A topcoat layer that has a defined surface structure on an outer surface thereof once the topcoat layer is laminated to a substrate. The surface structure of the topcoat layer provides a matte surface finish to the underlying substrate. Any attempt to alter the substrate or the topcoat layer will result in disruption or destruction of the surface structure of the topcoat layer making such tampering evident. Replication of the surface structure of the topcoat layer by a counterfeiter is also difficult without the appropriate equipment.

A transaction card includes at least one metal layer having one or more apertures therein. A light guide is disposed beneath the metal layer. The light guide has a light output and a light input. The light output is positioned to transmit light through at least the one or more apertures of the metal layer. At least one LED is positioned to transmit light into the light guide light input

A transaction card includes at least one metal layer having one or more apertures therein. A light guide is disposed beneath the metal layer. The light guide has a light output and a light input. The light output is positioned to transmit light through at least the one or more apertures of the metal layer. At least one LED is positioned to transmit light into the light guide light input

The invention relates to composite articles and laminated polymeric materials, for example, paper and plastic-based materials for tokens, and can be used in the manufacture of security articles. An article comprises a disc insert of laminated plastic and an outer metal. The insert includes stacked paper sheets impregnated with a polymer binder. Surface of each sheet is covered with a polymer layer and comprises visual and/or hidden security features. The ring and the disc insert are permanently joined together. At least one of the article components has an embossing. Dimensions of the article are in conformity with the relations: 0.8≤δ2/δ1<1; D1−D2≥8; 0.3≤S1/S2<0.9; D2>16 mm; Δ≤1, where D1 is outer diameter of the metal ring, excluding edge surface, mm; D2—diameter of the disc insert, mm; S1—area of the metal ring, excluding edge surface, mm.sup.2, S2—area of the disc insert, mm.sup.2; δ1—maximum thickness of the metal ring, mm; δ2—maximum thickness of the disc insert, mm; Δ—difference between maximum and minimum protruding elements of the metal component of the article, mm. The article has an enhanced level of security and is simple both in the manufacture and in its authentication.

A security inlay having optically recognizable characters for an identity document comprises a first transparent layer and a second transparent layer. A color coating is situated on the first transparent layer. Furthermore, a first UV color coating, which reflects at least UV light at least in a first wavelength range, is situated on the first layer and/or on the color coating. The first and second transparent layers are connected to one another. A first portion of the optically recognizable characters is formed by blackened sections in at least one of the layers. A second portion of the optically recognizable characters is formed by the color coating. A third portion of the optically recognizable characters is formed by the UV color coating. The first and the second portions of the optically recognizable characters reflect visible light. The third portion of the optically recognizable characters reflects UV light.

A laminate includes a recording layer, a translucent front covering layer and a security foil laminated between the recording layer and the front covering layer and sealed in the laminate. The security foil has a thickness that is ⅕ or less the thickness of the recording layer to prevent or reduce falsification reusing the security foil. The security foil includes a relief layer having a relief surface and a protective layer covering the relief surface. In the thickness direction of the laminate, the protective layer adheres to the recording layer and the relief layer adheres to the front covering layer. The adhesion strength between the security foil and the recording layer is higher than the adhesion strength between the security foil and the front covering layer.

A laminate includes a recording layer, a translucent front covering layer and a security foil laminated between the recording layer and the front covering layer and sealed in the laminate. The security foil has a thickness that is ⅕ or less the thickness of the recording layer to prevent or reduce falsification reusing the security foil. The security foil includes a relief layer having a relief surface and a protective layer covering the relief surface. In the thickness direction of the laminate, the protective layer adheres to the recording layer and the relief layer adheres to the front covering layer. The adhesion strength between the security foil and the recording layer is higher than the adhesion strength between the security foil and the front covering layer.

A method is provided by the invention for making a security document comprising a thermoplastic substrate with a UV light cured printed image that is less likely to result in splitting of the ink of the UV light cured printed image during the lamination step of forming the thermoplastic substrate. The UV light cured image is applied to an interior thermoplastic layer surface of a stack of thermoplastic layers configured to form a thermoplastic substrate upon lamination of the stack and comprises numerous small sub-portions having small gaps between them sufficient to permit relative movement of individual sub-portions during lamination, the thermoplastic layer(s) from the ultraviolet light cured image to an exterior surface of the stack being sufficiently see-through that the image is visible upon viewing the security document. Alternatively, or additionally, the image is applied to an interior surface of an outermost thermoplastic layer of the stack adjacent an intermediate thermoplastic layer of the stack wherein the outermost thermoplastic layer has a higher melting point than the melting point of at least the adjacent intermediate thermoplastic layer.

A card manufacturing method includes feeding a reference sheet serving as a reference for alignment; feeding a first continuous sheet having a plurality of patterns repeatedly printed as one cycle thereon; producing a laminated sheet by laminating the first continuous sheet on the reference sheet; successively detecting a position of each one of the repeatedly printed patterns by detection means; adjusting such that the patterns are at predetermined positions with respect to the reference sheet by controlling a feeding speed of the first continuous sheet according to a detection result on the positions of the patterns; and producing a card by cutting the laminated sheet for each of the patterns, the patterns being printed so that plural patterns are repeatedly printed as one cycle, the adjustment being performed for each cycle made up of the plurality of patterns.

A security marking has a physically unclonable function (PUF) wherein the PUF includes a disordered multilayer photonic crystal structure having an electromagnetic transmission and/or reflection spectrum and/or spectra upon receipt of electromagnetic radiation within a photonic bandgap region of the structure that is unique to the structure.