WO2012062742A1

WO2012062742A1 - Security feature, method for its production and valuable and/or security document containing the security feature

Info

Publication number: WO2012062742A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/069631
Authority: WO
Inventors: Franziska Peinze; Henrik Ramuta
Original assignee: Bundesdruckerei Gmbh
Priority date: 2010-11-09
Filing date: 2011-11-08
Publication date: 2012-05-18
Also published as: EP2625041B1; DE102010043652A1; CN103502017B; CN103502017A; EP2625041A1; PL2625041T3

Abstract

In order to produce a security feature 8, which is non-adjustable and easily producible using printing technology, for a valuable and/or security document, a method for its production is specified. The method comprises the printing of a material to be printed 5 with a first primary pattern and the relief-type deformation of the material to be printed 5 during printing to form a second pattern. The security feature 8 accordingly comprises the material to be printed 5 and the first pattern which is applied on a surface of the material to be printed 5 using the printing method. The first pattern is changed by a relief-type deformation 3 of the material to be printed 5 during the printing operation, wherein a second pattern forms which overlays the first pattern.

Description

Security feature, method for its production and the security feature containing value and / or security document

Description:

The present invention relates to a security feature intended for a value and / or security document, to a method for the production thereof, and to a value and / or security document containing the security feature.

Security and / or security documents, such as identification documents, such as passports or identity cards, are used in a variety of ways. The security features used in the security and / or security documents may

serve exclusively to prove the authenticity (authenticity) of the documents independently of their kind or by their user. Such security elements are, for example, mottled fibers, guilloches, the special paper of banknotes and

like. Personalizing, including personalizing, security elements also contain in coded form or in plain text information about the type of document, the user of the document or an object to which the document is uniquely assigned. In the case of assignment to a person, these are personalizing security elements. Such information may be a user's facial image, personal information such as name, birthday, birthplace, signature, or a personal identifier such as a member number. Another security element that individualizes the document can be, for example, a serial number of the document.

The security and / or security documents are generally at least partially printed with information and / or patterns that substantiate the authenticity of the document.

For example, from DE 14 27 626 a method for producing guilloches, a fine, according to certain geometric laws entwined network line, known. Guilloche lines in the form of depressions in printing plates are produced in a gravure printing process for their production. Motifs on banknotes are typically formed by a steel engraving gravure printing process. More recently, digital printing methods have also been used, in particular to include individualizing information in the document. DE 10 2007 052 947 A1 describes a polymer layer composite comprising at least one polymer layer of a polycarbonate polymer based on bisphenol A and an inkjet printing layer likewise containing a polycarbonate polymer on this polymer layer. This polymer layer composite can be used to produce a security and / or

Value document can be used.

In the printing process used for the production of a printed image on value and / or security documents, the printing material is kept as flat as possible in order to ensure perfect transfer of the desired print image from the printing form or from the printing process

Printing cylinder or from the digital template to ensure the substrate.

For the security of a value and / or security document, security features have already been proposed which can be recognized either with the naked eye or only with the aid of certain aids, for example under illumination with UV light or when viewed with a magnifying glass or with a microscope , Some security features, especially of banknotes, are known only to issuing central banks, so that a counterfeiter does not even know of their existence. All these features are used to make the

Reproductions of the original document or their falsification to prevent or at least considerably more difficult. However, there is a continuing need for novel security features that are difficult to adjust in order to minimize the spread of knowledge about techniques needed for counterfeiting or falsification.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel security feature for a value and / or security document. This novel security feature should be very simple and therefore inexpensive to produce.

This object is achieved by the method for producing a security feature for a value and / or security document according to claim 1, by the security feature for a value and / or security document according to claim 10 and by the value and / or security document, the such a Contains security feature according to claim 12. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

As far as in the description of the invention and in the claims the term

"Security feature" is to be understood as a physical object that is either part of a value and / or security document and is therefore inextricably linked to the document, so that this physical

Is a part of the document. Or this means a physical object (security element) which is separate from a value and / or security document and which can be incorporated into such a document or incorporated into such a document. The security feature in this case may be a patch which is applied to a film which is subsequently integrated into a polymer layer composite used to produce a value and / or security document, or to the security document itself, for example a banknote.

Insofar as the term "relief-like" is used in the description of the invention and in the claims, it is to be understood as meaning a surface in the form of a relief The surface in the present case is that of the printing substrate and optionally the printing substrate in that the printing substrate or the printing substrate is a three-dimensional

Surface structure has: For example, the substrate or the printing substrate, starting from a base plane with flat arrangement of the printing substrate or the printing substrate, surveys and / or depressions. If the term "relief-like" refers to the printing substrate, a depression in the relief may additionally have openings which pass through the printing substrate, or a depression may consist entirely of such a continuous opening.

Insofar as the term "pattern" is used in the description of the invention and in the claims, it is to be understood as meaning a two-dimensional structure which can be seen with the naked eye or only with the aid of auxiliary means, for example a

Magnifying glass or a microscope, is noticeable. A pattern may be composed of picture elements which, however, typically can no longer be resolved with the naked eye, or else be formed by a change of already existing picture elements of another pattern, so that a superposition of the already existing first pattern results with the second pattern , The pattern may be of any abstract shape, such as lines such as guilloches, faces, any combination, or alternatively characters such as alphanumeric characters including special characters such as dots, commas, parentheses, and strokes, or the pattern may be an image represent

For example, the face image of the document holder or a representation of certain objects, such as coats of arms. A pattern may, in the sense understood here, also be an uncoloured or evenly colored surface without structures therein or a solid colored surface provided with color changes, for example a background print.

The method according to the invention serves to produce a novel security feature intended for a value and / or security document. The method comprises printing on a printing substrate with a printing layer in the form of a first primary pattern. In accordance with the invention, the printing material is deformed in relief during printing with the printing layer to form a second secondary pattern. This deformation preferably takes place only temporarily, namely exclusively during the printing process. Subsequently, the deformation of the printing material is preferably reversed, i. the printing material is converted back into the usual planar configuration. The relief-like deformation can be formed in any manner. The relief-like deformation creates a second secondary pattern in the print layer forming the first primary pattern. The second secondary pattern therefore overlays the first primary pattern.

The security feature according to the invention for a value and / or security document accordingly comprises a printing substrate and an at least one surface of the

A printing substrate applied first primary pattern, which is formed by a printing layer. The print layer is replaced by a during the

Printing process made relief-like deformation of the substrate changed so that the first primary pattern is superimposed by the relief-like deformation with the second secondary pattern. The second secondary pattern may already be visible to the naked eye in the first primary pattern. Optionally, the change of the print layer by the relief-like deformation of the

Printing material during the printing process but only with the aid of additional tools, such as a magnifying glass or a microscope recognizable. The security feature according to the invention is preferably with the

produced according to the invention.

In accordance with the invention, the security and / or security document comprises at least one security feature produced in this way.

In order to produce the second pattern overlying the first pattern, the relief-like deformation is formed in the form of the second pattern, and the printing layer in the form of the first pattern is printed on the thus deformed printing material.

For the formation of the second secondary pattern, the following is presumed without the following considerations having a limiting effect on the scope of the claimed invention: In a contact printing method such as the offset printing method or

Screen printing method, the contact pressure of the printing cylinder or the printing plate used for the screen printing varies depending on the local

Surface quality of the relief-like deformation of the printing substrate: In the area of flat regions of the surface and even more so in the area of elevations in the surface, the contact pressure is greater than in the area of depressions.

For example, the blanket of the printing cylinder is compressed more in offset printing in the area of the elevations than in the region of the flat regions and the

Wells and thus generated in the region of the flat regions and the surveys an increased contact pressure. As a result, the printing ink is applied in a different manner to the printing material as a function of the contact pressure acting locally on the surface of the printing material and optionally introduced into the printing material. For example, if the substrate is paper, it is likely that the ink penetrates more strongly into the paper material at locations with locally increased contact pressure than at locations with less elevated contact pressure or even reduced contact pressure. This results in varying

Color shades of the corresponding surface areas. Very likely, the color splitting and thus the ink application are dependent on the locally acting contact pressure and different at the respective Andrucksteilen on the substrate. Presumably, a similar effect is to be assumed for other substrates than paper. For example, assume that the ink is on the surface a plastic film, such as a polycarbonate film is pressed away at locations with increased contact pressure to adjacent locations with less contact pressure. This is also to be assumed, for example, in flexographic printing or screen printing, because in these cases a thicker printing layer is applied than in the off-set printing process.

In contrast, in the case of a contactless printing method, for example the inkjet printing method, which is a raster printing method, unlike the contact printing method, it does not naturally depend on a varying contact pressure. Rather, in this case, it can be assumed that the distance of the ink jet printing nozzles from the topography of the deformed printing material varies

Substrate surface and in particular the varying angle between the

Droplet web and a local surface element of the substrate, where the ink droplet impinges leads to different printed images. For example, an ink drop which impinges on the surface of the printing material in a conventional manner forms a round printing dot, while a printing drop which hits the surface at an angle of 90 °, as in the conventional manner, is one of the round shape deviating, for example elongated,

Forms pressure point shape. For putting in the process of the invention tend to run into each other. In conventional contactless

Printing methods, the pressure points are set side by side and remain separated from each other, at least if the substrate excessive diffusion of the

Printing ink in the printing material in the lateral direction not conveyed. The distance between the printing nozzle and the printing material surface also has a changing effect on the shape of the printing dot in the aforementioned manner.

If the print image of the first pattern is rasterized using a contact printing method, i. the printed image of the first pattern in this case in individual

Pressure points (printing elements) is resolved, the modification of the first pattern by the generated by the relief-like deformation of the printing second pattern as in the contactless method in a distortion of the individual pressure points, as in this case, a change in the shape of the pressure points of the first pattern is caused by the relief-like deformation of the printing material, for example, applies the impression cylinder in the off set printing method in this case at the individual pressure points at different angles to the substrate. In particular, also in this case, the pressure points are intertwined, which is not the case with a conventional printing method.

Of course, the above explanations also apply if the printed image, as in offset printing, is not produced in the form of printing dots but in the form of lines or areas.

The superposition of the first pattern with the second pattern may not be perceptible to the naked eye, so that an attempt to forgery or falsification fails because a forger overlooks this security feature. In any case, an adjustment by means of conventional printing methods is not possible because the shape of the printed images generated by these methods is designed differently than when using the method according to the invention, so that there is a novel and tamper-proof security feature. The security feature according to the invention can be regarded as a printable "watermark" because it may be in the form of an "impression" in the form of the second pattern in the first pattern

looming.

For example, a texture may be created within a color layer, such as within a face image of a person or other subject, a monochrome or multicolor background print, a halftone image, an iris print or a guilloche print. The structure of the second pattern may consist, for example, of lines, in particular guilloches, symbols, alphanumeric characters, coat of arms representations and the like, and merely as

Authentication feature or as individualizing, including

personalizing feature. For example, the second pattern may be in the form of a serial number or a value of the document.

The printing layer in the form of the first pattern is produced according to the invention in a conventional manner using any printing method. The printing method can be a contact printing method, in particular a high-pressure, gravure, planographic,

A through-printing method or a combination of these methods, or a non-contact printing method, for example, an ink-jet printing method. In case of

Contact printing methods particularly preferred are the screen printing method and the doctor blade method. Also applicable are the offset printing process, flexographic printing and the laser printing process. The printing process may be a rotation process.

According to the invention, either a printing ink or a printing ink or a varnish can be printed using these methods. The printing substrate used for the production of the security feature may be a film or paper, or it may contain a film and / or paper material. Of the

Substrate may be in sheet format or alternatively in roll form.

In principle, all materials which are customary in the field of value and / or security documents can be used as materials for the printing material. The polymer materials can, identically or differently, be based on a polymer material from the group comprising polycarbonate (PC), in particular bisphenol A polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU), polyethylene ( PE), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), poly-trans-isoprene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and copolymers of such polymers. Of the

Substrate may consist of or contain these polymers. Alternatively, the substrate can also consist of paper, cardboard or fabric or contain these materials. Alternatively, the substrate can also consist of or contain a mixture of the aforementioned materials or consist of a composite of individual ones of these materials. The substrate or parts of the substrate may be transparent or translucent or semitransparent or opaque. In an otherwise opaque document, at least one transparent or translucent or semitransparent window may also be present. The invention

Security feature can be formed in or on a document layer of a value and / or security document, which in the finished document an inner

Document situation or an external document situation.

Security and / or security documents may be: identity cards, passports, ID cards, access control cards, visas, tickets, driving licenses, motor vehicle papers, securities, credit cards, chip cards, banknotes and the like.

The second pattern overlying the first pattern is produced by the relief-like deformation of the printing material according to the invention during the printing process for the first pattern. This deformation is preferred by a relief-like

Surface structure of a flat (or in a suitable arrangement alternatively also arched) print substrate produced on the substrate during printing rests and is preferably fixed. In particular, the substrate can by

Recesses and / or elevations in the surface of the printing pad are deformed in relief. The printing substrate may be placed on a printing table during the printing process, for example.

The printing substrate is structured in this case relief-like and thus has depressions and / or elevations. The printing material is based on the relief structure of the surface of the printing substrate when printing in whole or in part. The relief structure is produced, for example, by an embossing process (embossing, embossing) or by an etching process, for example a chemical etching process. The

In particular, printing substrate may be made of metal, for example stainless steel, but possibly also of another material, for example of plastic.

The relief structure of the printing substrate can be changed outward, for example, in order to introduce individualizing information about the second pattern into the value and / or security document. Such individualizing information can be incorporated, for example, in the form of a barcode or in plain text and, for example, a passport number or other serial number, the name of the

Document holder, for example, the passport holder. In order for the

Individualization to obtain a variable relief structure of the printing substrate, for example, a segmented structure of the printing pad can be used, which is realized by raising individual segments in the pad, for example by beams or needles, or by the exchange of clichés in the pad. To the relief-like deformation of the printing material on the relief-like

Surface structure of the printing substrate to allow the substrate can be sucked in a preferred embodiment of the invention during printing in the wells. For this purpose, in the region of the recesses through openings in the

Pressure pad, such as holes, slots or other shaped openings are located, or the wells are made entirely of such through openings, so that the substrate can be sucked by means of a mediated via the openings negative pressure in the wells. If the wells are completely out of the through holes, the wells will be for formation the second pattern desired arrangement, ie they have a round,

square, rectangular or otherwise shaped cross-section, approximately in the form of a symbol. Optionally, a recess can also accommodate a plurality of openings. Thus, the substrate can be specifically sucked into the wells through these openings, such as holes or punched holes in the printing substrate.

In another alternative or to the aforementioned additionally applied preferred embodiment of the invention, the printing substrate may be porous,

in particular be microporous, be sucked and the substrate by means of a mediated by the porosity of the printing substrate negative pressure to the surface of the printing substrate and, for example, sucked into the wells. Due to the porosity of the printing substrate, a vacuum acting evenly over the surface of the substrate is exerted on the underside of the printing substrate. In the area of depressions in the surface of the printing substrate, the printing material can therefore be sucked into it. Incidentally, ensures the uniform intake of

Printing material on the porosity of the printing substrate for a flat fixation of the substrate during the printing process. If the printing substrate, as previously shown, in addition to the porosity through openings in the region of the wells or if the wells are additionally formed in the artwork in the form of through holes, also a negative pressure can be selectively generated in the region of the wells, so that the substrate in this Areas the shape of the wells safely assumes. Furthermore, it is preferred if the printing material is heated during the printing process in order to increase its deformability. For example, a printing substrate made of polycarbonate can invest better when heated to the relief structure of the substrate to take over the relief structure. For this purpose, the pad can be heated. If, in addition to the depressions, elevations are also present in the surface of the printing substrate in the abovementioned cases, the printing substrate will not only assume the form of the depressions when being fixed to the printing substrate, for example, be sucked into it, but will automatically also be attached to the corresponding relief structure Customize printing substrate and also in this respect a corresponding relief-like

Experience deformation in the form of elevations. The elevations may be, for example, needles or beams projecting from the surface of the printing substrate. When applying a contact printing method for producing the first and second patterns, the printing material may be printed on the surface of the substrate during printing

Printing pad additionally be pressed. For example, in the case of the offset printing method and the screen printing method, the printing material is pressed onto the printing substrate via the printing cylinder or the printing form used in screen printing, so that it is additionally possible for the printing material to adhere to the surface of the printing substrate

Pressure pad intimately nestles.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the printing is carried out with a contactless printing method. Also in this case, the printing material can be deformed in relief by appropriate shaping of the surface of the printing substrate. For this purpose, the substrate can be sucked as previously explained by means of a negative pressure to the surface of the printing substrate. Naturally, the printing material in this case can not be additionally pressed from the printing side to the printing substrate.

In particular, the contactless printing method can be an ink-jet printing method, whereby all common ink-jet printing methods can be used, in particular the drop-on-demand method (DOD), in which individual ink drops are shot at the printing substrate, or the continuous ink jet method (CIJ), in which a continuous ink jet is sprayed onto the substrate.

In any case, with the respective printing method to form a printing layer, a first primary pattern is printed in a conventional manner, and by the relief-like deformation of the printing material in the form of the second secondary pattern, the printing layer is modified in the form of this first primary pattern, so that the second Pattern overlaid with the first pattern is generated.

As explained above, the respective methods differ

Modifications of the print images resulting in the overlay of the first pattern with the second pattern. While the second pattern is preferred for a flat printing appears by different shades of color in the print layer, the second pattern manifests itself in the case of a screening of the printed image and in particular in a pressure layer generated by a contactless printing process in a modification of the shape of the pressure points.

The present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures. These are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not intended to be limiting. In detail: FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an arrangement for producing the

inventive security feature;

Fig. 2 is a view of a printed image, in accordance with the invention with a

Ink jet printing process is increased, enlarged to illustrate the

Pressure points.

Like reference numerals are used in the figures to designate elements having the same function.

The schematic arrangement shown in FIG. 1 (in the upper part in cross-section and in the lower part in the plan view) serves to carry out the method according to the invention for producing a security feature 8:

A printing pad 1 is placed on a printing table 2. In the pressure pad are wells 3, which together form a reliefförmige surface structure of

Make print pad. In the area of the depressions are through the

Pressure pad through holes 4. About these holes can be a

Vacuum are applied to the wells. On the printing substrate 1 is a substrate 5, for example, a paper sheet, placed. This one is about the

Sub-pressure in the region of the recesses 3 drawn into this, so that there are also depressions on the surface of the paper sheet. With a

Screen printing process, a flat printing layer 6 is printed as a first primary pattern on the surface of the paper sheet. In the region of the depressions, regions 7 form as a second secondary pattern with a color shading of the print layer modified relative to the respective environment. This is in the lower part of the illustration played. The structure of the darker areas within the two-dimensional printing layer can be used as a security feature 8 according to the invention.

In Fig. 2, a view of a printed image is displayed enlarged, so that the individual pressure points are visible. This print image is obtained by the method according to the invention using a DOD ink jet printing process. The structures 10 shown in each case are printing dots obtained with one ink droplet each. Taken together, the ink droplets form a first primary pattern that can not be shown in its entirety because of the magnification to illustrate the pressure points. In the central region of the printing structure is a relief-like deformation of the printing material in the form of a recess 1 1, which is part of a second secondary pattern. The depression changes the shape of the pressure points located in their area. In the present case, more or less elongated structures of the pressure points 10 'are formed. These result in a changed visual impression, at least when viewed with a microscope

Authentication feature 8 is usable. When viewed with the naked eye, the color shading also changes in the considered area.

Claims

Method for producing a security feature (8) intended for a value and / or security document, comprising the printing of a security feature (8)

Substrate (5) with a printing layer (6) in the form of a first pattern, characterized in that the printing material (5) is deformed in relief during printing to form a second pattern.

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to claim 1, characterized in that the printing material (5) rests on a flat printing substrate (1) during printing and is deformed in relief by a relief-like surface structure (3) of the printing substrate (1).

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to one of the

preceding claims, characterized in that the printing material (5) by depressions (3) and / or elevations in the surface of the printing substrate (1) is deformed in relief.

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the printing substrate (1) is porous and the printing material (5) is sucked into the recesses (3) by means of a vacuum communicated via the porosity of the printing substrate (1).

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that in the region of the recesses (3) through openings (4) are in the printing substrate (1) and that the printing material (5) by means of a the openings (4) mediated negative pressure to the surface of the printing substrate (1) is sucked.

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the printing material (5) is pressed onto the surface of the printing substrate (1) during printing.

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to one of the

preceding claims, characterized in that the printing material (5) is heated during printing.

Method for producing the security feature (8) according to one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the printing is carried out with a contactless printing method.

9. A method for producing the security feature (8) according to claim 7, characterized in that the printing is carried out with an ink-jet printing method.

10. A method for producing the security feature (8) according to one of

preceding claims, characterized in that the printing material (5) is a film or paper or contains a film and / or paper material.

1 1. Security feature (8) for a value and / or security document, comprising a printing substrate (5) and a printing layer (6) applied to a surface of the printing material (5) by a printing method in the form of a first pattern, characterized in that the printing layer ( 6) by a relief-like

Deformation (3) of the printing material (5) is changed during the printing process with a second pattern.

12. security feature (8) for a value and / or security document according to claim

1 1, characterized in that it is produced by the method according to one of claims 1-10.

13. Value and / or security document, comprising at least one

Security feature (8) according to one of claims 1 1 and 12.