A tactile security feature for a banknote and a method for its production using in-line on a web-based process are disclosed. The security feature comprises a printed indicia layer including a design element and a printed enhanced tactility layer, which has at least a first enhanced tactility area overlapping the design element, such that the design element appears to have tactility due to the overlap with the enhanced tactility area. Preferably the tactile layer contains tactile particles. In addition, a banknote produced by the above method, a banknote having a single-ink system, and a coating for banknotes including a tactile security feature are disclosed.

A tactile security feature for a banknote and a method for its production using in-line on a web-based process are disclosed. The security feature comprises a printed indicia layer including a design element and a printed enhanced tactility layer, which has at least a first enhanced tactility area overlapping the design element, such that the design element appears to have tactility due to the overlap with the enhanced tactility area. Preferably the tactile layer contains tactile particles. In addition, a banknote produced by the above method, a banknote having a single-ink system, and a coating for banknotes including a tactile security feature are disclosed.

A laminate includes: a first laminate member; a second laminate member; and a hidden print formed by printing invisible ink between the first laminate member and the second laminate member. The hidden print is configured to absorb electromagnetic radiation outside the visible range. When irradiated with electromagnetic radiation outside a visible range that has passed through at least one of the first laminate member and the second laminate member, the hidden print absorbs the electromagnetic radiation to thereby show a sign, and, when irradiated with visible light, the hidden print does not show the sign.

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.

In an alignment regulating layer, a plurality of regulation regions is defined in plan view perpendicular to the surface of the alignment regulating layer, and the plurality of regulation regions includes at least one first regulation region, at least one second regulation region, and a third regulation region fitted between the first regulation region and the second regulation region. The alignment regulating direction in the first regulation region is a first regulating direction, and the alignment regulating direction in the second regulation region is a second regulating direction that is different from the first regulating direction. In the third regulation region, the alignment regulating direction continuously changes from the first regulating direction to the second regulating direction from a portion contacting the first regulation region toward a portion contacting the second regulation region.

In an alignment regulating layer, a plurality of regulation regions is defined in plan view perpendicular to the surface of the alignment regulating layer, and the plurality of regulation regions includes at least one first regulation region, at least one second regulation region, and a third regulation region fitted between the first regulation region and the second regulation region. The alignment regulating direction in the first regulation region is a first regulating direction, and the alignment regulating direction in the second regulation region is a second regulating direction that is different from the first regulating direction. In the third regulation region, the alignment regulating direction continuously changes from the first regulating direction to the second regulating direction from a portion contacting the first regulation region toward a portion contacting the second regulation region.

The present invention is related to the filed of optically variable security elements comprising a region based on a single cured ink comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer, said region having at least two, preferably at least three, patterns exhibiting, at at least one viewing angle, a different CIE (1976) color index parameter and/or a different position of the selective reflection band for protecting security documents against counterfeiting and/or illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention relates to processes for manufacturing said features, when the processes comprises the steps of a) applying on a substrate by a rotogravure process with the use of a gravure cylinder having at least two, preferably at least three, different engravings a single cholesteric liquid crystal precursor composition, b) heating the applied composition to bring said composition to a cholesteric liquid crystal state, and c) curing the composition so as to form the region based on a single cured ink comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer.

The present invention is related to the filed of optically variable security elements comprising a region based on a single cured ink comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer, said region having at least two, preferably at least three, patterns exhibiting, at at least one viewing angle, a different CIE (1976) color index parameter and/or a different position of the selective reflection band for protecting security documents against counterfeiting and/or illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention relates to processes for manufacturing said features, when the processes comprises the steps of a) applying on a substrate by a rotogravure process with the use of a gravure cylinder having at least two, preferably at least three, different engravings a single cholesteric liquid crystal precursor composition, b) heating the applied composition to bring said composition to a cholesteric liquid crystal state, and c) curing the composition so as to form the region based on a single cured ink comprising a cholesteric liquid crystal polymer.

An anti-counterfeiting medium includes a recording medium, a polarizer layer arranged on a part of the recording medium. The polarizer layer is formed thereon with a low extinction-ratio area that forms an image portion where a polarizer exhibits an extinction ratio lower than in a portion other than the low extinction-ratio area of the polarizer layer. The recording medium is formed thereon with an image portion that is a part of the recording medium and has a nature different from that of a portion other than the part of the recording medium.

An anti-counterfeiting medium includes a recording medium, a polarizer layer arranged on a part of the recording medium. The polarizer layer is formed thereon with a low extinction-ratio area that forms an image portion where a polarizer exhibits an extinction ratio lower than in a portion other than the low extinction-ratio area of the polarizer layer. The recording medium is formed thereon with an image portion that is a part of the recording medium and has a nature different from that of a portion other than the part of the recording medium.