Provided is a phase difference film formed of a resin containing a polymer having crystallizability, and having an NZ factor of less than 1. A production method of the phase different film includes: bonding a second film to one or both surfaces of a first film formed of a resin containing the polymer having crystallizability and having a glass transition temperature Tg ( C.) and a melting point Tm ( C.), to obtain a third film, the second film having a shrinkage percentage in at least one direction at (Tg +30) C. of 5% or more and 50% or less; heating the third film to Tg C. or higher and (Tg+3) C. or lower to obtain a fourth film; and heating the fourth film to (Tg+50) C. or higher and (Tm40) C. or lower.

Provided is a phase difference film formed of a resin containing a polymer having crystallizability, and having an NZ factor of less than 1. A production method of the phase different film includes: bonding a second film to one or both surfaces of a first film formed of a resin containing the polymer having crystallizability and having a glass transition temperature Tg ( C.) and a melting point Tm ( C.), to obtain a third film, the second film having a shrinkage percentage in at least one direction at (Tg +30) C. of 5% or more and 50% or less; heating the third film to Tg C. or higher and (Tg+3) C. or lower to obtain a fourth film; and heating the fourth film to (Tg+50) C. or higher and (Tm40) C. or lower.

A method of producing a security device (60) is disclosed. The method comprises inkjet printing a liquid crystal material onto a first region (61) of a substrate and ink jet printing the same liquid crystal material onto a second region (62) of the substrate. The volume of the liquid crystal material printed per unit area of the substrate in the first region of the substrate is different to the volume of the liquid crystal material printed per unit area of the substrate in the second region of the substrate such that the wavelength of the peak reflectance of the liquid crystal material on the first region is different to the wavelength of the peak reflectance of the liquid crystal material on the second region.

A method of producing a security device (60) is disclosed. The method comprises inkjet printing a liquid crystal material onto a first region (61) of a substrate and ink jet printing the same liquid crystal material onto a second region (62) of the substrate. The volume of the liquid crystal material printed per unit area of the substrate in the first region of the substrate is different to the volume of the liquid crystal material printed per unit area of the substrate in the second region of the substrate such that the wavelength of the peak reflectance of the liquid crystal material on the first region is different to the wavelength of the peak reflectance of the liquid crystal material on the second region.

The invention relates to a security element (1), a security document (2) with at least one security element (1), a transfer foil (3) with at least one security element (1) as well as a method for producing a security element (1), wherein the security element has at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect. It is here provided that the at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect has liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in an electric field, wherein the at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect has rod-shaped dye molecules (13), and the orientations of the longitudinal axes (14) of the rod-shaped dye molecules (13) are alterable depending on the orientations of the longitudinal axes (16) of the spatially adjacent liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field, and/or wherein the liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field are formed in such a way that the liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field simultaneously act as dye molecules.

The invention relates to a security element (1), a security document (2) with at least one security element (1), a transfer foil (3) with at least one security element (1) as well as a method for producing a security element (1), wherein the security element has at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect. It is here provided that the at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect has liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in an electric field, wherein the at least one layer (11) that is electrically alterable in its optical effect has rod-shaped dye molecules (13), and the orientations of the longitudinal axes (14) of the rod-shaped dye molecules (13) are alterable depending on the orientations of the longitudinal axes (16) of the spatially adjacent liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field, and/or wherein the liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field are formed in such a way that the liquid crystals (12) that can be oriented in the electric field simultaneously act as dye molecules.

A method of forming a polymer substrate for a security sheet includes: providing first and second overlapping polymer layers each providing outwardly facing surfaces, and a colour shifting element positioned between the first and second polymer layers adapted to provide a first optical effect to a viewer, wherein the first polymer layer includes a region substantially transparent to visible light such that the colour shifting element is viewable through the first polymer layer, and; joining together the first and second polymer layers in order to generate a polymer substrate wherein, during the joining step, a surface relief is formed in the outwardly facing surface of the first layer, the surface relief being adapted to interact with light from the colour shifting element in order to modify the first optical effect to provide a second optical effect different from the first optical effect.

The present invention refers to a safety device (1) for authorizing an operation, comprising: a supporting structure (2); a color-shift structure (5) coupled to the supporting structure (2) on a side or face of this latter; a first safety string (6) made in the supporting structure (2) and disposed on said side or face of the supporting structure (2) so that the first safety string (6) and color-shift structure (5) are overlapped on each other; a second safety string (7) made in the supporting structure (2) and disposed on said side or face of the supporting structure (2) so that the second safety string (7) and color-shift structure (5) are overlapped on each other.

The present invention refers also to a safety method and system for authorizing an operation exploiting such safety device.

A method and apparatus for in-line manufacture of a security document with a structured security element is provided in which a continuous web of document substrate is fed through a series of processing stations. The processing stations include a station for forming a structured security element in a radiation sensitive coating applied to the document substrate, and at least one station for applying at least one additional layer to the document substrate excluding the security element area. In a security document manufactured with the method or apparatus, the additional layer or layers have a combined thickness which is preferably substantially equal to the height of the structured security element or which differs from the height of the structured security element by a predetermined amount.

A method and apparatus for in-line manufacture of a security document with a structured security element is provided in which a continuous web of document substrate is fed through a series of processing stations. The processing stations include a station for forming a structured security element in a radiation sensitive coating applied to the document substrate, and at least one station for applying at least one additional layer to the document substrate excluding the security element area. In a security document manufactured with the method or apparatus, the additional layer or layers have a combined thickness which is preferably substantially equal to the height of the structured security element or which differs from the height of the structured security element by a predetermined amount.