A secure instrument and associated systems and methods of authentication, the secure instrument including a polymer substrate having a first surface and a second surface; an inner layer disposed on or over the first surface of the polymer substrate, the inner layer being a conductive, absorbing, or upconverting layer and including one or more gaps therein; and an opacity layer disposed on or over the inner layer disposed on or over the first surface of the polymer substrate.

A secure instrument and associated systems and methods of authentication, the secure instrument including a polymer substrate having a first surface and a second surface; an inner layer disposed on or over the first surface of the polymer substrate, the inner layer being a conductive, absorbing, or upconverting layer and including one or more gaps therein; and an opacity layer disposed on or over the inner layer disposed on or over the first surface of the polymer substrate.

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 present invention provides processes for optical effect layers (OEL) exhibiting two or more nested indicia using a magnetic assembly comprising i) a soft magnetic plate (x31) comprising a) one or more voids (V) and b) one or more indentations (I) and/or one or more protrusions (P), and ii) one or more dipole magnets (x32).

Methods and systems for a financial card with dynamic viewing angles are disclosed. A first portion of indicia and a second portion of indicia can be disposed on a first surface and/or a second surface of a financial card. The first portion of the indicia can be viewable only from at least a first viewing angle. The second portion of the indicia can be viewable only from at least a second viewing angle, the second viewing angle being different from the first viewing angle.

Methods and systems for a financial card with dynamic viewing angles are disclosed. A first portion of indicia and a second portion of indicia can be disposed on a first surface and/or a second surface of a financial card. The first portion of the indicia can be viewable only from at least a first viewing angle. The second portion of the indicia can be viewable only from at least a second viewing angle, the second viewing angle being different from the first viewing angle.

A paper forming mold, comprising a roller (1). A number of through micropores are formed on a wall of the roller (1), and one or more patterns and characters of a normal watermark, a white watermark, a windowed security thread, and a paper marker are carved on the wall of the roller (1). The paper forming mold has a high reproducibility for an original watermark design draft, improves consistency, clarity, three-dimensionality, detail refinement and richness of the watermark in paper, and thus enhances the anti-counterfeiting function of the watermarked paper; the service life of the paper forming mold is prolonged; and the automation level of paper forming mold manufacturing is improved, and the labor intensity is greatly reduced.

A semi-finished product method with a liquid crystal security feature includes unrolling and transporting a continuous film in a transporting direction and providing on the film a liquid crystal layer containing a substance whose absorption of polarized light depends on its orientation. The method includes at least one of (A) arranging a lacquer layer on the film and embossing it for a first alignment structure, and at least partly covering it with the liquid crystal layer, the first alignment structure able to cause liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer to align only in a first direction in first regions and only in a second direction, in second regions, and (B) embossing the liquid crystal layer while the liquid crystal layer is uncured providing a second alignment structure to cause liquid crystal molecules to align only in a third direction in third regions and only in a fourth direction, in fourth regions.

An optical product can reproduce a first 3D image of at least part of a first 3D object and a second 3D image of at least part of a second 3D object. The optical product comprises a surface configured, when illuminated, to reproduce by reflected or transmitted light, the first 3D image without reproducing the second 3D image at a first angle of view, and the second 3D image without reproducing the first 3D image at a second angle of view. Each portion of first portions can correspond to a point on a surface of the first 3D object, and comprise first non-holographic features configured to produce at least part of the first 3D image. Each portion of second portions can correspond to a point on a surface of the second 3D object, and comprise second non-holographic features configured to produce at least part of the second 3D image.

An optical product can reproduce a first 3D image of at least part of a first 3D object and a second 3D image of at least part of a second 3D object. The optical product comprises a surface configured, when illuminated, to reproduce by reflected or transmitted light, the first 3D image without reproducing the second 3D image at a first angle of view, and the second 3D image without reproducing the first 3D image at a second angle of view. Each portion of first portions can correspond to a point on a surface of the first 3D object, and comprise first non-holographic features configured to produce at least part of the first 3D image. Each portion of second portions can correspond to a point on a surface of the second 3D object, and comprise second non-holographic features configured to produce at least part of the second 3D image.

A security element (1) for a security paper, value document or the like, having a carrier (8) which has an areal region (3) which is divided into a multiplicity of pixels (4) which respectively includes at least one optically active facet (5), whereby the majority of the pixels (4) respectively have several of the optically active facets (5) of identical orientation per pixel (4), and the facets (5) are so oriented that the areal region (3) is perceptible to a viewer as an area that protrudes and/or recedes relative to its actual spatial form.