A security document has a carrier element which has a surface with a principal plane and a personalization region. A personalization layer is applied to the surface, such that the surface of the carrier element in the personalization region is configured with a plurality of structure elements uniformly aligned with each other and raised with respect to the principal plane. The structure elements of the plurality of structure elements are configured immediately adjacent to each other and the structure elements are configured with a center distance between vertical axes of the respective structure elements of less than 250 μm.

Aspects described herein may provide detection of a physical characteristic of a credential, thereby allowing for authentication of the credential. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by detecting the physical characteristic with the credential in two or more orientations. A first image of a credential in a first orientation and a second image of the credential in a second orientation may be received. An optical characteristic of a secure feature of the credential may be determined based on light reflected from the secure feature in both the first image and the second image. An expected optical characteristic of the secure feature may be determined based on known properties of the secure feature. A determination as to whether the credential is authentic may be based how a comparison of the determined optical characteristic of the secure feature to the expected optical characteristic of the secure feature.

Aspects described herein may provide detection of a physical characteristic of a credential, thereby allowing for authentication of the credential. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by detecting the physical characteristic with the credential in two or more orientations. A first image of a credential in a first orientation and a second image of the credential in a second orientation may be received. An optical characteristic of a secure feature of the credential may be determined based on light reflected from the secure feature in both the first image and the second image. An expected optical characteristic of the secure feature may be determined based on known properties of the secure feature. A determination as to whether the credential is authentic may be based how a comparison of the determined optical characteristic of the secure feature to the expected optical characteristic of the secure feature.

A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.

A thermal transfer print ribbon having radiation curable ink thereon is used to print on a surface of a plastic card. The use of radiation curable thermal transfer printing to print on the card surface increases the durability of the printing compared to regular (i.e. non-radiation cured) thermal transfer printing once the radiation curable ink is cured. As a result, a protective laminate or coating need not be applied to the card surface to protect the printing.

In order to increase the security of value or security documents 100, a multi-luminescent security element 400 is provided which contains at least one first luminescence means 510 and at least one second luminescence means 520. The first luminescence means 510 can be excited under first excitation conditions Sp-1 for the purpose of luminescence, and the second luminescence means 520 can be excited under second excitation conditions Sp-2 for the purpose of luminescence, said second excitation conditions Sp-2 differing from the first excitation conditions Sp-1. The multi-luminescent security element 400 is additionally equipped with at least one absorber means 600 which prevents an excitation of the at least one first luminescence means 510 under the second excitation conditions Sp-2 for the purpose of luminescence.

In order to increase the security of value or security documents 100, a multi-luminescent security element 400 is provided which contains at least one first luminescence means 510 and at least one second luminescence means 520. The first luminescence means 510 can be excited under first excitation conditions Sp-1 for the purpose of luminescence, and the second luminescence means 520 can be excited under second excitation conditions Sp-2 for the purpose of luminescence, said second excitation conditions Sp-2 differing from the first excitation conditions Sp-1. The multi-luminescent security element 400 is additionally equipped with at least one absorber means 600 which prevents an excitation of the at least one first luminescence means 510 under the second excitation conditions Sp-2 for the purpose of luminescence.

A security document may include a laserizable first layer including a grayscale image formed by laserizing; a color pattern that is in alignment with the grayscale image; and a second layer arranged between the first layer and the pattern, such that the first layer is above the second layer, and the pattern is below the second layer. The second layer may be more opaque than the first layer, such that when observing the security document from the top, the grayscale image appears to be colored by the color pattern only when the bottom of the security document is being illuminated.

A security document may include a laserizable first layer including a grayscale image formed by laserizing; a color pattern that is in alignment with the grayscale image; and a second layer arranged between the first layer and the pattern, such that the first layer is above the second layer, and the pattern is below the second layer. The second layer may be more opaque than the first layer, such that when observing the security document from the top, the grayscale image appears to be colored by the color pattern only when the bottom of the security document is being illuminated.

Techniques are described herein that mitigate warpage during laser marking on a plastic security document. A method of laser marking a feature onto a plastic card includes electronically dividing an image of the feature into a plurality of sections. The method includes laser marking a first one of the sections on the document and laser marking a second one of the sections on the document. The first section is not contiguous with the second section.