Methods of manufacturing an image pattern for a security device

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an image pattern for a security device is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) providing a metallised substrate comprising a substrate material having a first metal layer thereon on a first surface of the substrate material, the first metal layer being soluble in a first etchant substance; (b) applying a first resist layer to the first metal layer, the first resist layer comprising a resist material; (c) bringing the first resist layer into contact with a relief structure comprising a support carrying one or more protrusions thereon, the one or more protrusions each extending away from the support to a distal tip, whereupon at least one of the protrusion(s) extends into the first resist layer; (d) while the first resist layer and the relief structure are in contact, controlling the metallised substrate and/or the relief structure to achieve relative movement between the metallised substrate and at least the tip of the at least one of the protrusion(s) along a movement direction, such that the at least one of the protrusion(s) extending into the first resist layer expels a corresponding at least one portion of the resist material from a corresponding at least one region of the metallised substrate; (e) separating the first resist layer from the relief structure such that the at least one of the protrusion(s) is removed from the first resist layer, leaving the resist material remaining on the metallised substrate outside the at least one region, thereby forming a pattern of one or more first pattern elements in which the resist material is present and one or more second pattern elements, corresponding to the at least one region, in which the resist material is substantially absent; and (f) applying the first etchant substance to the metallised substrate whereupon the second pattern elements of the first metal layer are dissolved, the remaining first pattern elements of the first metal layer forming an image pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.