Abstract: The invention concerns a device for magnetically transferring indicia, such as a design or an image, to a wet coating layer applied on a substrate, such as a sheet or a web, wherein the said coating layer comprises at least one type of magnetic or magnetizable particles; said device comprising a) at least one magnetized permanent-magnetic plate (2) carrying relief, engravings or cut-outs, mounted such that its relief surface remains accessible, b) at least one additional magnet (3), disposed below said at least one permanent-magnetic plate, facing the surface of the magnetic plate which is opposite to the relief, engraving or cut-out, and c) a holder (1), which has the mechanical function to hold the pieces together in fixed positions. A method for producing the device, the use of the device, and magnetically induced designs obtained with the device, which are useful for protecting currency, value—and identity documents, are disclosed as well.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer marking is obtainable by a process that comprises applying a chiral liquid crystal precursor composition onto a substrate, heating the composition to a chiral liquid crystal state, applying to at least one area of the precursor composition a modifying composition, if necessary, heating the at least one area to bring same to a modified liquid crystal state, and subsequently curing and/or polymerizing the resultant product. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer marking is obtainable by a process that comprises applying a chiral liquid crystal precursor composition onto a substrate, heating the composition to a first chiral liquid crystal state, applying to at least one area of the precursor composition a chiral dopant composition, heating the at least one area to bring same to a second chiral liquid crystal state, and subsequently curing and/or polymerizing the resultant product. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer marking is obtainable by a process that comprises applying a chiral liquid crystal precursor composition onto a substrate, heating the composition to a bring same to a chiral liquid crystal state, locally applying at least one modifying agent to modify the chiral liquid crystal state, and curing and/or polymerization the resultant product. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A liquid crystal polymer marking is obtainable by a process that comprises applying a first chiral liquid crystal precursor composition onto a substrate, heating the composition to bring same to a first chiral liquid crystal state, applying to at least one area of the first composition a second chiral liquid crystal precursor composition, heating the at least one area to bring same to a second chiral liquid crystal state, and subsequently curing and/or polymerizing the resultant product. This abstract is neither intended to define the invention disclosed in this specification nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Abstract: A method for marking and authenticating a security article, such as a banknote, a document, a ticket, a foil, a thread, a label, a card, or a commercial good, so as to provide for an easy authentication of said article by a machine, such as a currency acceptor, a ticket validator, or a hand-held authentication device. The security article is marked with a user-defined design, wherein said marking comprises dyes or pigments belonging to an extended, or hyperchromic color space which is not reproducible by commercially available, 4-color desktop reproduction equipment. The marking is authenticated by mathematically transforming crude spectral information to statistically independent hyper-color coordinates, and comparing selected hyper-color coordinates with corresponding reference values.

Abstract: The invention discloses a method for marking and authenticating a security article, such as a banknote, a document, a ticket, a foil, a thread, a label, a card, or a commercial good, so as to provide for an easy authentication of said article by a machine, such as a currency acceptor, a ticket validator, or a hand-held authentication device. According to the disclosed method, the security article carries a marking in the form of a user-defined design, wherein said marking comprises dyes or pigments belonging to an extended, or hyperchromic color space which is not reproducible by commercially available, 4-color desktop reproduction equipment. The authentication of said marking includes the mathematical transformation of the crude spectral information to statistically independent hyper-color coordinates, and the comparison of selected hyper-color coordinates with corresponding reference values.

Abstract: An item according to the invention comprises at least two data storage elements such as e.g. an RFID transponder 2 and a barcode 5, wherein the latter is non-visible for the unaided human eye and comprises coded information. The invention allows for a backup of information between the two data storage elements, in order to prevent inadvertent or malicious data loss. Further aspects of the invention are related to the interdependent or the cooperative use of both storage elements in the framework of a product security tracking and tracing scheme.

Abstract: The invention provides novel cholesteric monolayers and pigments obtained therefrom with high brilliance and viewing angle-dependent color change (color-flop/tilt effect) with additional particular properties such as magnetizability, conductivity, fluorescence, phosphorescence and increased hiding power, a process for their production and their use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to printing inks for the intaglio printing process, also referred to as engraved steel die printing process. In particular, oxidatively curing inks comprising a combination of fusible wax and a UV curing binder component are disclosed. These inks can be printed on a standard printing press, and, through a short UV irradiation after printing, allow to significantly reduce or eliminate the undesired set-off which can occur after printing and stacking the printed sheets. Using the inks of the present invention results in less set-off contaminated printed sheets, allowing for a higher pile-stacking of the printed good, for the use of increased engraving depths, of a more challenging intaglio design, and for the printing on less porous substrates, whilst enabling the printing on a standard printing press, and offering the possibility of using a lower printing plate temperature.

Abstract: The invention discloses a multilayer of cholesteric liquid crystal polymer (CLCP), wherein at least two layers of CLCP differing in at least one optical property are arranged on top of each other, characterized in that said at least two layers are chemically inter-layer cross-linked through the polymer network, such as to form a mechanically unique solid body which can be comminuted to pigment without deterioration of its inner structure, and which has an abrupt change of cholesteric liquid crystal pitch at the interface between said at least two layers of cholesteric liquid crystal polymer. Corresponding pigments, coating compositions and there use in security and decorative printing and coating applications are disclosed as well.

Abstract: An oxidatively curing intaglio printing ink is disclosed, comprising an oxidatively curable polymer, an anionic macromolecular surfactant, a wax component, and a salt of vanadium, preferably of the vanadyl (VO2+) ion, as the oxypolymerisation inducing siccativating agent.

Abstract: Non-visible ink jet printing ink composition for marking a substrate, having at least one marking compound absorbing light outside the visible wavelength range of about 400-700 nm, and which contains a hydrocarbon compound, having two to six carbon atoms carrying two or three hydroxyl groups, as a non-particulate matting agent, so as to adapt the gloss of the ink-jet printed marking to the gloss of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a system for the local or remote authentication of an item, in particular a security document, with the help of a authenticating device, comprised in, connected to, or linked to mobile communication equipment. Said item carries a marking exhibiting a characteristic physical behavior in response to interrogating energy, such as electromagnetic radiation and/or electric or magnetic fields. Said marking may comprise physical and logical security elements, e.g. a barcode, or a characteristic particle or flake pattern, exhibiting a characteristic physical response.

Abstract: The invention discloses a device and a method for transferring a predeterminable, high-resolution magnetic design onto a document printed with a magnetic ink, in particular a magnetic optically variable ink. The device comprises a body of a composite permanent-magnetic material, having at least one flat or curved surface engraved with indicia corresponding to the design to be transferred, wherein the said magnetic material is permanently magnetized, preferably in a direction substantially perpendicular to the said surface. The method comprises imprinting or coating a first surface of a sheet or web with a magnetic ink or coating composition, and approaching the imprinted sheet or web to the engraved surface of a body of magnetized composite permanent-magnetic material while the ink is wet, followed by hardening the ink.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device for magnetically transferring indicia, such as a design or an image, to a wet coating layer applied on a substrate, such as a sheet or a web, wherein the said coating layer comprises at least one type of magnetic or magnetizable particles; said device comprising a) at least one magnetized permanent-magnetic plate (2) carrying relief, engravings or cut-outs, mounted such that its relief surface remains accessible, b) at least one additional magnet (3), disposed below said at least one permanent-magnetic plate, facing the surface of the magnetic plate which is opposite to the relief, engraving or cut-out, and c) a holder (1), which has the mechanical function to hold the pieces together in fixed positions. A method for producing the device, the use of the device, and magnetically induced designs obtained with the device, which are useful for protecting currency, value—and identity documents, are disclosed as well.

Abstract: A water-based screen printing ink composition which can be used for flexo or gravure printing includes an acrylic or urethane-acrylic copolymer emulsion, a crosslinker, a pigment selected from the group consisting of luminescent pigments, magnetic pigments, optical effect pigments, optically variable pigments, and a catalyst. The crosslinker has at least two different chemical functionalities within the same molecule, a first of which forms a covalent link with the polymer prior to printing and a second of which effects crosslinking of the polymer to cure the printed ink.

Abstract: The invention discloses a security element for a banknote, a document of value, right or identity, a ticket, a label, a branded good identifier, or a tax banderole. The element comprises a combination of a coating containing at least one optically variable pigment having a substantial viewing-angle dependent color variation, with at least one selective spectral absorbing material, which blocks out visible spectral components reflected by the optically variable pigment at orthogonal incidence. The security element appears black when viewed at orthogonal angle, and colored when viewed at grazing angle.

Abstract: Security document, such as a banknote, a value paper, an identification document, an access card, a security label or packaging, comprising an imprint-able substrate, chosen from the group of papers, cardboards, textiles and polymer sheets, as a first constituting part, and at least a second constituting part, chosen from the group of printing inks, security threads, windows, fibers, planchettes, foils, and decals, wherein a same security element is contained at least a first time in or on one of its constituting parts, and at least a second time in or on another of its constituting parts. Method for producing a security document, characterized in that a same security element is applied at least a first time in a first step to one constituting part of said document, and at least a second time in a second step to another constituting part of said document.

Abstract: The invention discloses a security element having a coating layer which appears transparent at certain angles of view, giving visual access to underlying information, whilst staying opaque at other angles of view. Documents of value, right, identity, security labels or branded goods comprising said security element, as well as a method for producing said security element, are also disclosed. Using appropriate substrate surfaces, optically variable and otherwise angle-dependent visual effects can be realized.