The present invention provides an improved security document having a see-through security feature that protects a window of the security document in which personalization information may be displayed, such as an image of the authorized document holder. The see-through security feature is provided by front and back side images, such as text (e.g. micro-text or encoded indicia), graphics or other image type, that may be laser marked onto the document substrate from a front side thereof through the window to a back side of the window. At least a part of the front image and at least a part of the back image are in front-to-back registration in window, the registration of the images being subject to verification by suitable inspection of the window. The front and back images may be partial images of a composite image when joined together at a juncture with the front-to-back registration of the partial images located at the juncture so that the images together have an appearance of the composite image in the window. Alternatively, at least a part of the first and second images may be identical with the front-to-back registration of the images located at least one of the identical parts so that the first and second images have an appearance in the window of a single image at those identical parts of the front-to-back registration.

The present invention provides an improved security document having a see-through security feature that protects a window of the security document in which personalization information may be displayed, such as an image of the authorized document holder. The see-through security feature is provided by front and back side images, such as text (e.g. micro-text or encoded indicia), graphics or other image type, that may be laser marked onto the document substrate from a front side thereof through the window to a back side of the window. At least a part of the front image and at least a part of the back image are in front-to-back registration in window, the registration of the images being subject to verification by suitable inspection of the window. The front and back images may be partial images of a composite image when joined together at a juncture with the front-to-back registration of the partial images located at the juncture so that the images together have an appearance of the composite image in the window. Alternatively, at least a part of the first and second images may be identical with the front-to-back registration of the images located at least one of the identical parts so that the first and second images have an appearance in the window of a single image at those identical parts of the front-to-back registration.

A method of manufacturing a hybrid security structure for a security document, the method comprising the steps of: providing a document substrate; applying to the document substrate, by a first process, a first element comprising a first electrically conductive region of the hybrid security structure; applying to the document substrate, by a second process, a second element comprising a second electrically conductive region of the hybrid security structure, wherein the first process is different from the second process; and electrically coupling the first and second electrically conductive regions of the hybrid security structure for detection by a capacitance sensor.

A method of manufacturing a hybrid security structure for a security document, the method comprising the steps of: providing a document substrate; applying to the document substrate, by a first process, a first element comprising a first electrically conductive region of the hybrid security structure; applying to the document substrate, by a second process, a second element comprising a second electrically conductive region of the hybrid security structure, wherein the first process is different from the second process; and electrically coupling the first and second electrically conductive regions of the hybrid security structure for detection by a capacitance sensor.

The invention concerns a process for producing a film element having mutually registered metallic layers (11, 16) and a film element which can be produced by such a process. A first metallic layer (11) provided on a first surface of a flexible single-layer or multi-layer carrier film (10) and a masking layer (13) provided on the second surface of the carrier film (10), opposite to the first surface, are structured in accurate register relationship with each other by means of mutually synchronized structuring procedures. After structuring of the first metallic layer (11) and the masking layer (13) one or more further layers are applied to the first metallic layer (11). Applied to the one or more further layers (15) is a second metallic layer (16) to which a first photoactivatable layer (17) is applied. The first photoactivatable layer (17) is structured by means of trans-exposure through the masking layer (13), the first metallic layer, the one or more further layers and the second metallic layer (16) from the side of the masking layer (13) by means of electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength to which the first photoactivatable layer (17) is sensitive, or the first photoactivatable layer is exposed controlledly through the masking layer from the side of the film body that is opposite to the masking layer.

The invention concerns a process for producing a film element having mutually registered metallic layers (11, 16) and a film element which can be produced by such a process. A first metallic layer (11) provided on a first surface of a flexible single-layer or multi-layer carrier film (10) and a masking layer (13) provided on the second surface of the carrier film (10), opposite to the first surface, are structured in accurate register relationship with each other by means of mutually synchronized structuring procedures. After structuring of the first metallic layer (11) and the masking layer (13) one or more further layers are applied to the first metallic layer (11). Applied to the one or more further layers (15) is a second metallic layer (16) to which a first photoactivatable layer (17) is applied. The first photoactivatable layer (17) is structured by means of trans-exposure through the masking layer (13), the first metallic layer, the one or more further layers and the second metallic layer (16) from the side of the masking layer (13) by means of electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength to which the first photoactivatable layer (17) is sensitive, or the first photoactivatable layer is exposed controlledly through the masking layer from the side of the film body that is opposite to the masking layer.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a multilayer data medium having reflecting metallized inscriptions (23) visible from at least one outer surface (11). A basic pattern (24) is imprinted onto a transparent impression layer (21), the pattern being selected so as to be able to receive the inscriptions (23), to be transparent and to have a surface tension of more than 40 dynes/cm and a smooth surface condition with specular reflection of more than 50% measured according to the ISO 2813 standard at an angle of 60, and no glass-transition temperature in the rolling temperature range; then the inscriptions (23) are imprinted in contact with the basic pattern (24), and then hot rolling under pressure of a stack including the impression layer (21) is carried out.

Disclosed is a method for manufacturing a multilayer data medium having reflecting metallized inscriptions (23) visible from at least one outer surface (11). A basic pattern (24) is imprinted onto a transparent impression layer (21), the pattern being selected so as to be able to receive the inscriptions (23), to be transparent and to have a surface tension of more than 40 dynes/cm and a smooth surface condition with specular reflection of more than 50% measured according to the ISO 2813 standard at an angle of 60, and no glass-transition temperature in the rolling temperature range; then the inscriptions (23) are imprinted in contact with the basic pattern (24), and then hot rolling under pressure of a stack including the impression layer (21) is carried out.

The invention relates to a method for authenticating an optically variable security element (1), in particular a diffractive security element, with the steps: a) capturing an image sequence with at least one individual image of the security element (1) by means of a sensor (31), in particular a hand-held device (3), preferably a smartphone, tablet or a PDA; b) checking whether at least one predetermined item of optical information is present in at least one individual image of the image sequence.

A method for producing a multilayer body with the steps of a) applying a first varnish layer made of a water-based photoresist to a surface of a base body; b) exposing the first varnish layer in a first region, wherein the first varnish layer is not exposed in a second region; c) removing the first varnish layer in the second region.