CA2577522A1

CA2577522A1 - Optically variable security element

Info

Publication number: CA2577522A1
Application number: CA002577522A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Peter Franz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Giesecke and Devrient GmbH
Priority date: 2004-09-24
Filing date: 2005-09-14
Publication date: 2006-04-06
Also published as: CN101019153B; DE102004046695A1; WO2006034780A1; RU2396596C2; EP1810253A1; RU2007114641A; CN101019153A

Abstract

The invention relates to an optically variable security element (16) for protecting valuable objects. Said element comprises at least one piece of information and a transparent optically variable layer (30) that is applied to the information. According to the invention, the information is formed by series of layers comprising a coloured printed background layer (22) and a line gravure printed layer (24) that is applied to the printed background layer (22).

Description

Optically Variable Security Element The present invention relates to an optically variable security element for protecting valuable articles, exhibiting at least one piece of information and a light-transmitting, optically variable layer disposed over the piece of information.

For protection, valuable articles such as branded articles and value documents are often equipped with security elements that permit the authenticity of the valuable articles to be verified, and that simultaneously serve as protection against unauthorized reproduction. Valuable articles within the meaning of the present invention are especially banknotes, stocks, bonds, certificates, vouchers, checks and valuable admission tickets and other papers that are at risk of counterfeiting, such as passports and other identity documents, as well as product protection elements, such as labels, seals, packaging and the like. In the following, the term "valuable article"
encompasses all such articles, documents and product protection means.

To prevent reproduction even with top-quality copiers, the security elements frequently exhibit optically variable elements that, from differing viewing angles, convey to the observer a different image impression, such as a different color impression. For example, from publication EP 0 435 029 A2 is known a security element having a plastic-like layer comprising a liquid crystal polymer, which layer shows a marked play of changing colors at room temperature.

Publication WO 97/19818 shows and describes a data carrier having an optically variable element in which a piece of information is applied in a color that contrasts with the data carrier and is at least partially covered by a

-2-light-transmitting, optically variable layer. By laying the comparatively large optically variable pigments over high-resolution dark structures, also high-resolution pieces of information can be provided with an optically variable effect. However, users often say the security elements produced in this way are not very ornamental, since the background printing can be printed only with very dark printing inks, and the fine structure of the high-resolution structures always shows paperwhite.

Based on that, the object of the present invention is to specify a generic security element having high counterfeit security and high visual attractiveness.

This object is solved by the security element having the features of the main claim. A manufacturing method for the security element and a valuable article having such a security element are specified in the coordinated claims.
Developments of the present invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, the piece of information in an optically variable security element of the kind cited above is formed by a series of layers that exhibits a colored background layer and an intaglio printing layer printed over the background layer. In this way is created a visually appealing humanistic feature that, as explained in detail below, combines high flexibility of optical design with high counterfeit security.

The intaglio printing layer is preferably printed with a dark printing ink, especially with black, violet, brown, dark blue or dark green ink. Dark portrait colors can thus be employed advantageously.

-3-The printing plate required for the intaglio printing is preferably cut with a graver, but it can likewise be produced through laser, etching or photopolymer techniques. If reference is made to "cutting" in the following, the other techniques are, of course, to be understood as well.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer encompasses the surface area covered by the colored background layer. In this way, the preferably dark intaglio printing ink covers any register variations to the background layer, so that the impression of perfect register is created for the observer.

In a preferred embodiment, the intaglio printing layer includes at least one gap whose shape forms a piece of information. Alternatively or additionally, the intaglio printing layer can exhibit a fine structure of differently oriented, parallel lines, whose shape forms a piece of information.

The lines of the fine structure expediently exhibit a line width b of 50 m to 500 m, preferably of 100 m to 200 m auf, and are preferably disposed in a spacing a of between 0.8 * b and 1.6 * b. Here, line spacing a designates the spacing between same, for example left, edges of adjacent lines. If the line spacing a corresponds precisely to the line width b, then the parallel lines lie next to one another with no space.

The preferred range for the line spacing a thus varies from a 20% overlap of adjacent lines to line patterns having a space whose width is 60% of the line width. If the adjacent lines of the fine structure overlap in an area, then a very high and even surface coverage is achieved there, which can be desirable especially in a border area in which the underlying border of the background printing is to be hidden. The cutting depth of the lines is

-4-preferably between 5 m and 250 m, particularly preferably between 70 m and 120 m. The cited line parameters: line width, line spacing and cutting depth can be uniform for the entire intaglio printing layer. However, it is often appropriate to design different areas of the intaglio printing layer to have different line parameters, depending on the desired appearance.

To make the piece of information on the intaglio printing layer more easily perceptible for the observer, it can be surrounded by a positive or negative border contour. A positive border contour is a circumferential dark border line that is visible in the printing image, and a negative border contour is a corresponding circumferential gap.

The counterfeit security of the security element can be further increased by providing the intaglio printing layer with machine-readable feature substances, especially magnetic feature substances, infrared-absorbing or infrared-transparent feature substances, or phosphorescent, fluorescent or other luminescent substances.

The background layer can be a liquid crystal layer having a color shift effect, an interference layer, a metal layer or a printing layer.

The background layer is preferably a background printing layer that is imprinted in a uniform tone with a chromatic ink or a metallic ink, for example a gold or silver ink. Especially offset printing, indirect printing, screen printing or other printing methods known to the person skilled in the art may be used as the printing method.

-5-The background layer, too, can include machine-readable feature substances, especially infrared-transparent feature substances, or phosphorescent, fluorescent or other luminescent substances.

In an advantageous embodiment of the security element according to the present invention, the background printing layer includes at least one gap, whose shape forms a piece of information. Alternatively or additionally, the background printing layer can be imprinted in a pattern, the shape of the pattern forming a piece of information. The colored background layer can be executed in monochrome or in polychrome.

The piece of information on the intaglio printing layer and/or the background layer can constitute an image motif, a portrait, a logo or a code, such as a bar code or an alphanumeric character string.

In some embodiments, both the intaglio printing layer and the background layer include a piece of information. In this case, advantageously, the pieces of information in both layers are related to or complement one another. A
replication constitutes the simplest case of pieces of information that are related to one another. For example the denomination of a banknote can be introduced into both the background layer and the intaglio printing layer in a gap or a pattern. In the case of complementary pieces of information, the complete piece of information is yielded only by the combination of both sub-pieces of information. For example, complementary sub-groups of a serial number or complementary parts of a portrait can be introduced into the two layers.

The optically variable layer advantageously includes optically variable pigments, interference layer pigments or pigments produced on the basis of

-6-liquid crystal polymers. Preferably, it exhibits a color shift effect as the optically variable effect. The application of the optically variable layer to the security element expediently occurs through imprinting, for example in screen printing, through coating or spraying.

In a development of the present invention, the optically variable layer includes at least one gap, whose shape forms a further piece of information.
Here, advantageously, the further piece of information on the optically variable layer is related to or complements the piece of information on the intaglio printing layer and/or the background printing layer. For example, the color shift effect in the optically variable layer and the color impression of the background can be so color coordinated with one another that, from certain viewing directions, the optically variable layer exhibits the same color as the background printing. From these viewing directions, the further piece of information encoded in the gap is then not perceptible, while it stands out clearly from other viewing directions from which the color impression of the optically variable layer differs from the color impression of the background layer.

Advantageously, the surface area covered by the optically variable layer encompasses the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer. Here, in the surface area covered by the optically variable layer and not covered by the intaglio printing layer, the security element preferably exhibits a light coloration, such as paperwhite. The light-transmitting, optically variable layer is then almost invisible outside the intaglio printing layer over the light background, while its optically variable effect appears clearly over the dark intaglio printing layer.

-7-Through the combination of background printing layer and intaglio printing layer, also a very dark background can be achieved, which is advantageous for clearly emphasizing the color shift effect at least in sub-areas of the security element.
The present invention also includes a method for manufacturing a security element of the kind described above, in which - a colored background layer is applied to, preferably is imprinted on, a substrate, - an intaglio printing layer is printed over the background layer, the series of layers comprised of the background layer and the intaglio printing layer exhibiting a piece of information, and - a light-transmitting, optically variable layer is applied, especially is imprinted over the piece of information.

The present invention further includes a valuable article, such as a branded article, a value document or the like, having a security element of the kind described above. Here, particularly advantageously, the piece of information in the security element is related to or complements a piece of information applied to another location on the valuable article. For example, the piece of information in the security element can repeat the denomination imprinted in another location on a banknote, or a graphic motif, such as a portrait, imprinted on a value document. The valuable article can especially be a security paper, a value document or a product packaging.

-8-Overall, the described design options for the background layer, the intaglio printing layer and the optically variable layer offer high flexibility for the design of security elements according to the present invention. Moreover, in the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the optically variable layer is applied only as the last layer, so that a low rejection rate and thus economical manufacturing can be achieved. Since the optically variable layer does not have to be stamped, its color shift effect appears very clearly.
Further exemplary embodiments and advantages of the present invention are explained below by reference to the drawings, in which a depiction to scale and proportion was omitted in order to improve their clarity.

Shown are:

Fig. 1 a schematic diagram of a banknote having an optically variable security element according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 a cross section through the banknote in fig. 1 along the line II-II, Fig. 3 in (a) to (e), different variants for designing the background layer of security elements according to the present invention, Fig. 4 in (a), (c), (e), (f) and (g), different variants for designing the intaglio printing layer of security elements according to the present invention, and in (b) and (d), details of the designs in (a) and (c),

-9-Fig. 5 in (a) to (c), sections through the intaglio printing layer of security elements according to the present invention for different ratios of line width b and line spacing a, and Fig. 6 in (a) and (b), two more-complex exemplary embodiments of the present invention in exploded view.

The invention will now be explained in greater detail using a banknote as an example. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a banknote 10, which exhibits, in addition to the denomination 12 and a portrait depiction 14, an optically variable security element 16. The security element 16 includes a piece of information 18, in the exemplary embodiment a replication of the denomination 12 that is normally imprinted on the banknote multiple times.

The security element can also repeat other pieces of information, for example an image motif, such as the portrait 14, or constitute a logo or a code, such as a bar code or an alphanumeric character string. To increase the counterfeit security of the banknote, the piece of information 18 in the security element 16 is typically related to or complements a piece of information that is likewise present in another location on the banknote 10, so that a simple authenticity test is available to the user.

The structure of the security element 16 in fig. 1 will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the schematic sectional view in fig. 2, which shows a section through the banknote 10 along the line II-II.

First, a colored background layer 22 is imprinted with screen printing on the entire surface of the banknote paper 20. In the exemplary embodiment, the background layer 22 is imprinted with a uniform tone, for example red, blue

-10-or green. If desired, the background layer 22 can also be printed with a metallic effect ink and be, for example, bronze, silver, copper or gold colored.
Other printing methods known to the person skilled in the art may also be used for the application of the background layer 22, such as offset printing or indirect printing.

Over the background layer 22 is then imprinted with a dark ink, for example black, an intaglio printing layer 24. The intaglio printing layer 24 includes, in addition to a fine structure described below, a gap 26, whose shape forms the piece of information 18 in fig. 1, in the exemplary embodiment the numeral "1". As shown in fig. 2, through the intaglio printing, the security element exhibits in the non-gap areas 28 of the intaglio printing layer 24 a tactilely palpable relief structure having heavy inking.

Here, the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer 24 is somewhat larger than surface area covered by the background layer 22. In this way, the dark intaglio printing ink covers any register variations to the background printing, so that the impression of perfect register is created for the observer.

Over the series of layers comprised of the background layer 22 and the intaglio printing layer 24 is applied a light-transmitting, optically variable layer 30, for example a printing layer having cholesteric liquid crystal pigments. The liquid crystal layer 30 shows a color shift effect in which the color impression of the layer changes for the observer, for example from blue to green.

The surface area covered by the liquid crystal layer 30, in turn, is executed to be somewhat larger than the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer 24, so that the color shift effect of the liquid crystal layer 30 is almost

-11-invisible outside the dark intaglio printing layer 24 over the light banknote paper. In contrast, in the dark, non-gap areas 28 of the intaglio printing layer 24, the color shift effect stands out clearly. Within the gap 26, the color impression of the background layer 22 dominates. Overall, the security element can thus offer the observer an attractive visual impression through the choice of color of the background and the design of the intaglio printing, and in addition, exhibits a high security value through the tactilely palpable relief structure and the optically variable liquid crystal layer.

Fig. 3 shows, in (a) to (e), different variants of the design of the background layer 22. Here, fig. 3(a) first shows a full-surface background layer 22, as the security element 16 in figures 1 and 2 also exhibits. The background layer 22 in fig. 3(b) exhibits a gap 32 in the shape of a piece of information, here the numeral "1". It is understood that this piece of information on the background layer 22 can be combined with a piece of information on the intaglio printing layer 24.

In addition to simple gaps, the background layer 22 can also exhibit patterned areas 34, whose shape forms a piece of information, as shown in fig. 3(d). Fig. 3(e) shows a further variant, in which the background layer 22 exhibits both an information-bearing gap 32 and an information-bearing patterned area 34. The gap 32 and the patterned area 34 can also complement one another to form a complete piece of information, as illustrated, for example, by the split numeral "1" in fig. 3(c).

Variants for designing the intaglio printing layer 24 are depicted in fig. 4.
Fig.
4(a) shows a full-surface intaglio printing layer 24 having a fine structure comprised of a high-resolution line pattern 42, 44. The main surface of the intaglio printing layer 24 is provided with a first line pattern 42, in which the

-12-parallel lines enclose an angle of -45 with the horizontal reference direction.
In sub-areas 46, whose shape forms a piece of information, here the numeral "1" in each case, the parallel lines of the second line pattern 44 enclose an angle of +45 with the reference direction.

The information-bearing sub-areas 46 and the oval span of the intaglio printing layer 24 are each surrounded by a positive border contour 48, that is, a circumferential dark border line that is visible in the print image, which is depicted more precisely in the detail 50 shown in fig. 4(b). In the exemplary embodiment, the parallel lines of line pattern 42, 44 exhibit a line width b of 100 m and a line spacing a of 120 gm. Here, the line spacing a is defined as the spacing between same, for example upper, edges of adjacent lines. As explained below, line spacings a that are smaller than the line width may also be used, so that adjacent lines overlap. In the exemplary embodiment, the cutting depth of the lines is about 50 gm.

Fig. 4(c) shows a further variant of the intaglio printing layer 24, in which, unlike the embodiment in fig. 4(a), the information-bearing sub-areas 46 are provided with a negative border contour 52. As can be seen in the detailed cutout 54 in fig. 4(d), the negative border contour 52 is a gap that encircles the sub-areas 46 and that is visible in the print image. Both the positive border contour 48 in fig. 4(a) and the negative border contour 52 in fig. 4(c) result in the piece of information being easier for the observer to perceive.

The intaglio printing layer 24 in fig. 4(c) further exhibits an information-bearing gap 56, which corresponds to the gap 26 shown in fig. 2. There is an unobstructed view of the colored background layer 22 through the gap 56, for example according to one of the variant of fig. 3.

-13-Optionally, it is possible to provide further intaglio printing elements within the gap 56. These are preferably executed to be so flat that the intaglio printing ink is translucent. For example, within the gap 56, intaglio printing elements in the shape of the number "1"can be incorporated (not shown).

In the variant of fig. 4(e), the oval of the intaglio printing layer 24 is additionally surrounded by a circumferential border area 58, which is printed with high colored-surface coverage. For example, the line pattern 60 of the border area 58 can exhibit the angle orientation of the sub-areas 46 and be printed with a line width b of 100 m and a line spacing a of 90 gm.
Expediently, the background layer 22 and the intaglio printing layer 24 are so aligned with one another that the border of the background layer 22 is covered by the circumferential border area 58. Potential register variations between the background layer 22 and the intaglio printing layer 24 are then hidden for the observer by the border area.

The variant of fig. 4(f) is designed similarly to the variant of fig. 4(e), but the line pattern 60 of the circumferential border area 58 exhibits a different angle orientation than the line patterns 42 and 44 on the main surface or on the information-bearing sub-areas 46. By way of example, in the exemplary embodiment, the angle orientation of the lines in the border area 58 is 0 . As in fig. 4(a), the sub-areas 46 are provided with a positive border contour.
The further variant of fig. 4(g) differs from the variant shown in fig. 4(e) merely through the especially wide formation of the negative border contour 52, which places a special accent on the information-bearing sub-areas 46.

-14-It is understood that each of the variants of the intaglio printing layer 24 in fig. 4 can be combined with each of the variants of the background layer 22 in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows in (a) to (c) sections through the intaglio printing layer 24 for various ratios of line width b and line spacing a. Here, the intaglio printing layer does not have to be executed with a uniform ratio across the entire surface area, but rather, each of the embodiments in fig. 5(a) to (c) can be present in various sub-areas of the intaglio printing layer.

In the embodiment in fig. 5(a), the line spacing a is only slightly larger than the line width b, for example, the line width is 100 gm and the line spacing 110 m. In this way, the intaglio printing ink is applied across the entire surface, but with considerably varying thickness. The lines can thus be perceived as such by the eye with no problem, but the overall surface appears to be very dark. The color shift effect of the liquid crystal layer 30 stands out clearly in the area over such an intaglio printing layer.

In fig. 5(b) is shown an embodiment having a large line spacing a, for example having a line spacing of 160 gm, with a line width of 130 m. In the spaces 62 without printing ink, the background layer 22 or the banknote substrate 20 not depicted in fig. 5(b) is visible. The individual lines thus stand out even more clearly for the human eye, and the overall impression of the surface becomes lighter. In this way, the effect of the liquid crystal layer 30 is weakened compared with the embodiment in fig. 5(a).

Finally, fig. 5(c) shows an area of an intaglio printing layer 24 in which the individual lines overlap, that is, the line spacing a is smaller than the line width b. For example, with a line width b of 130 m, the line spacing a can be

-15-only 110 m. Here, the line width is determined for a non-overlapped line 64 (drawn in as a dotted line in fig. 5(c)). Through this overlapping, a very high and even surface coverage is achieved. Such an embodiment of the intaglio printing layer is particularly suitable for a circumferential border area, such as the border area 58 in fig. 4, in which the underlying border of the background layer 22 is to be hidden.

Fig. 6 shows in (a) and (b) two more-complex exemplary embodiments of the present invention, where the layers disposed on top of one another are illustrated in exploded view for clarity. The security element 70 in fig. 6(a) exhibits a full-surface colored background layer 72, over which an intaglio printing layer 74 is disposed. The intaglio printing layer 74 includes a fine structure comprised of parallel lines of differing angle orientation that form information-bearing sub-areas 76 in the shape of the numeric string "10". The sub-areas 76 are each surrounded by a negative border contour.

The intaglio printing layer 74 further includes an aperture 78 in the shape of a graphic motif, here a zebra head, in which the colored background layer 72 becomes visible. In addition, the background layer 72 also shows through in the spaces in the parallel lines of the intaglio printing layer 74.

The circumferential border area 80 of the intaglio printing layer 74 is printed with high surface coverage, so that the border of the background layer 72 that lies under the border area 80 cannot be perceived by the observer.

Over the background layer 72 and the intaglio printing layer 74 is applied a liquid crystal layer 82, whose color shift effect stands out especially in the non-gap dark area of the intaglio printing layer 74. In contrast, within the gap 78, the color impression of the background layer 72 dominates. Outside

-16-the intaglio printing layer 78, the liquid crystal layer 82 lies directly over the light banknote paper, so that the color shift effect of the liquid crystal pigments is practically not perceptible there.

Fig. 6(b) shows a further exemplary embodiment of a security element 90 according to the present invention, in which the colored background layer 92 is imprinted in the shape of a piece of information, here, in the shape of a zebra head. The intaglio printing layer 94 likewise includes in its fine structure a piece of information, namely the numeric string "10". Over both layers is again applied a full-surface liquid crystal layer 96.

Since the intaglio printing layer 94 exhibits no gap in this exemplary embodiment, the optical impression is darker than in the case of the intaglio printing layer 74 of the exemplary embodiment in fig. 6(a). However, the color and design of the zebra head 92 can be clearly perceived through the spaces between the parallel lines of the intaglio printing layer 94.

Claims

1. An optically variable security element for protecting valuable articles, exhibiting at least one piece of information and one light-transmitting, optically variable layer disposed over the piece of information, characterized in that the piece of information is formed by a series of layers having a colored background layer and an intaglio printing layer printed over the background layer.

2. The security element according to claim 1, characterized in that the background layer is a background printing layer.

3. The security element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer is printed with a dark printing ink, especially with a black, violet, brown, dark blue or dark green ink.

4. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer encompasses the surface area covered by the colored background layer.

5. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer includes at least one gap, whose shape forms a piece of information.

6. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer exhibits a fine structure comprised of differently oriented parallel lines, whose shape forms a piece of information.

7. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the lines of the fine structure exhibit a line width b of 50 µm to 500 µm, preferably of 100 µm to 200 µm.

8. The security element according to claim 7, characterized in that the lines of the fine structure exhibit a spacing of 0.8 * b to 1.6 * b, where b represents the line width of the lines.

9. The security element according to at least one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the lines of the fine structure exhibit a cutting depth of µm to 250 µm, preferably of 70 µm to 120 µm.

10. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the piece of information in the intaglio printing layer is surrounded by a positive or negative border contour.

11. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer exhibits a circumferential border area having high surface coverage by the printing ink.

12. The security element according to claim 11, characterized in that the circumferential border area of the intaglio printing layer covers the border of the background layer.

13. The security element according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the lines of the fine structure in the circumferential border area exhibit a spacing of 0.8 * b to 1.0 * b, where b represents the line width of the lines.

14. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer includes machine readable feature substances, especially magnetic feature substances, infrared-absorbing or infrared-transparent feature substances, or phosphorescent, fluorescent or other luminescent substances.

15. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 14, characterized in that the background printing layer is imprinted in a uniform tone.

16. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 15, characterized in that the background printing layer is imprinted with a metallic ink.

17. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that the background printing layer includes machine-readable feature substances, especially infrared-transparent feature substances, phosphorescent, fluorescent or other luminescent substances.

18. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 17, characterized in that the background printing layer includes at least one gap, whose shape forms a piece of information.

19. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 18, characterized in that the background printing layer is imprinted in a pattern and the shape of the pattern forms a piece of information.

20. The security element according to at least one of claims 2 to 19, characterized in that both the intaglio printing layer and the background printing layer include a piece of information.

21. The security element according to claim 20, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer and the background printing layer include information that is related to or complements one another.

22. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that the piece of information constitutes an image motif, a portrait, a logo or a code, such as a bar code or an alphanumeric character string.

23. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the optically variable layer includes optically variable pigments, interference layer pigments or pigments produced on the basis of liquid crystal polymers.

24. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 23, characterized in that the optically variable layer exhibits a color shift effect.

25. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 24, characterized in that the optically variable layer includes at least one gap, whose shape forms a further piece of information.

26. The security element according to claim 25, characterized in that the further piece of information on the optically variable layer is related to or complements the piece of information on the intaglio printing layer and/or the background layer.

27. The security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the surface area covered by the optically variable layer encompasses the surface area covered by the intaglio printing layer.

28. The security element according to claim 27, characterized in that the security element in the surface area covered by the optically variable layer and not covered by the intaglio printing layer exhibits a light coloration.

29. A method for manufacturing a security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 28, in which - a colored background layer is applied to, preferably is imprinted on, a substrate, - an intaglio printing layer is printed over the background layer, the series of layers comprised of the background layer and the intaglio printing layer exhibiting a piece of information, and - a light-transmitting, optically variable layer is applied, especially is imprinted over the piece of information.

30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer is printed with a dark printing ink, especially with a black, violet, brown, dark blue or dark green ink.

31. The method according to claim 29 or 30, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer is printed in a surface area that covers the colored background layer.

32. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 31, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer is imprinted with at least one gap, whose shape forms a piece of information.

33. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 32, characterized in that the intaglio printing layer is imprinted with a fine structure comprised of differently oriented parallel lines, whose shape forms a piece of information.

34. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 33, characterized in that the background layer is imprinted in a uniform tone.

35. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 34, characterized in that the background layer is imprinted with a metallic ink.

36. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 35, characterized in that the background layer is imprinted with at least one gap, whose shape forms a piece of information.

37. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 36, characterized in that the background layer is applied in a pattern, the shape of the pattern forming a piece of information.

38. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 37, characterized in that the background layer is imprinted by means of offset printing, indirect printing or screen printing.

39. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 38, characterized in that the optically variable layer is applied with at least one gap, whose shape forms a further piece of information.

40. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 39, characterized in that the optically variable layer is applied to a surface area that covers the intaglio printing layer.

41. The method according to at least one of claims 29 to 40, characterized in that the optically variable layer is imprinted by means of screen printing.

42. A valuable article, such as a branded article, value document or the like, having a security element according to at least one of claims 1 to 41.

43. The valuable article according to claim 42, characterized in that the piece of information in the security element is related to or complements a piece of information applied to another location on the valuable article.

44. The valuable article according to claim 42 or 43, characterized in that the valuable article is a security paper, a value document or a product packaging.