A method for the production of a multilayer body, in particular a security element, includes: a) producing a metal layer on a substrate; b) partial demetalization of the metal layer to form a first item of optical information in a first area of the multilayer body; c) applying a partial lacquer layer in a second area of the multilayer body to form a second item of optical information, wherein the partial lacquer layer extends at least partially beyond the metal layer; d) structuring the partial metal layer in the second area using the partial lacquer layer as mask.

A carrier for applying confidential data includes a substrate and a background applied to the substrate, in particular a concealment background, including an irregular configuration of characters. The characters are formed of a transparent non-chromogenic printing ink which phosphoresces under UV light. A data carrier having applied confidential data is also provided.

A method is provided for producing a luminescent security marking on a substrate of a predetermined substrate type. The security marking includes a layer sequence applied on top of the substrate in a part region and formed from a diffuse reflectance printing ink applied on top of the substrate and from a luminescent printing ink applied on top of the diffuse reflectance printing ink, or a mixture of a diffuse reflectance printing ink and a luminescent printing ink. The layer sequence or the mixture exhibit visible luminescence after excitation. The layer sequence or the mixture are printed with a chosen layer thickness onto a substrate of the predetermined substrate type, in order to obtain a luminescent security marking, the luminescent spectrum of which matches the calculated combination spectrum in the part region on illumination with the excitation light. The invention also relates to an associated luminescent security marking.

A means and method to enhance the security of personalized and variable print-on-demand data on vital records or documents, such as checks, by inkjet printing. A specially formulated penetrating ink prints information on the front side to create an indelibly seamless dual image on the reverse side. The reverse image symbiotically complements the primary image on the print side to provide ease of authentication and tamper resistance. Specially formulated MICR ink is used to print information on the front side. Specially formulated penetrating may be different color. Either invisible ultraviolet fluorescent penetrating ink or visible penetrating ink may be used to create the image on the reverse side. The print side and reverse side are printed using single-pen printing by orienting inkjet two different pens in a series.

The present invention relates to a novel identification label that can be customized. The labels are designed to be either integrated or removably attached on exterior surface of consumer product containers allowing users to avoid potential confusion with respect to ownership, use or control of their containers. The label has an opaque scratch-off blank surface that can be removed to create a personalized identification mark. The label may have an UV-ink coating or can have a label layer for creating identification mark when the scratch-off blank surface is scratched. The labels are designed to be affixed on any personal item to prevent items from accidentally being misidentified.

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for printing a security card. A security image is printed onto the receiving layer of a dye receptive reverse transfer film, which can then be applied to the card and bonded with the card. The printing of the security image occurs by transferring overcoat material from an overcoat panel of the dye carrying film onto the receiving layer of the dye receptive reverse transfer film in a pattern, which forms the visual security image. This process can be used in conjunction with the printing of a primary image by printing Yellow, Magenta, Cyan dyes and Black resin (YMCK) to the receiving layer in a reverse transfer printing method to provide a security card having a primary image and a security image. The security image printing may occur before or after the YMCK printing.

A forgery prevention medium includes a substrate and a specific invisible material layer directly or indirectly laminated on the substrate, having a specific invisible material reversibly and visually recognized through a predetermined process disposed thereon in a plane shape, and having a part of the specific invisible material inactivated in accordance with a visualized image pattern.

There is described a printed security feature (10) provided onto a printable substrate, which printed security feature includes a printed area (11) with at least a first printed section consisting of a multiplicity of geometric elements (GE, 15) printed with a given distribution over the printed area. The geometric elements are printed with at least first and second inks which exhibit the same or substantially the same optical appearance when illuminated with visible white light, such that the printed security feature produces a first graphical representation (A1) when illuminated with visible white light. At least the first ink is an ink which responds to non-visible light excitation by producing a characteristic optical response differentiating the first ink from the second ink. The printed security feature produces a second graphical representation (B1) when illuminated with non-visible light, which exhibits a distinctive two-dimensional graphic element (B) which is revealed only when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light. The first printed section is subdivided into at least first and second printed portions (P1, P2), adjacent to the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element, and a third printed portion (P3), inside boundaries (200) of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element. In the first, respectively second printed portion, the geometric elements are printed with the first, respectively second ink. In the third printed portion, the geometric elements are sub-divided into first and second contiguous portions (GE_a, GE_b) which are respectively printed with the first and second inks. The first and second inks are printed in register one with respect to the other so that the boundaries of the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element are not visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with visible white light and the distinctive two-dimensional graphic element only becomes visible when the printed security feature is illuminated with non-visible light.

An image can be formed by using a developer containing a luminescent substance, without impairing the finish of the area in which the image is formed. An image forming device 100 includes a print function section 124 which forms a first image included in a plurality of images to be formed on a single page, based on image formation data indicating the image to be formed, on a medium by using a first developer, and forms a second image included in the plurality of images, based on the image formation data, in a non-image-forming area in which the first image is not formed on the medium, by using a second developer containing a luminescent substance.

A fluorescence and phosphorescence detection device includes a fluorescence and phosphorescence sensor, a data acquiring unit, and an emission detection unit. The fluorescence and phosphorescence sensor includes a light source that emits an excitation light of a predetermined wavelength, and a photodetection unit that detects fluorescence emission and phosphorescence emission excited from the paper sheet by the excitation light. The data acquiring unit acquires a time-series waveform of a signal outputted from the fluorescence and phosphorescence sensor in response to the detection of the emission in the photodetection unit. The emission detection unit detects the fluorescence emission from the time-series waveform of a period in which the excitation light is emitted from the light source and detects the phosphorescence emission from an attenuation curve appearing on the time-series waveform of a period in which emission of the excitation light from the light source is stopped.