A color shifting security device has a Fabry-Perot type structure wherein a dielectric layer is disposed between a reflector and an absorbing layer. The absorber and reflector layers may be conforming and the dielectric layer therebetween is non-conforming, filling the regions in the micro structured adjacent absorbing or reflecting layer, at least one of which has a microstructure therein or thereon. By having the dielectric layer not conform to the microstructure it is next to, its thickness varies in cross section, which allows for different colors to be seen where the thickness varies.

A pigment flake may comprise a multilayer optical structure. The multilayer optical structure may have a first surface with a first modulation that corresponds to a relief of a diffraction grating. The multilayer optical structure may have a second surface having a second modulation, with the second surface being opposite from the first surface and the second modulation being smaller than the first modulation such that the second surface is comparatively flatter than the first surface. The multilayer optical structure may exhibit diffraction colors for a first range of angles of the multilayer optical structure with respect to an angle of incident light, and may exhibit an interference color for a second range of angles of the multilayer optical structure with respect to the angle of the incident light.