Abstract: The invention relates to a security element for an article to be protected, having an upper face and a lower face, one or more imaging optical arrangements, which all image a respective associated object to a magnified scale only in front of the upper face, wherein the one optical arrangement or at least one of the optical arrangements comprises a plurality of reflective micro-imaging elements arranged two-dimensionally in a first pattern, and the associated object is in the form of a microstructure object having a plurality of microstructures, which are arranged in a microstructure pattern so matched to the first pattern that the microstructure object is imaged to a magnified scale in front of the upper face by means of the reflective micro-imaging elements.

Abstract: The invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents or the like, with a carrier having an upper side and a lower side and comprising several reflective first micro-imaging elements flatly arranged in a first pattern, and second micro-imaging elements flatly arranged in a second pattern, a first microstructure object which contains several first microstructures which are arranged in a first microstructure pattern so adapted to the first pattern that the first microstructure object is imaged in magnified form in front of the upper side by means of the first micro-imaging elements, and a second microstructure object which contains several second microstructures which are arranged in a second microstructure pattern so adapted to the second pattern that the second microstructure object is imaged in magnified form in front of the underside by means of the second micro-imaging elements.