Abstract: A method is provided by the invention for printing surface applied images to a thermoplastic substrate to provide improved durability to the printed image. A thermoplastic substrate comprises in a predetermined area a pattern, preferably a cell pattern, of recessed image receiving surfaces below a nominal surface of the thermoplastic substrate and a pattern of bridges separating the recessed image receiving surfaces, the depths of the recessed image receiving surfaces and the areas of the bridges separating the recessed image receiving surfaces, relative to the areas of the recessed image receiving surfaces, chosen to provide durability to the image after the image has been printed onto the predetermined area. The image may be printed by ink jet printing. To additionally provide security features to the security instrument, latent and hidden images may be formed by latent image recesses and hidden image recesses, respectively, below the nominal surface.

Abstract: A method is provided by the invention for printing surface applied images to a thermoplastic substrate to provide improved durability to the printed image. A preforming plate (e.g. lamination plate) for making a thermoplastic substrate used by the method and a security instrument made by the method are also provided by the invention. A thermoplastic substrate comprises in a predetermined area a pattern, preferably a cell pattern, of recessed image receiving surfaces below a nominal surface of the thermoplastic substrate and a pattern of bridges separating the recessed image receiving surfaces, the depths of the recessed image receiving surfaces and the areas of the bridges separating the recessed image receiving surfaces, relative to the areas of the recessed image receiving surfaces, chosen to provide durability to the image after the image has been printed onto the predetermined area. The image may be printed by ink jet printing.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of printed security documents and, more particularly, to security documents and methods of making security documents bearing enhanced security features. The security documents may include identification documents or any other known documents of value. The security document includes a transparent window area with an ultraviolet blocking agent incorporated therein. Invisible ultraviolet fluorescent ink patterns are printed on respective opposite sides of the ultraviolet blocking agent within the region of the transparent window area. When either the face side or back side of the security document is illuminated with ultraviolet light, only the pattern printed proximate that side within the area of the transparent window becomes visible. When both face and back sides are simultaneously illuminated with ultraviolet light, the patterns printed on both sides of the ultraviolet blocking agent within the area of the transparent window become visible at the same time.

Abstract: A hard laminate sheet for security booklets and method of making the same. The laminate sheet comprises at least two hard core layers (e.g. of polycarbonate) and a flexible component (e.g. nylon) there between and extending beyond an outer edge of the core layers to form a flexible band. The flexible component may be provided as an intermediate layer also comprising a hard component (e.g. of polycarbonate) juxtaposed with the flexible component and laminated to the adjacent core layers. The flexible component comprises a plurality of apertures within which material of the adjacent core layers is laminated together and affixes the flexible component to the laminate sheet. Additional hard core layers may be laminated to the core layers which sandwich the intermediate layer. Optionally, the laminate sheet may be used for a travel document (such as a passport) and may be laser engraved.