A banknote comprising a substrate and a plurality of print layers printed by the same print process type printed onto the substrate, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer. Also, a method of producing a plurality of banknotes including: providing a substrate, in the form of a web, to a print press including a plurality of print units of the same print process type, wherein the web will pass through each of the plurality of print units, and at least part of the web is printed in a print run; printing a print layer on to the substrate at each of the plurality of print units, wherein at least one of the print layers is an indicia layer and at least one of the print layers is a tactile layer.

A security element for securing security papers, value documents and other data carriers, includes a lens grid image with a lens grid of a plurality of micro lenses and a radiation-sensitive motif layer arranged at a distance from the lens grid. The radiation-sensitive motif layer includes, in one motif region, a multiplicity of transparency regions produced by the action of radiation. The radiation-sensitive motif layer has, at least in the motif region, a color partial layer and a contrast partial layer. The color partial layer includes chromophore effect pigments which appear to be colored against the background of the contrast partial layer and which appear to be transparent without a contrast layer.

A security element for securing security papers, value documents and other data carriers, includes a lens grid image with a lens grid of a plurality of micro lenses and a radiation-sensitive motif layer arranged at a distance from the lens grid. The radiation-sensitive motif layer includes, in one motif region, a multiplicity of transparency regions produced by the action of radiation. The radiation-sensitive motif layer has, at least in the motif region, a color partial layer and a contrast partial layer. The color partial layer includes chromophore effect pigments which appear to be colored against the background of the contrast partial layer and which appear to be transparent without a contrast layer.

A method is disclosed for authenticating a product. The method comprises: receiving a verification code associated with the product; applying an electric field to a liquid crystal device (100) located in or on the product, the liquid crystal device (100) comprising: a first substrate (105); a second substrate (110) spaced apart from the first substrate (105); a liquid crystal composition (115) located between the first substrate (105) and the second substrate (110); wherein the liquid crystal composition (115) comprises one or more regions (120) of polymerised liquid crystal composition; and a first electrode (125) and a second electrode (130) configured to apply the electric field; comparing a display output by the liquid crystal device (100) in response to the application of the electric field to the verification code associated with the product; wherein, if the display output by the liquid crystal device (100) matches the verification code associated with the product, the product is authenticated.

A method is disclosed for authenticating a product. The method comprises: receiving a verification code associated with the product; applying an electric field to a liquid crystal device (100) located in or on the product, the liquid crystal device (100) comprising: a first substrate (105); a second substrate (110) spaced apart from the first substrate (105); a liquid crystal composition (115) located between the first substrate (105) and the second substrate (110); wherein the liquid crystal composition (115) comprises one or more regions (120) of polymerised liquid crystal composition; and a first electrode (125) and a second electrode (130) configured to apply the electric field; comparing a display output by the liquid crystal device (100) in response to the application of the electric field to the verification code associated with the product; wherein, if the display output by the liquid crystal device (100) matches the verification code associated with the product, the product is authenticated.

Optical elements with anisotropic, patterned surface relief microstructures in which information is encoded in the distribution of the orientation of different zones. From the analysis of the distribution of the light scattered from the element, the orientation distribution in the element and therefore the encoded information can be evaluated. The elements are particularly useful for securing documents and articles against counterfeiting and falsification.

Optical elements with anisotropic, patterned surface relief microstructures in which information is encoded in the distribution of the orientation of different zones. From the analysis of the distribution of the light scattered from the element, the orientation distribution in the element and therefore the encoded information can be evaluated. The elements are particularly useful for securing documents and articles against counterfeiting and falsification.

The invention relates to an optical security system comprising an optical element with a patterned anisotropic optical property, wherein information is encoded and encrypted in the pattern of the optical element. The system further comprises a patterned polarizer in which the pattern is such that the information stored in the optical element can be decrypted.

The invention relates to an optical security system comprising an optical element with a patterned anisotropic optical property, wherein information is encoded and encrypted in the pattern of the optical element. The system further comprises a patterned polarizer in which the pattern is such that the information stored in the optical element can be decrypted.

A micro-optic device, including: a substrate; a plurality of image elements in an image plane; and a plurality of focusing elements, each focusing element focusing light to a focal point on the image plane and magnifying any portion of an image element falling within the focal point to thereby produce an image pixel projected to a user at one or more viewing angles, the focal point having an extent smaller than the image element, wherein each image element includes an image sub-element having a different discernible level of brightness to elsewhere in the image element, the brightness of each projected image pixel being dependent on the proportion of the focal point filled with the image sub-element, and wherein each image sub-element has one or more attributes in the image plane, such that, from a given viewing angle, the brightness of each projected image pixel is dependent on each attribute of each image sub-element.