Abstract: There is described the use of a transparent film comprising a non-fibrous substrate layer of regenerated cellulose in the manufacture of a security article exhibiting printed information, wherein said transparent film is the material on which printed information and optionally one or more other security feature(s) is disposed, and wherein said transparent film exhibits one or more, and preferably all, of the following properties: haze of no more than 10%, preferably no more than 5%, preferably no more than 4%, preferably no more than 2.5%; birefringence of from about 400 to about 800 nm; a surface energy of at least about 38 dynes, preferably at least about 40 dynes, preferably at least about 42 dynes, and preferably no more than from about 60 dynes; and a water vapour permeability in the range of from about 20 to about 40, preferably from about 25 to about 35, preferably from about 28 to about 32 g/m2/24 hours at 25° C.

Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing a security article, said method comprising the steps of: introducing into a printing device a discrete sheet of transparent film comprising a non-fibrous substrate layer of regenerated cellulose; disposing an opacification layer on at least a portion of at least one surface of said film by a first printing step; and disposing printed information on at least a portion of said opacification layer by a second printing step wherein said second printing step is an offset printing step.

Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing a security article, said method comprising the steps of: introducing into an offset printing device a transparent film comprising a non-fibrous substrate layer of regenerated cellulose; disposing an opacification layer on at least a portion of at least one surface of said film by a first offset printing step; and disposing printed information on at least a portion of said opacification layer by a second offset printing step.

Abstract: There is described a method of manufacturing a security article, said method comprising the steps of: introducing into an offset printing device a transparent film comprising a non-fibrous substrate layer of regenerated cellulose; and disposing printed information on at least a portion of said transparent film by an offset printing step, wherein said transparent film introduced into said offset printing device further comprises an ink-receptive layer on at least one surface of said substrate layer.

Abstract: There is described a sheet-fed stamping press (10*) comprising a foil application unit (2*) designed to allow transfer or lamination of foil material onto successive sheets (S), which foil material is fed to the foil application unit (2*) in the form of a foil carrier (FC) supplied by means of a foil feeding system (3). The foil application unit (2*) comprises a stamping cylinder (21) at least one circumferential stamping section (210) provided on a circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and comprising successive stamping segments (211 *; 211 **) distributed one after the other about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21), the stamping cylinder (21) also acting as sheet-transporting cylinder and comprising multiple sheet holding units (21a) distributed about the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21) and designed to hold successive sheets (S) against the circumference of the stamping cylinder (21).

Abstract: There is described a security element (EL) or document (BN), such as a banknote, comprising (i) a substrate (S) with first and second sides (I, II) and exhibiting at least one window region (W) made of a substantially transparent material, (ii) a micro-optical structure (OP) provided on the first side (I) of the substrate (S) and extending over at least a part of the window region (W), and (iii) a printed feature (P1-P3) printed on the second side (II) of the substrate (S) over at least a part of the window region (W), the printed feature (P1-P3) being provided in register with the micro-optical structure (OP) to produce an optically-variable effect (EF) upon looking at the printed feature (P1-P3) from the first side (I) of the substrate (S) through the micro-optical structure (OP) and the window region (W).

Abstract: There is described a method of creating a transparent polymer window (W) with a field of lenses (L) in a security paper substrate (1), the method comprising the steps of (i) providing a security paper substrate (1), (ii) forming an opening (10) into the security paper substrate (1), (iii) laminating a transparent film (5; 5*) onto a first side (I) of the security paper substrate (1) in such a way as to close the opening (10) at one end, and (iv) filling the opening (10) with transparent polymer material (2). In one embodiment, the transparent film (5) comprises a field of lenses (L) and is laminated onto the first side (I) of the security paper substrate (1) in such a way as to form lenses (L) on the first side (I) of the security paper substrate (1) in register with the opening (10).

Abstract: There is described a method of checking producibility of a composite security design of a security document, in particular of a composite banknote design, on a line of production equipment, the composite security design being the product of a combination of multiple sets of design features that are to be provided on a substrate as a result of a plurality of successive production operations carried out by means of the line of production equipment.

Abstract: There is described an inking apparatus of a printing press, in particular an offset or letterpress printing press, comprising at least one ink duct (11, 12) with an ink supply roller (13, 14), an ink roller train (30) comprising at least one inking roller (31) which receives ink from the at least one ink duct (11, 12), and at least one vibrator roller (15, 16) interposed between the ink supply roller (13, 4) and the inking roller (31), which vibrator roller (15, 16) is swung back and forth between the ink supply roller (13, 14) and the inking roller (31) and intermittently transfers ink from the ink supply roller (13, 14) to the inking roller (31). A circumference of the vibrator roller (15, 16) exhibits an ink-transfer 10 structure (15a, 16a) which reflects a desired inking profile of a printing plate to be inked by the inking apparatus and is designed to modulate a quantity of ink transferred by the vibrator roller (15, 16).

Abstract: There is described an inspection system (50) for in-line inspection of sheet or web material on an intaglio printing press, wherein the inspection system comprises an optical quality control apparatus for carrying out inspection of a printed area on a printed side of the sheet or web material, the optical quality control apparatus including a camera system (55) with one or more camera units each comprising at least one line-scan camera (56) for scanning and acquiring an image of the printed area while the sheet or web material is being transported in the intaglio printing press past the camera system (55).

Abstract: There is described a printing press (100) comprising a printing group (2) adapted to apply on a substrate at least one ink or varnish vehicle containing magnetic or magnetisable flakes and at least one magnetic orientation unit (10) located downstream of the printing group (2) along a path of the substrate, which magnetic orientation unit (10) includes at least one magnetic-field-inducing device (12) adapted to orient the magnetic or magnetisable flakes contained in the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate to induce an optically-variable effect in the ink or varnish vehicle. The printing press (100) further comprises a drying/curing unit (15) located along the path of the substrate and cooperating with the magnetic orientation unit (10), which drying/curing unit (15) is adapted to dry or cure the ink or varnish vehicle applied on the substrate following orientation of the magnetic or magnetisable flakes.

Abstract: There is described an intaglio printing plate coating apparatus comprising a vacuum chamber having an inner space adapted to receive at least one intaglio printing plate to be coated, a vacuum system coupled to the vacuum chamber adapted to create vacuum in the inner space of the vacuum chamber, and a physical vapour deposition (PVD) system adapted to perform deposition of wear-resistant coating material under vacuum onto an engraved surface of the intaglio printing plate, which physical vapour deposition system includes at least one coating material target comprising a source of the wear-resistant coating material to be deposited onto the engraved surface of the intaglio printing plate. The vacuum chamber is arranged so that the intaglio printing plate to be coated sits substantially vertically in the inner space of the vacuum chamber with its engraved surface facing the at least one coating material target.

Abstract: A method of authenticating security documents and a mobile device, especially a smartphone, programmed to carry out the method, based on an analysis of features which are produced by intaglio printing, which analysis involves a decomposition of sample images of a candidate document to be authenticated based on Wavelets, each sample image being digitally processed by performing a Wavelet transform of the sample image in order to derive a set of classification features. The method is based on an adaptive approach, which includes the following steps: —prior to carrying out the Wavelet transform, defining a categorization map containing local information about different intaglio line structures that are found on the security documents; —carrying out a Wavelet selection amongst a pool of Wavelet types based on the categorization map; and —performing the Wavelet transform of the sample image on the basis of the selected Wavelet.

Abstract: There is described a multicolor letterpress printing press, in particular a numbering press, comprising a printing group (50) with at least a first letterpress (e.g. numbering) cylinder (51) and a second letterpress cylinder (52) which are inked by an associated inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81 a, 81 b, 82, 82a, 82b). The inking system (60, 71, 72, 81, 81 a, 81 b, 82, 82a, 82b) comprises (i) a first inking device (81) supplying ink to a first chablon cylinder (71), (ii) at least a second inking device (82) supplying ink to a second chablon cylinder (72), and (iii) an ink-collecting cylinder (60) contacting the first and second chablon cylinders (71, 72) and the first and second letterpress cylinders (51, 52). The ink-collecting cylinder (60) collects a first ink pattern (A, D) from the first chablon cylinder (71) and a second ink pattern (B, C) from the second chablon cylinder (72).

Abstract: There is described a printed security feature (10) provided onto a printable substrate, which printed security feature includes a printed area (11) with at least a first printed section consisting of a multiplicity of geometric elements (GE, 15) printed with a given distribution over the printed area. The geometric elements are printed with at least first and second inks which exhibit the same or substantially the same optical appearance when illuminated with visible white light, such that the printed security feature produces a first graphical representation (A1) when illuminated with visible white light. At least the first ink is an ink which responds to non-visible light excitation by producing a characteristic optical response differentiating the first ink from the second ink.

Abstract: There is described a new coding approach for printed document authentication, one objective of which is to increase the difficulty of copying. In addition, this new coding approach provides better performance compared to other 2D coding technologies under certain constraints. The new coding technique requires less print space in comparison to other coding techniques. This is achieved by optimizing some of the features which are used in standard 2D-codes for stabilization and which are necessary for e.g. mobile applications. Furthermore, the code can be decomposed in elementary units, or “byte-units” which can be widely spread over a text document. Such “byte-units” can in particular be used for integration in text symbols. If a document protected with such a coding is copied, at least some of these symbols will be extensively degraded by the copying process. Therefore, copy detection is intrinsically achieved thanks to the new coding technique.

Abstract: There is described a sheet numbering process involving feeding of individual sheets (S) in succession, which individual sheets (S) each carry a plurality of imprints (P) that are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, and providing unique serial numbers to multiple ones of the plurality of imprints (P) carried by the individual sheets (S). The sheet numbering process comprises numbering of at least some of the individual sheets (S), wherein numbering of the individual sheets (S) is selectively commutable between a first numbering scheme (N1) and at least a second numbering scheme (N2; N2?; N*), different from the first numbering scheme (N1), without interruption of the numbering process. The first numbering scheme (N1) involves providing all imprints (P) of a first subset (S0) of individual sheets (S) with a unique serial number (SN1) of the first numbering scheme (N1).

Abstract: There is described a method for manufacturing intaglio printing plates for the production of security papers, wherein a laser beam (2) is used to engrave intaglio printing patterns (3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) directly into the surface of a laser-engravable, especially metallic, printing plate medium (1), wherein laser engraving of the printing plate medium (1) is carried out layer by layer in several individual engraving steps performed one after the other in register so that the intaglio printing patterns (3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3) are gradually engraved into the surface of the printing plate medium (1) up to desired engraving depths, the surface of the engraved printing plate medium (1) being cleaned from residues of the laser engraving process following and between each individual engraving step.

Abstract: There is described a numbering device (1) for carrying out numbering in sheet-fed or web-fed numbering presses, the numbering device (1) comprising a numbering unit (6) with rotatable numbering wheels (7) carrying alpha-numerical symbols thereon, which numbering wheels (7) are disposed next to each other and rotate about a common rotation axis (17), the numbering device (1) further comprising electro-mechanical actuation means for setting the position of the numbering wheels (7). The electro-mechanical actuation means are entirely located within the numbering device (1) and are mechanically autonomous, the electro-mechanical actuation means comprising a plurality of independent driving means (15, 18-23; 23*) for actuating a corresponding plurality of the numbering wheels.

Abstract: There is described a printed security feature (1) provided onto a printable substrate, which security feature includes a printed area (100) consisting of a multiplicity of adjacent rectilinear and/or curvilinear elements (110, 120) printed with a given spatial frequency. The rectilinear and/or curvilinear elements are printed with at least first and second inks which exhibit the same or substantially the same optical appearance when illuminated with visible white light, such that the security feature produces a first graphical representation when illuminated with visible white light, at least the first ink being an ink which responds to non-visible light excitation by producing a characteristic optical response differentiating the first ink from the second ink.