Watermark sheet, apparatus, and document, and methods for providing the same

Abstract

A watermark sheet made up of a substrate layer with opposing water and fiber surfaces, a pattern of at least two watermark indicia, and a set of apertures extending from the water surface toward the fiber surface of the substrate layer, is provided. The pattern of at least two watermark indicia is distributed over a continuous area of the fiber surface. The inventive watermark sheet provides watermarks of improved quality. Also provided is a watermark sleeve made up of a cylinder mold and the inventive watermark sheet wrapped around and affixed to an outer diametric surface of the cylinder mold. In addition, methods of manufacturing the watermark sheet, the watermark sleeve, a watermarked paper and a high security document are provided, as well as products resulting from these methods of manufacture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.