The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for magnetically transferring one or more indicia into a not yet hardened coating layer made of a coating composition including platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles so as to produce optical effect layers (OELs) as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide optical element transfer structures that include an optical element releasably coupled with a transfer medium and methods of making and using the optical element transfer structures. The optical element transfer structures can be used to dispose an optical element onto an article, whereby the optical element imparts a structural color to the article.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to bladders that incorporate a multi-layer optical film that impart a structural color to the bladder. The present disclosure is also directed to articles including the bladders having a multi-layer optical film, and methods for making articles and bladders having a multi-layer optical film.

The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for magnetically transferring one or more indicia into a not yet hardened coating layer made of a coating composition comprising platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles so as to produce optical effect layers (OELs) as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure are directed to bladders that incorporate a multi-layer optical film that impart a structural color to the bladder. The present disclosure is also directed to articles including the bladders having a multi-layer optical film, and methods for making articles and bladders having a multi-layer optical film.

One or more aspects of the present disclosure provide optical element transfer structures that include an optical element releasably coupled with a transfer medium and methods of making and using the optical element transfer structures. The optical element transfer structures can be used to dispose an optical element onto an article, whereby the optical element imparts a structural color to the article.

The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for optical effect layers (OEL) exhibiting two or more nested indicia using a magnetic assembly comprising i) a soft magnetic plate (x31) comprising a) one or more voids (V) and b) one or more indentations (I) and/or one or more protrusions (P), and ii) one or more dipole magnets (x32).

Embodiments of an image panel are provided. The image panel includes a transparent substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface. A first image layer is disposed on the second major surface. A diffuser layer is disposed on the first image layer, and a second image layer is disposed on the diffuser layer. The second image layer includes mask regions and image regions. An optical density of the image panel is at least 3.0 in the mask regions and less than 3.0 in the image regions. The image regions are not visible from the first major surface when light is not incident upon the second major surface. The image regions are visible from the first major surface and form a composite image with the first image layer when light is incident upon the second major surface.

In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a decorative film for molding and a molding method include, in the following order, forming, on a base material, a liquid crystal layer including a cholesteric liquid crystal compound and a photoisomerization compound, photoisomerizing the liquid crystal layer, and curing the liquid crystal layer. In one embodiment, a decorative film for molding includes, on a base material, a liquid crystal layer including a cholesteric liquid crystal compound and a photoisomerization compound, in which the cured liquid crystal layer has a plurality of regions which are different from each other in terms of a photoisomerization proportion of the photoisomerization compound. A molded product using the decorative film for molding, an automobile exterior plate, and an electronic device are also provided.

As described above, one or more aspects of the present disclosure provide articles having structural color, and methods of making articles having structural color. The optical element can have different sections that have different relative thicknesses. For example, a first section of the optical element disposed on the first area of the article can have a first average thickness and a second section of the optical element disposed on the second area can have a second average thickness. The first section of the optical element imparts a first structural color and the second section imparts a second structural color.