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.

It is disclosed a security element comprising a substantially flat substrate including first and second areas, wherein the first area displays a first motif and generates a first color movement effect to be seen in the first motif while the substrate gets tilted over a first angular tilting range, the second area displays a second motif and generates a second color effect to be seen in the second motif and within a second angular tilting range, the first and second angular tilting ranges are different, and the first area comprises either a micro-mirror structure or a print of magnetically oriented pigments and the second area comprises the other one of the micro-mirror structure and the print of magnetically oriented pigments.

It is disclosed a security element comprising a substantially flat substrate including first and second areas, wherein the first area displays a first motif and generates a first color movement effect to be seen in the first motif while the substrate gets tilted over a first angular tilting range, the second area displays a second motif and generates a second color effect to be seen in the second motif and within a second angular tilting range, the first and second angular tilting ranges are different, and the first area comprises either a micro-mirror structure or a print of magnetically oriented pigments and the second area comprises the other one of the micro-mirror structure and the print of magnetically oriented pigments.

The present invention relates to the field of security documents and their protection against counterfeit and illegal reproduction and relates to the field of intaglio printing processes for the printing of said security documents. In particular, the present invention relates to radiation curable intaglio inks suitable for intaglio printing a pattern or image, wherein said intaglio printing comprises wiping off ink excess with a polymeric wiping cylinder and cleaning said cylinder with an alkaline aqueous wiping solution, The disclosed radiation curable intaglio inks comprise one or more radiation curable compounds, wherein at least one of said one or more radiation curable compounds is a fatty acid polyester (meth)acrylate oligomer; one or more photoinitiators; and a high molecular weight acid modified alkyd surfactant and/or an alkylarene sulfonic acid surfactant; one or more fillers or extenders.

The invention relates to a transfer film (1), in particular hot-stamping film, the use of a transfer film (1), a film, a security document (2), and a method for producing a transfer film (1). Here, it is provided that the transfer film (1) comprises a transfer layer (20) detachably arranged on a carrier layer (10). The transfer layer (20) further has at least one first color layer (30) and the at least one first color layer (30) comprises at least one binder and at least first pigments, the color appearance of which changes depending on the observation angle.

The invention relates to a transfer film (1), in particular hot-stamping film, the use of a transfer film (1), a film, a security document (2), and a method for producing a transfer film (1). Here, it is provided that the transfer film (1) comprises a transfer layer (20) detachably arranged on a carrier layer (10). The transfer layer (20) further has at least one first color layer (30) and the at least one first color layer (30) comprises at least one binder and at least first pigments, the color appearance of which changes depending on the observation angle.

A method is provided for freezing the orientation of orientable magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles by irradiation hardening the coating layer comprising the orientable magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles through the substrate carrying the coating layer. This method can be used in the protection of security documents, such as for example banknotes and identity documents, against counterfeit and illegal reproduction.

A method is provided for freezing the orientation of orientable magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles by irradiation hardening the coating layer comprising the orientable magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles through the substrate carrying the coating layer. This method can be used in the protection of security documents, such as for example banknotes and identity documents, against counterfeit and illegal reproduction.

The magnetic checking of value documents with highly coercive and/or lowly coercive magnetic regions, involves after the magnetization of all magnetic regions in a first direction, a second magnetization is effected, in which only the lowly coercive magnetic material is re-magnetized, but the highly coercive magnetic material remains aligned in the first magnetization direction. Magnetic signals are detected with an inductive magnetic detector, having several measuring tracks transverse to the transport direction of the value document. To evaluate the magnetic signals of the measuring tracks, the strongest two local minima and/or maxima of the respective magnetic signal are ascertained by a measuring track as a function of time. A minima comparison value and/or maxima comparison value of the respective measuring track is determined. The magnetic coding of the security element is checked on the basis of the minima comparison values and/or maxima comparison values of the measuring tracks.

The magnetic checking of value documents with highly coercive and/or lowly coercive magnetic regions, involves after the magnetization of all magnetic regions in a first direction, a second magnetization is effected, in which only the lowly coercive magnetic material is re-magnetized, but the highly coercive magnetic material remains aligned in the first magnetization direction. Magnetic signals are detected with an inductive magnetic detector, having several measuring tracks transverse to the transport direction of the value document. To evaluate the magnetic signals of the measuring tracks, the strongest two local minima and/or maxima of the respective magnetic signal are ascertained by a measuring track as a function of time. A minima comparison value and/or maxima comparison value of the respective measuring track is determined. The magnetic coding of the security element is checked on the basis of the minima comparison values and/or maxima comparison values of the measuring tracks.