Abstract: The invention relates to an optically variable security element (20) for securing valuable articles, having an achromatically reflective micropattern in the form of a mosaic (22) including a plurality of achromatically reflective mosaic elements (26-1, 26-2) that are characterized by the parameters size, contour shape, relief shape, reflectivity and spatial orientation and that form a predefined motif in that different groups of mosaic elements (26-1, 26-2) having different characteristic parameters reflect incident light (28) in different spatial regions (30). The mosaic elements (26-1, 26-2) exhibit a lateral dimension below the resolution limit of the eye.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having a micro-optical moiré magnification arrangement having a first motif image that consists of a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of first micromotif elements (38) that produce a hidden piece of image information, and a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of microfocusing elements (34) for the moiré-magnified viewing of the first micromotif elements of the motif image, the first micromotif elements (38) being formed from nematic liquid crystal material and forming a phase-shifting layer for light from a specified wavelength range, and the magnified moiré image being perceptible substantially only upon viewing the security element through a polarizer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element (20) for security papers, value documents and the like, having a feature region (24) that selectively influences incident electromagnetic radiation (30). According to the present invention, it is provided that the feature region (24) includes metallic nanopatterns (28) in which volume or surface plasmons are excited and/or resonance effects are caused by the incident electromagnetic radiation (30).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing, for the depiction of a specified motif, a micro-optical depiction arrangement that exhibits a colored motif grid, composed of a plurality of micromotif elements, and a focusing element grid, composed of a plurality of microfocusing elements that reconstructs the specified motif when the micromotif elements are viewed.

Abstract: An anti-counterfeit printed matter forming an invisible image that can be visualized clearly and prevents a visible image from impeding visibility of a visualized invisible image. In the anti-counterfeit printed matter according to this invention, a plurality of object elements are arranged at a predetermined pitch in a matrix, each object element including a first and second object arranged along a first direction on both sides of a boundary at a center, opposing each other, and third and fourth objects arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on both sides of a boundary at the center, opposing each other. The first object and the second object, and the third object and the fourth object of each object element have a negative/positive relationship. The first object and/or the second object forms a first invisible image. The third object and/or the fourth object forms a second invisible image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element for protecting valuable articles, having a first and a second authenticating feature. The first authenticating feature comprises a first arrangement having a plurality of focusing elements present in a first grid, and a second arrangement having a plurality of microscopic structures present in a second grid. Here, the first and second arrangement are disposed in such a way that the microscopic structures of the second arrangement are seen magnified when viewed through the focusing elements of the first arrangement. The second authenticating feature is machine and/or visually verifiable and is not influenced by the first arrangement of the first authenticating feature.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for applying a colored or colorless micropattern to a support, in which a) a die form (40) is prepared whose surface exhibits an arrangement of elevations (42) and depressions (44) in the form of the desired micropattern, b) the depressions (44) in the die form are filled with a curable colored or colorless lacquer (26), c) the support (20, 30) is pretreated for a good anchoring of the colored or colorless lacquer (26), d) the surface of the die form (40) is brought into contact with the support (20, 30), e) the lacquer (26) that is in contact with the support (20, 30) in the depressions in the die form (40) is cured and, in the process, joined with the support (20, 30), and f) the surface of the die form (40) is removed from the support (20, 30) again such that the cured lacquer (26) that is joined with the support (20, 30) is pulled out of the depressions (44) in the die form (40).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having a micro-optical moiré magnification arrangement having a motif image (30) that consists of a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of micromotif elements (36, 38), and a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of microfocusing elements for the moiré-magnified viewing of the micromotif elements (36, 38) of the motif image, the motif image (30) including two or more sub-regions (32, 34) having micromotif elements (36, 38) that differ from each other in their contrast, and wherein the shape of the sub-regions (32, 34) forms, due to the contrast differences in the micromotif elements (36, 38), a perceptible macroscopic piece of image information in the form of characters, patterns or codes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a micropattern on a substrate (22), in which a substrate (22) is provided with a relief pattern (26, 28) that exhibits elevations (26) and depressions (28), and in which the elevations (26) and/or depressions (26) are arranged in the form of the desired micropattern, and with a printing tool, an imprint material (30; 34) is transferred to the relief pattern (26, 28), the viscosity of the imprint material (30; 34) being chosen such that the imprint material (30; 34) is selectively transferred either substantially only onto the elevations (26) or substantially only into the depressions (28) of the relief pattern.

Abstract: A highly refractive embossing lacquer for producing micro-optic arrangements which contains at least one binding agent which has at least one radiation-curing compound system having one or more organic compounds. The highly refractive embossing lacquer has at least a portion of the organic compounds of the radiation-curing compound system having molecules with at least one polarizable element, so that a polymeric material with a refractive index of greater than 1.5 is formed upon radiation curing. A security element which is produced with at least one micro-optic authenticity feature is also provided. The micro-optic authenticity features permit the production of security elements that are so thin that they can be easily incorporated into value documents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a security element (12) having a metalized microrelief pattern and a negative pattern in register therewith, in which P) a substrate (20) is provided with an embossing pattern having elevations (24) and depressions (26) that form first and second regions having different first and second height levels, wherein the desired microrelief pattern (28) is introduced into the first regions of the embossing pattern, and the second regions of the embossing pattern are developed in the form of the desired negative pattern, M) the embossing pattern with the first and second regions is contiguously metalized (30), and L) the metalized embossing pattern is impinged on with laser radiation, to selectively remove the metalization (30) in the second regions of the embossing pattern through the action of the laser radiation.

Abstract: A security element for securing valuable articles comprises an optically variable layer (18) that conveys different color impressions at different viewing angles, and a color-constant layer (17, 24). The optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) are stacked in a covering region (20), while at most one of the optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) is present outside (22) the covering region. The color impression of the stacked layers (18, 17, 24) in the covering region (20) and the color impression of the one layer (18) outside (22) the covering region are matched with each other when viewed at a predetermined viewing angle. Further, the color-constant layer comprises an ink layer (17) and a metal layer arranged below the ink layer (24).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a see-through security element (12), for security papers, value documents and the like, having at least one micropattern having a visual appearance that is viewing-angle dependent when looked through (26, 28). According to the present invention, the at least one micropattern is formed from an arrangement of a plurality of pattern elements (24) having a characteristic pattern spacing of 1 ?m or more, and the see-through security element (12) exhibits a total thickness of 50 ?m or less.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grating image (30) for depicting a motif (24) that moves upon tilting the grating image (30) about a tilt axis (20), having two or more grating fields (32, 34, 36) having a viewing-angle-dependent visual appearance, that each include an electromagnetic-radiation-influencing grating pattern composed of a plurality of grating lines, and exhibit a preferred direction that establishes a viewing angle from which the appropriate grating field (32, 34, 36) is visually distinguishable, wherein, according to the present invention, the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are formed from a plurality of sub-regions nested within each other (32-i, 34-i, 36-i), and each grating field (32, 34, 36) displays a motif (24) view (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) that is shifted substantially along the tilt axis (20), wherein the viewing angles for the visual distinguishability and the shifts of the motif views (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) of the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are coordinated with each other such that, upon til

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element (20) for security papers, value documents and the like, having a substrate (22) and an opaque metallization 24, 26) arranged on the substrate. According to the invention in the security element is provided, that the metallization (24, 26) comprises a first opaque metal layer (24) and a second opaque metal layer (26) arranged above the first metal layer (24), and that the two metal layers (24, 26) have substantially the same tone of color in the visible spectral region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grating image (12) for depicting at least one unscreened halftone image having multiple brightness levels, the grating image exhibiting multiple grating fields (22-1, 22-2, 22-3) that include in each case an electromagnetic-radiation-influencing grating pattern composed of a plurality of grating lines and that, when illuminated, produce in each case an areal region of the halftone image having the same brightness level.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a security element for security papers, value documents and the like, having a micro-optical moiré magnification arrangement having a first motif image that consists of a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of first micromotif elements (38) that produce a hidden piece of image information, and a planar periodic or at least locally periodic arrangement of a plurality of microfocusing elements (34) for the moiré-magnified viewing of the first micromotif elements of the motif image, the first micromotif elements (38) being formed from nematic liquid crystal material and forming a phase-shifting layer for light from a specified wavelength range, and the magnified moiré image being perceptible substantially only upon viewing the security element through a polarizer.

Abstract: A security element for securing valuable articles comprises an optically variable layer (18) that conveys different color impressions at different viewing angles, and a color-constant layer (17, 24). The optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) are stacked in a covering region (20), while at most one of the optically variable layer (18) and the color-constant layer (17, 24) is present outside (22) the covering region. The color impression of the stacked layers (18, 17, 24) in the covering region (20) and the color impression of the one layer (18) outside (22) the covering region are matched with each other when viewed at a predetermined viewing angle. Further, the color-constant layer comprises an ink layer (17) and a metal layer arranged below the ink layer (24).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a grating image (30) for depicting a motif (24) that moves upon tilting the grating image (30) about a tilt axis (20), having two or more grating fields (32, 34, 36) having a viewing-angle-dependent visual appearance, that each include an electromagnetic-radiation-influencing grating pattern composed of a plurality of grating lines, and exhibit a preferred direction that establishes a viewing angle from which the appropriate grating field (32, 34, 36) is visually distinguishable, wherein, according to the present invention, the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are formed from a plurality of sub-regions nested within each other (32-i, 34-i, 36-i), and each grating field (32, 34, 36) displays a motif (24) view (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) that is shifted substantially along the tilt axis (20), wherein the viewing angles for the visual distinguishability and the shifts of the motif views (24-A, 24-B, 24-C) of the grating fields (32, 34, 36) are coordinated with each other such that, upon til

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a micropattern on a substrate (22), in which a substrate (22) is provided with a relief pattern (26, 28) that exhibits elevations (26) and depressions (28), and in which the elevations (26) and/or depressions (26) are arranged in the form of the desired micropattern, and with a printing tool, an imprint material (30; 34) is transferred to the relief pattern (26, 28), the viscosity of the imprint material (30; 34) being chosen such that the imprint material (30; 34) is selectively transferred either substantially only onto the elevations (26) or substantially only into the depressions (28) of the relief pattern.