A secure article including a revelation screen and a combined image, or a set comprising a secure article and another object. The secure article including one of the revelation screen and the combined image and the object comprising or making up the other of the revelation screen and the combined image. The combined image including a plurality of overlapping images. The combined image including a periodic alternation of overlapping image elements in a first direction. The revelation screen including a masking screen element alternating periodically with a non-masking screen element in a second direction. The size of the non-masking screen elements in the second direction is greater than the size, in the first direction, of at least one element of overlapping images, the revelation screen making it possible to observe various revealed images by moving the revelation screen in relation to the combined image and/or by changing the observation angle.

A method of manufacturing an image element array includes: providing a production tool having a surface pattern of ink-receptive elements spaced by areas which are not, the ink-receptive elements defining the array image elements; applying a multi-coloured first image formed of a inks to only the ink-receptive elements; and transferring only the portions of the multi-coloured first image corresponding to the image elements from the production tool to a substrate. An image element array is formed on the substrate. The production tool surface pattern is configured such that when viewing and image element arrays overlap, each viewing element within an image element array first region directs light from a respective image element or from a respective gap. The viewing angle in the first region directs light from either the array or the gaps.

An apparatus configured to determine a first recording amount of a colored recording material to be recorded on a protruded portion and a second recording amount of a colored recording material to be recorded on a depressed portion includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire color information specifying a first color and a second color, a calculation unit configured to calculate based on the color information a color combination of a color to be recorded on the protruded portion and a color to be recorded on the depressed portion, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire based on the color combination a recording amount combination of the first recording amount and the second recording amount, and a determination unit configured to select one combination according to a predetermined condition from the recording amount combination.

Security features that may hold multiple levels or classes of security features in one element. The security features may include a Level 1 feature in combination with a Level 4 feature. The Level 1 feature may be identified using human sense. The Level feature may comprise digital security. Unique codes may be provided for security verification of articles.

Examples are directed toward anticounterfeit markings printed on a substrate. A method includes determining with a microprocessor running computer executable code non-transitorily stored on tangible computer readable media that: a first microprinting appears on a front side of the substrate as front side markings of first portions of a plurality of characters having dimensions in a micrometer range when viewed from the front side with reflected light, a second microprinting appears on a back side of the substrate as back side markings of second portions of the plurality of characters having dimensions in the micrometer range when viewed from the back side with reflected light, and the first microprinting and the second microprinting in combination appear as microprinting of whole characters of the plurality of characters when viewed with transmitted light.

The present invention is directed to obtaining an object having an anisotropic reflection characteristic without using a lenticular lens. A print product including a print medium on which a repetitive structure of projected portions and recessed portions is formed out of image forming materials including a color material includes a first layer formed on surfaces of the projected portions out of a first color material among the image forming materials, and a second layer formed on the recessed portions out of a second color material different from the first color material, wherein the projected portions have a height to occlude part of the second layer when observed at an angle different from an angle formed by a normal to a surface of the print medium.

This disclosure relates to counterfeit detection and deterrence using advanced signal processing technology including steganographic embedding and digital watermarking. Digital watermark can be used on consumer products, labels, logos, hang tags, stickers and other objects to provide counterfeit detection mechanisms.

A method of making a multi-layered film includes depositing thin film layers onto a first side of a double-sided transparent substrate. The thin film layers are transparent, and two adjacent layers of said plurality of thin film layers have different refractive indices. One or more absorbers are deposited at an interface formed between two of the thin film layers that are adjacent to one another, or formed by the first side of the substrate and one of the thin film layers. The absorbers absorb selected wavelengths of incident light and reflect part of the incident light after inducing a phase shift. The location of the interface is selected to provide desired wavelengths of absorbed and reflected light. The multi-layered film has a first appearance when viewed from the first side of the substrate and a second appearance when viewed from the second side of the substrate.

This disclosure includes a system and method for producing a back-lit color laser image, and an identity document using this method and back lighting system. The body of the identity document may be transparent. In various implementations, the light back-lights the color laser image which may be formed of sub-pixels partly covered by non-reflective surfaces in the protective layer. The light may enter through tiny holes in decorative patterns on the reverse side of the document. Various implementations may find particular applications for identity cards, credit cards, passports, driving licences, secure entry badges, etc.

A micro-optical inspection arrangement comprises micro-focusing elements which are composite bodies consisting of a main part and an additional part and which have a reference focal length. The main parts are provided as micro-focusing element preforms, and the additional parts are formed from one or more functional coatings. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a micro-optical inspection arrangement and to a micro-optical displaying arrangement comprising the micro-optical inspection arrangement according to the invention and a microstructure arrangement, in particular a moir magnification arrangement and a modulo magnification arrangement. The invention also relates to security elements and data carriers that have the micro-optical inspection arrangement according to the invention.