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, system and apparatus for rendering a gloss effect on a recording medium, can involve rendering a foreground pattern using a first ink composition comprising infrared absorbing colors, wherein said first ink is lightened with lightening parameters by the addition of paper white holes and rendering a background pattern using a second ink composition comprising a process or spot color, wherein said second ink is darkened with darkening parameters by the addition of infrared absorbing colors that have different amounts of infrared absorbing colors than that of the first ink composition. The lightening parameters and the darkening parameters are adjustable to ensure that the first and second inks appear approximately the same at printed sizes. Anisotropic properties can be introduced to the first and second inks, causing non-uniformity in their reflection of light in different directions when viewed under a light source, thereby creating a gloss effect renderable on a recording medium. An infrared (IR) signal can be embedded within the gloss effect to enable detection of the gloss effect using an IR sensor or an IR device.

A platelet-shaped magnetic effect pigment for use in a printing ink, includes a layer construction with a magnetic layer and at least one optical functional layer. The magnetic layer is based on elongate nanomagnets that do not touch one another and have a substantially uniform preferred magnetic direction arranged perpendicular to the platelet plane of the effect pigment.

Printing with a single colorant a security feature imperceptible to the naked eye. For a digital security image having a first region formed by a first pattern of binary pixels and a second region formed by a different second pattern of binary pixels, the first and second patterns are printed with the single colorant. A darker one of the first and second printed patterns is determined. The security image is printed with the single colorant, the region corresponding to the darker printed pattern printed at a reduced gray level such that the printed first and second regions appear substantially indistinguishable to the naked eye.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a surface relief microstructure, especially an optically variable image (an optically variable device) on a transparent or translucent substrate and a product obtainable using the method. A further aspect of the invention is the use for the prevention of counterfeit or reproduction of a document of value and a method of forming a coating showing an angle dependent color change.

A light control film is described that is formed with at least one security feature therein. The security feature is not visible when the film is viewed at an incorrect angle. The security feature only becomes visible when the film is viewed at the correct viewing angle or range of viewing angles. A plurality of security features can be formed in the film at substantially the same location(s), but at different angles, so that each security feature only becomes visible when the film is viewed at the correct respective viewing angle or range of viewing angles. The light control film can be integrated into any type of document where resistance to counterfeiting and fraudulent alteration are important, such as plastic identification or credit cards, or passports.

A security device is disclosed that has an image formed upon a substrate. The image has a first printed region and a second different printed region both printed with a same ink formulation of field alignable flakes. At least one of the printed regions has optically variable effects. One of the first and second printed regions at least partially surrounds the other. The second printed region is formed of thin parallel lines and the first printed region has substantially wider lines than are printed in the second printed region. The area density of the ink in a line in the first group of wider lines is greater than the area density of a line in the second group of narrower lines. A surprising effect of this image is that particles or flakes in the ink are field aligned so as to produce a visible kinematic dynamic effect visible in the first region and not visible in the second region when the image is tilted or rotated.

The present invention relates to a device for processing documents (document processing system), in particular security documents. The document processing system according to the invention comprises at least one document carrier device with a document receptacle configured to receive and transport a document to be processed, and a document processing device configured to process the document in a specific processing area, wherein the document carrier device is configured to move the document in two spatial directions.

An optical security component intended to be checked in reflection in a checking spectral band includes a layer that is reflective in the checking spectral band. The layer exhibits a structured zone that includes microstructures distributed spatially in a uniform manner over a whole of the structured zone so as to form an optical structure that is at least partially scattering in the checking spectral band. The microstructures have heights that are distributed according to a random function, modulated over the structured zone by a modulation function so as to form, after illumination of the optical security component at a given angle, an image identifiable by observation in reflection.

The disclosure provides a screen protector that not only protects screens but also includes at least one image that is visible based on activation of a display area of a screen and a privacy filter. The privacy filter can be part of the screen protector. In one example, a method of making a privacy screen protector for a screen, includes: (1) adding at least one image to a surface of a substrate and (2) adding a privacy filter to the substrate that includes a viewing angle, wherein visibility of the at least one image is based on the viewing angle of the privacy filter and on activation of a display area of a screen onto which the screen protector is installed.