A microcapsule, method, and article of manufacture are disclosed. The microcapsule includes an outer shell, a molecular sensitizer, a molecular annihilator, and an inner shell separating the molecular sensitizer from the molecular annihilator. The method includes forming microcapsules, each microcapsule having an outer shell, a molecular sensitizer, a molecular annihilator, and an inner shell separating the molecular sensitizer from the molecular annihilator. The article of manufacture includes at least one of the microcapsules.

A security article may include a substrate. The security article may include a layer of security ink. The layer of security ink may include a set of color-shifting interference particles. The security article may include a layer of magnetic color-shifting ink. The layer of magnetic color-shifting ink may include a set of magnetically aligned magnetic particles. A color-shifting property of the layer of security ink and a color-shifting property of the layer of magnetic color-shifting ink may have a threshold level of similarity to create a color matching effect.

A security article may include a substrate. The security article may include a layer of security ink. The layer of security ink may include a set of color-shifting interference particles. The security article may include a layer of magnetic color-shifting ink. The layer of magnetic color-shifting ink may include a set of magnetically aligned magnetic particles. A color-shifting property of the layer of security ink and a color-shifting property of the layer of magnetic color-shifting ink may have a threshold level of similarity to create a color matching effect.

The present invention discloses an optical anti-counterfeiting component and an optical anti-counterfeiting product. The optical anti-counterfeiting component comprises: a substrate; a sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and an optical reflection facet formed on an upper surface of the substrate; and a multi-layer structured coating formed on the sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and the optical reflection facet. In the case where the same multi-layer structured coating is used, a contrasting optical characteristic is formed between the region in which the sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and the multi-layer structured coating lie and the region in which the optical reflection facet and the multi-layer structured coating lie, so that the optical anti-counterfeiting component or the optical anti-counterfeiting product that includes the optical anti-counterfeiting component can be identified easily and has high anti-counterfeiting capability.

The present invention discloses an optical anti-counterfeiting component and an optical anti-counterfeiting product. The optical anti-counterfeiting component comprises: a substrate; a sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and an optical reflection facet formed on an upper surface of the substrate; and a multi-layer structured coating formed on the sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and the optical reflection facet. In the case where the same multi-layer structured coating is used, a contrasting optical characteristic is formed between the region in which the sub-wavelength surface micro-structure and the multi-layer structured coating lie and the region in which the optical reflection facet and the multi-layer structured coating lie, so that the optical anti-counterfeiting component or the optical anti-counterfeiting product that includes the optical anti-counterfeiting component can be identified easily and has high anti-counterfeiting capability.

A deposition device may deposit, on a substrate, a binder layer that includes a first set of magnetic flakes and a second set of magnetic flakes and may cause, when a temperature of the binder layer satisfies a temperature threshold (e.g., a Curie temperature of the first set of magnetic flakes), a magnetic field to be applied to the binder layer to cause the first set of magnetic flakes and the second set of magnetic flakes to be oriented according to the magnetic field. The deposition device may cause, when the temperature of the binder layer ceases to satisfy the temperature threshold, another magnetic field to be applied to the binder layer to cause only the second set of magnetic flakes to be oriented according to the other magnetic field.

A deposition device may deposit, on a substrate, a binder layer that includes a first set of magnetic flakes and a second set of magnetic flakes and may cause, when a temperature of the binder layer satisfies a temperature threshold (e.g., a Curie temperature of the first set of magnetic flakes), a magnetic field to be applied to the binder layer to cause the first set of magnetic flakes and the second set of magnetic flakes to be oriented according to the magnetic field. The deposition device may cause, when the temperature of the binder layer ceases to satisfy the temperature threshold, another magnetic field to be applied to the binder layer to cause only the second set of magnetic flakes to be oriented according to the other magnetic field.

The present invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents, especially banknotes, against illegal actions such as robbery or theft. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of ink compositions for producing irreversibly magnetically induced images or patterns, said inks comprising multichromal microspheres, preferably bichromal microspheres (1) that are orientable upon application of a magnetic field and that comprise at least a first portion (2) comprising one or more dyes and/or pigments and at least a second portion (3) comprising one or more magnetic or magnetizable materials, wherein said microspheres (1) comprise as the first portion a core (2) having a surface and comprising the one or more dyes and/or pigments and as the second portion a partial coating (3) covering at least a portion of the surface of said core (2) and comprising the one or more magnetic or magnetizable materials.

The present invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents, especially banknotes, against illegal actions such as robbery or theft. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of ink compositions for producing irreversibly magnetically induced images or patterns, said inks comprising multichromal microspheres, preferably bichromal microspheres (1) that are orientable upon application of a magnetic field and that comprise at least a first portion (2) comprising one or more dyes and/or pigments and at least a second portion (3) comprising one or more magnetic or magnetizable materials, wherein said microspheres (1) comprise as the first portion a core (2) having a surface and comprising the one or more dyes and/or pigments and as the second portion a partial coating (3) covering at least a portion of the surface of said core (2) and comprising the one or more magnetic or magnetizable materials.

The invention relates to the field of the protection of security documents such as for example banknotes and identity documents against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the invention relates to optical effect layers (OEL) showing a viewing-angle dependent optical effect, devices and processes for producing said OEL and items carrying said OEL, as well as uses of said optical effect layers as an anti-counterfeit means on documents. The OEL comprises a plurality of non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable particles, which are dispersed in a coating composition comprising a binder material, wherein in at least a loop-shaped area of the OEL at least a part of the plurality of non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable particles are oriented such that their longest axis is substantially parallel to the plane of the OEL, and wherein, in a cross-section perpendicular to the OEL and extending from the center of the central area, the longest axis of the oriented particles present in the loop-shaped area forming the impression of the loop-shaped body follow a tangent of either a negatively curved or a positively curved part of a hypothetical ellipse or circle.