A data carrier with a cover layer, a base layer, and an information layer arrangement. The information layer arrangement includes at least a first information layer and a second information layer arranged after the first information layer along an extension direction. The first information layer and the second information layer have different optical properties, and the information layer arrangement has an unmodified region and at least one modified region, the at least one modified region having at least one recess extending at least partially into the first information layer along the extension direction. The at least one modified region is configured to reflect incident electromagnetic waves whereby a first reflection spectrum is generated, the unmodified region is configured to reflect said incident electromagnetic waves whereby a second reflection spectrum is generated, the first reflection spectrum being different from the second reflection spectrum.

Composite cards formed include a security layer comprising a hologram or diffraction grating formed at, or in, the center, or core layer, of the card. The hologram may be formed by embossing a designated area of the core layer with a diffraction pattern and depositing a thin layer of metal on the embossed layer. Additional layers may be selectively and symmetrically attached to the top and bottom surfaces of the core layer. A laser may be used to remove selected portions of the metal formed on the embossed layer, at selected stages of forming the card, to impart a selected pattern or information to the holographic region. The cards may be ‘lasered’ when the cards being processed are attached to, and part of, a large sheet of material, whereby the “lasering” of all the cards on the sheet can be done at the same time and relatively inexpensively.

Composite cards formed include a security layer comprising a hologram or diffraction grating formed at, or in, the center, or core layer, of the card. The hologram may be formed by embossing a designated area of the core layer with a diffraction pattern and depositing a thin layer of metal on the embossed layer. Additional layers may be selectively and symmetrically attached to the top and bottom surfaces of the core layer. A laser may be used to remove selected portions of the metal formed on the embossed layer, at selected stages of forming the card, to impart a selected pattern or information to the holographic region. The cards may be ‘lasered’ when the cards being processed are attached to, and part of, a large sheet of material, whereby the “lasering” of all the cards on the sheet can be done at the same time and relatively inexpensively.

A card positioning device (10) is described, for card treating devices comprising: a supporting element (1) of the card configured for receiving from external supplying means and for keeping a card to be handled; at least two handling means (3, 23) each rotatable connected to the supporting element (1) of the card, the handling means (3, 23) being controlled by a control unit and configured for handling the supporting element (1) to which they are connected in order to arrange the supported card with an inclination useful for its treatment; a card treating device comprising such positioning device is further described.

A card positioning device (10) is described, for card treating devices comprising: a supporting element (1) of the card configured for receiving from external supplying means and for keeping a card to be handled; at least two handling means (3, 23) each rotatable connected to the supporting element (1) of the card, the handling means (3, 23) being controlled by a control unit and configured for handling the supporting element (1) to which they are connected in order to arrange the supported card with an inclination useful for its treatment; a card treating device comprising such positioning device is further described.

A color image is disclosed. The color image comprises: a first layer including a holographic structure forming an arrangement of pixels each including sub-pixels of distinct colors; and color modulation means configured to select the color of the pixels by modifying the colorimetric contribution of the sub-pixels relative to each other in the pixels so as to reveal a customized color image. The color modulation means can comprise: regions of the holographic structure, called destroyed regions, which are locally destroyed by laser; masking means positioned facing the arrangement of pixels to locally mask all or part of the sub-pixels; or amplification means positioned facing the arrangement of pixels to locally amplify the lightness of all or part of the sub-pixels.

A color image is disclosed. The color image comprises: a first layer including a holographic structure forming an arrangement of pixels each including sub-pixels of distinct colors; and color modulation means configured to select the color of the pixels by modifying the colorimetric contribution of the sub-pixels relative to each other in the pixels so as to reveal a customized color image. The color modulation means can comprise: regions of the holographic structure, called destroyed regions, which are locally destroyed by laser; masking means positioned facing the arrangement of pixels to locally mask all or part of the sub-pixels; or amplification means positioned facing the arrangement of pixels to locally amplify the lightness of all or part of the sub-pixels.

A method for building a security image for a security structure of a security document from multiplexing color images, including selecting a marking method capable of producing sets of colors on the security document comprising different colors that can be displayed according to illumination/observation modes of the security structure, establishing a plurality of color sets that can be displayed by the security structure in a plurality of the different illumination/observation modes, distributing the color sets in a plurality of groups of color sets, establishing combinations of groups of color sets having at least one color set in common across the number of different illumination/observation modes, selecting a combination of a group of color sets based on the number of desired illumination/observation modes and the number of colors per color image, and determining the color images to multiplex by means of the combination of the group of color sets selected.

A secure multi-layered structure (14), for example, for a secure document, the secure multi-layered structure comprising a first layer (20) having a first aperture (25) opened in the first layer, a second layer (30) having a second aperture (35) opened in the second layer, and a third layer (40) having a third aperture (45) opened in the third layer, wherein each layer at least partially overlaps with the layer adjacent to it, at least a portion of the third layer being visible through the first aperture.

A laser engraving apparatus (100) is calibrated using a number of predetermined calibration images (12). The calibration images (12) are engraved on a predefined substrate surface (14, 15) of a substrate (16) by varying only a single laser parameter. Based on measured colour values of the engraved calibration images, a relationship between said colour values and a predefined laser parameter value, for example, a predefined laser power, is established. This relationship is then used to generate a map for mapping a grayscale value of an input image to a grayscale value of an output image, which is then engraved on the substrate (16) while varying the same laser parameter that was varied during the calibration.