Abstract: A method is provided for surface-selective coating of a surface of an individual physical document, in particular a card-like document, with a liquid coating. The method includes: receiving or generating an actual image information by image sensors, which represents an actual image of the surface; and comparing the actual image information with reference image information, which represents a reference image of a reference surface corresponding to the surface, to determine, based on possible deviations between the actual image and the reference image, any deformation of the surface compared to the reference surface and to generate deformation information representing said deformation or alternatively the absence thereof. A coating device is then controlled based on coating information determined based on the deformation information and on geometry information that defines a target shape of a partial surface of the surface to be provided with the liquid coating.

Abstract: An image conversion method is provided for integrating a security feature in a digital source image to generate a target image secured by the integrated security feature. The image conversion method includes carrying out transverse-wave-shaped distortion of the source image to generate an intermediate image; generating a target image, the intermediate image being scanned by rows of pixels to define, per row of pixels of the intermediate image, a sequence of successive pixels according to the scanning, and each pixel of the sequence being transformed to a corresponding pixel of the target image. The arrangement of the respective pixels of each sequence is a transverse-wave-shaped wave packet in the target image; and the integrated security feature is defined by the wave packets.

Abstract: A method is provided for surface-selective coating of a surface of an individual physical document, in particular a card-like document, with a liquid coating. The method includes: receiving or generating an actual image information by image sensors, which represents an actual image of the surface; and comparing the actual image information with reference image information, which represents a reference image of a reference surface corresponding to the surface, to determine, based on possible deviations between the actual image and the reference image, any deformation of the surface compared to the reference surface and to generate deformation information representing said deformation or alternatively the absence thereof. A coating device is then controlled based on coating information determined based on the deformation information and on geometry information that defines a target shape of a partial surface of the surface to be provided with the liquid coating.

Abstract: The invention relates to an embossing apparatus for embossing cards, in particular plastic cards, comprising a feed unit for feeding a card into an embossing region, and an embossing device. The embossing device comprises a displaceable, actuatable embossing die which can be positioned above a position that is to be embossed in the embossing region; a plunger unit which has a displaceable plunger for moving forward the actuatable embossing die, and a striking mechanism for applying pressure to the plunger of the plunger unit in order to carry out an embossing on a card in the embossing region by means of the embossing die.

Abstract: The invention relates to an embossing apparatus for embossing cards, in particular plastic cards, comprising a feed unit for feeding a card into an embossing region, and an embossing device. The embossing device comprises a displaceable, actuatable embossing die which can be positioned above a position that is to be embossed in the embossing region; a plunger unit which has a displaceable plunger for moving forward the actuatable embossing die, and a striking mechanism for applying pressure to the plunger of the plunger unit in order to carry out an embossing on a card in the embossing region by means of the embossing die.