Abstract: The invention discloses an ink for the engraved steel die printing process, having a viscosity at 40° C. between 3 Pa·s to 15 Pa·s, preferably 5 to 10 Pa·s, and having a polymeric organic binder and magnetic pigment particle, characterized in that said magnetic pigment particles comprises a magnetic core material which is surrounded by at least one layer of another material. The surrounding layers, single or in combination, confer the pigment particle particular optical properties in the visible and/or in the near IR, chosen from high specular or diffuse reflectance, spectrally selective absorption or reflection, and angle-dependent absorption or reflection, and allow for the formulation of inks having a large gamut of color and other optical functionalities.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of heat sensitive optically variable inks and tamper indicating markings obtained thereof. The present invention relates to the field of irreversible changes in color and/or changes in structure upon a tampering attempt against articles or items comprising said tamper indicating markings through the use of temperature variation. In particular, the present invention provides optically variable ink compositions comprising a plurality of optically variable pigment particles and a plurality of thermally expandable spheres; tamper indicating marking comprising the optically variable ink compositions described herein; their uses as a proof of an illegal action as well as methods for detecting a tampering activity of a marking including the optically variable ink composition described herein.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to control systems for controlling and dynamically configuring a production line. The production line includes one or multiple peripheral devices respectively located throughout the production line. A controller, or control unit, may, in one embodiment, extract binary instructions included in a file received from a source external to the controller, and the controller operates each of the devices on the production line based on the binary instructions embedded in the file.

Abstract: Method and means of printing on a web. The method means comprise in a normal mode: feeding the web in a machine direction; printing on the web with a printer; and drying or curing the printing with a dryer or curer located downstream, with respect to the machine direction, of the printer; and in a pause mode: pausing printing on the web; feeding the web in the machine direction while printing on the web is paused by a distance such that a portion of the web located between the printer and the dryer or curer, the portion having printing thereon that has not yet been cured or dried, is fed through the dryer or curer to dry or cure the printing; and thereafter pausing feeding of the web in the machine direction.

Abstract: Disclosed is a marking for an article, item or substrate. The marking comprises a printable code, at least a part of which is covered by a chiral liquid crystal polymer (CLCP) layer, and further preferably including an intermediate layer including a distribution of flakes, to provide readable information of at least two different types on the article.

Abstract: A reader operable to read a mark on a substrate, the reader comprising a power source, operable to deliver a variable drive current or voltage, a light source operable to illuminate said mark with a sequence of illumination light pulses of different wavelength spectra, an intensity of said illumination light pulses varying according to the delivered drive current or voltage, a light sensor operable to measure an intensity of light received from said mark and to deliver a corresponding light intensity signal, and a control unit operable to control said power source and light sensor to control timings of said illumination light pulses according to a switching pattern and timings to acquire said light intensity signal for synchronizing acquisition of said light intensity signal with said sequence of illumination light pulses, said control unit being further operable to adjust a duty cycle of said switching pattern so as to maintain heat generation associated to each illumination light pulse below a given thresho

Abstract: The present invention relates to (i) a reactive ink for ink jet printing comprising a two-component system, the first component comprising a polymerizable monomer, and the second component comprising a polymerization catalyst, wherein the monomer is able to form a polymeric film at low temperature within thirty minutes, preferably within ten minutes, from contacting the catalyst, (ii) a process of making an image on a non-porous substrate using such a reactive ink, and an ink jet print head including a two component ink-system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of the protection of value documents and value commercial goods against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. In particular, the present invention relates to security threads or stripes comprising a holographic metallic layer; a first transparent substrate; a second transparent substrate; a first hardened coating and a second hardened coating, wherein a first plurality of non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles of the first hardened coating are oriented so as to follow a convex curvature and wherein the second plurality of non-spherical magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles of the second hardened coating are oriented so as to follow a concave curvature so as to form a plural rolling bar effect.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solvent-borne or UV-curable fugitive ink composition for application to a substrate that is to be provided with indicia. The ink composition comprises at least one halochromic compound and at least one filler compound and is capable of preventing indicia formed with a heat sensitive erasable ink on an area of the substrate carrying the fugitive ink composition and thereafter subjected to a thermal treatment from becoming invisible to an unaided eye.

Abstract: The invention relates to a reflective feature, e.g., reflective security feature or reflective decorative feature, comprising a first element at least partially coplanar with a second element. The first element causes incident light to be reflected with a first intensity that varies as the angle of incidence changes relative to a surface of the reflective feature. The invention also relates to a direct write printing process for forming such a reflective feature from an ink comprising metallic nanoparticles.

Abstract: A system for tracing a plurality of items considering an interface configured to receive an event data record including operation information indicating an operation, time information indicating a time when the operation occurred, and identification information identifying at least one item, a data store configured to store state information indicating one or more states for each one of the plurality of items, and a processing unit configured to receive via the interface one event data record.

Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds having an S atom or S(?O)2 moiety incorporated in their basic polycyclic structure that can have a nitrogen-containing heterocycloaliphatic group and/or a substituted or unsubstituted phenoxy group and/or a polymeric moiety bonded to the polycyclic structure and to compositions such as, e.g., printing inks which comprise these polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as colorants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of the protection of value documents and value commercial goods. In particular, uthe invention relates to methods of making an optical effect layer (OEL) associated with a substrate, the method comprising i) providing a substrate associated with a coating composition comprising magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles; ii) providing a permanent magnet assembly producing a first magnetic field; iii) providing an electromagnet assembly including a winding assembly and drive producing an oscillating or rotating second magnetic field that interacts with the first magnetic field to spin the permanent magnet assembly to rotate the first magnetic field; and iv) applying the first magnetic field whilst the first magnetic field rotates by spinning of the permanent magnet assembly to aggregately orient the magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles to create the optical effect layer. The invention also relates to apparatuses for creating an OEL.

Abstract: Ink-jet print head for an ink-jet printer including at least a substrate and a photopolymer barrier applied onto the substrate. The photopolymer barrier includes an adhesive first layer and a second layer made of a photopolymerizable material and applied above said first layer. The adhesive first layer is made of a canonically polymerizable material partially polymerized that, when contacted by a water-based ink containing acidic species, is able to further polymerize, thus improving the photopolymer barrier adhesion on the surface of the substrate with time.

Abstract: A method for identifying a one- or two-dimensional barcode in input image data, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining first image data of a first image of the object, said first image being acquired using a first illumination wavelength; obtaining second image data of a second image of the object, said second image being acquired using a second illumination wavelength being different from said first illumination wavelength; calculating a weighting factor based on a statistical processing of pixel values of the first image data and pixel values of the second image data; and generating third image data by calculating a weighted combination using the pixel values of said first image data, the pixel values of said second image data, and said weighting factor.

Abstract: Optically variable security threads or stripes to be incorporated into or onto security documents, relate to the field of the protection of value documents and value commercial goods against counterfeit and illegal reproduction. The security threads or stripes comprise a) an optically variable layer; b) a color constant layer having a color matching the color impression of the optically variable layer at a viewing angle; c) a holographic metallic layer; and d) and a transparent substrate, wherein the optically variable layer, the color constant layer and the holographic metallic layer are at least partially jointly visible from at least one side of the security thread or stripe.

Abstract: 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 producing optical effect layers (OELs) on a substrate and OELs obtained thereof, said process comprising two magnetic orientation steps: a step of exposing a coating composition comprising platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles to a dynamic magnetic field of a first magnetic-field-generating device so as to bi-axially orient at least a part of the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles and a step of exposing the coating composition to a static magnetic field of a second magnetic-field-generating device, thereby mono-axially reorienting at least a part of the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetisable pigment particles.

Abstract: Marking comprising on a surface: a first pattern for coding a first numerical information item on said surface, the first pattern comprising a specific arrangement of a plurality of symbols belonging to a set of symbols, each symbol in the arrangement being intended for the coding of a portion of said numerical information item, each symbol including at least one differential pair of elements positioned in a specific way, each element having a parameter, the parameter of the first element of each differential pair having a first value and the parameter of the second element of each differential pair having a second value different from the first value, a second pattern for coding a second numerical information item on said surface, wherein the first and second pattern are adapted to be read under corresponding distinct first and second reading conditions.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an ink jet printhead includes: providing a silicon substrate including active ejecting elements; providing a hydraulic structure layer; providing a silicon orifice plate having a plurality of nozzles for ejection of said ink; and assembling the silicon substrate with said hydraulic structure layer and said silicon orifice plate. Providing the silicon orifice plate comprises: providing a silicon wafer having a substantially planar extension delimited by a first and a second surfaces; performing a thinning step at the second surface so as to remove a central portion having a preset height; and forming in the silicon wafer a plurality of through holes, each defining a respective nozzle for ejection of the ink.

Abstract: Marking comprising on a surface: a first pattern for coding a first numerical information item on said surface, -a second pattern for coding a second numerical information item on said surface, wherein the first and second pattern are adapted to be read under corresponding distinct first and second reading conditions.