser L-1 a first color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-1 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region .sub.max(IR-1); laser marking with the infrared laser L-2 a second color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-2 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region .sub.max(IR-2); laser marking with the infrared laser L-3 a third color laser markable layer including an infrared dye IR-3 having an absorption maximum in the infrared region .sub.max(IR-3); and at least partially exposing the color laser markable article to light having a wavelength between 520 nm and 700 nm, wherein, the laser emission wavelengths satisfy the condition of: (L-1)>(L-2)>(L-3); the infrared red dye absorption maxima satisfy the condition of: .sub.max(IR-1)>.sub.max(IR-2)>.sub.max(IR-3); and the light emitted by the infrared laser L-1 passes, in order, through the third and second color laser markable layer before exposing the first color laser markable layer.

A mess-free coloring system comprising a coloring medium and optionally one or more coloring utensils is disclosed. The coloring medium can include a substrate with or without decorative effects and one or more coating layers on a surface of the substrate. In various examples, the one or more coating layers include a color-triggering developer, e.g., in the form of a substantially clear resin, and an opaque pigment. Decorative effects integrated with or disposed on the substrate, while initially obscured by the one or more coating layers, can be revealed when the coating layers are mixed with at least one color precursor stored and dispensed from a coloring utensil. The opaque pigment is selected and configured such that, upon receipt of at least one color precursor by the one or more coating layers, a change in the pigment's reflective index occurs as the pigment dissolves into the clear resin developer.

A feature substance is provided for securing the authenticity of documents of value, having at least one luminescent substance in particle form and nanoparticles enveloping the surfaces of the luminescent substance particles at least partially, wherein the properties of the feature substance result from the interaction of the properties of the luminescent substance and of the nanoparticles. The invention furthermore relates to a method for producing the feature substance, a method for securing the authenticity of a security element or document of value using a feature substance, as well as security elements and documents of value with authenticity features on the basis of the feature substance.