Method for producing a pattern in or on a support

A method of forming a pattern of at least two different materials in a substrate layer, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a substrate layer, the substrate layer having, on a first side of the substrate layer, a surface comprising a plurality of recesses defining the pattern;
• b) applying a first material to a first region of the surface of the substrate layer such that the first material is received in at least some of the plurality of recesses in the first region and partially fills at least a first set of the plurality of recesses in the first region;
• c) applying a second material, different from the first material, to at least some of the first region of the surface of the substrate layer such that second material at least partially fills at least some of the first set of the plurality of recesses in the first region;
• d) securing the first material and the second material in the plurality of recesses such that the first material and/or the second material are optically detectable from the first side of the substrate layer or from a second side of the substrate layer opposite to the first side of the substrate layer, wherein the first material and the second material are curable, and wherein securing the first material and the second material in the plurality of recesses comprises curing, at least partially, the first material and curing, at least partially, the second material in one or more steps during or after step b).

A security element comprising:

• a pattern supporting layer having a first surface;
• a pattern comprising an array of laterally distributed pattern elements on the first surface of the pattern supporting layer or in a plurality of recesses in the first surface of the pattern supporting layer;
• and
• a first array of lenses over the array of laterally distributed pattern elements, wherein
• each pattern element of a first set of the pattern elements comprises
• a first layer of a first cured material on the first surface of the pattern supporting layer or in a plurality of recesses in the first surface of the pattern supporting layer, and
• a second layer of a second cured material, different from the first cured material, over the first layer of the first cured material;
• a first sub-group of the pattern elements have a first height, and a second sub-group of the pattern elements have a second height, greater than the first height;
• and
• the first array of lenses cooperates with the first sub-group of pattern elements and the second sub-group of pattern elements to form an image.