Modifying optical properties of thin film structures using an absorbing element

A multi-layered film comprising:

• a transparent substrate having a first side and a second side;
• a plurality of distinct thin film layers on the first side of the substrate;
• wherein the plurality of the thin film layers are transparent and the adjacent distinct thin film layers have different refractive indices, and
• wherein each layer of the plurality of thin film layers has a thickness of less than 800 nanometers;
• a plurality of absorbing elements having plasmon resonance at an interface formed between two adjacent layers of said plurality of thin film layers or formed by the first side of the substrate and a layer of said plurality of thin film layers;
• wherein the plurality of absorbing elements forms a patterned film;
• wherein the plurality of absorbing elements absorbs selected wavelengths of incident light and reflect part of the incident light after inducing a phase shift;
• wherein the location of the interface where the plurality of absorbing elements is deposited is selected to provide desired wavelengths of absorbed and reflected light;
• wherein the multi-layered film has a first appearance when viewed from the first side of the substrate and a second appearance when viewed from the second side of the substrate;
• wherein the first appearance comprises a first reflected color and the second appearance comprises a second reflected color;
• and
• wherein the first reflected color is different from the second reflected color.