The present invention relates to the field of protecting value documents and value commercial goods against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for producing optical effect layers (OELs) comprising non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable particles and comprising a motif made of at least two areas made of a single applied and cured layer, said motif being obtained by using a selective curing performed by irradiation with an actinic radiation LED source (x41) comprising an array of individually addressable actinic radiation emitters.

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 magnetic assemblies and methods for producing optical effect layers (OELs) on a substrate, said method comprising a step of exposing a coating composition comprising platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles to the magnetic field of the magnetic assembly so as to bi-axially orient at least a part of the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles.

A paint composition includes a fluid and a coloring agent in the fluid. The fluid maintains the coloring agent in a first protonation state. The coloring agent exhibits a first color characteristic in the first protonation state. The paint composition includes microcapsules in the fluid. The paint composition also includes a chemical compound in the microcapsules. Rupture of at least a portion of the microcapsules is configured to release the chemical compound and expose the coloring agent to the chemical compound. Exposure of the coloring agent to the chemical compound changes the coloring agent from the first protonation state with the first color characteristic to a second protonation state with a second color characteristic. The second color characteristic is visually distinct from the first color characteristic.

The present invention relates to the field of protecting value documents and value commercial goods against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention provides processes for producing optical effect layers (OELs) comprising non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable particles and comprising a motif made of at least two areas made of a single applied and cured layer, said motif being obtained by using a selective curing performed by irradiation with an actinic radiation LED source (x41) comprising an array of individually addressable actinic radiation emitters.

An encapsulated polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (EPSCT) light shutter is formed from a cholesteric liquid crystal and monomer that is encapsulated into micron sized, polymer-coated droplets by either an emulsification or phase separation process. The polymer-coated droplets are disposed between transparent electrodes, where they are irradiated by ultra-violet (UV) light to polymerize the monomer.

An optically variable device may be manufactured by aligning magnetic flakes on a surface of an adhesive layer by applying the flakes onto the adhesive layer surface in presence of a magnetic field, and curing the adhesive layer having magnetic flakes adhered to the adhesive layer. When cured, the adhesive layer holds the magnetic flakes oriented, enabling subsequent encapsulation of the oriented magnetic flakes in a coating layer on the adhesive layer, without a substantial loss of orientation of the magnetic flakes.

Provided is a manufacturing method for an optically anisotropic film in which a tilt angle of a liquid crystal compound is controlled to be constant in a thickness direction. The method includes, in the following order, steps of applying a photo-alignment composition onto a base material to form a photo-alignment composition layer, irradiating a surface of the photo-alignment composition layer with a non-polarized and collimated ultraviolet ray in an oblique direction, applying the liquid crystal composition onto the photo-alignment composition layer irradiated with the ultraviolet ray to form a liquid crystal composition layer, a applying a magnetic field to the liquid crystal composition layer along a direction substantially parallel to an irradiation direction of the ultraviolet ray in irradiating step at a temperature at which the liquid crystal composition in the liquid crystal composition layer exhibits an alignment state, and curing the liquid crystal composition layer.

A method may be provided for manufacturing coated panels of the type including at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif. The top layer may be provided on the substrate. The method may involve providing a synthetic material layer on the substrate. A relief may be provided on the surface of the synthetic material layer provided on the substrate. The relief may include a pattern of recesses and/or projections. The relief may be obtained by providing a mask on or in the synthetic material layer. The mask may enable a selective treatment of the synthetic material layer. A material-removing treatment or a material-depositing treatment may be performed on the synthetic material layer, such that the mask at least partially determines the pattern.

A method may be provided for manufacturing coated panels of the type including at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif. The top layer may be provided on the substrate. The method may involve providing a synthetic material layer on the substrate. A relief may be provided on the surface of said synthetic material layer provided on the substrate. The relief may include a pattern of recesses. The pattern may be at least partially determined by at least one print that is applied by inkjet printing. The relief may be obtained by printing a mask directly on the synthetic material layer. After providing the mask, the synthetic material layer may be cured. The mask may provide for selective curing of the synthetic material layer, such that the synthetic material layer is not solidified or solidified at a lesser extent in correspondence of the mask. The not solidified or less solidified portions of the synthetic material layer may be removed by performing a material-removing treatment on the synthetic material layer thereby obtaining the relief. The material-removing treatment may involve removing the mask.

The present invention relates to the field of devices and processes for producing optical effect layers (OEL) comprising magnetically bi-axially oriented platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, in particular for producing said OELs as anti-counterfeit means on security documents or security articles or for decorative purposes. The process described herein comprises the step of a) applying on a substrate surface a radiation curable coating composition comprising platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, b) exposing the radiation curable coating composition to a dynamic magnetic field of a magnetic assembly comprising a Halbach cylinder assembly, and c) at least partially curing the radiation curable coating composition of step b) so as to fix the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles in their adopted positions and orientations, said step c) being carried out partially simultaneously or simultaneously with step b).