Inspection method and inspection device for inspecting security markings

An inspection method for checking the integrity of a combination of a security marking and an identification label, said security marking comprising at least one contrast field with a comparatively high reflectivity in a first and a second wavelength range and a security field having different reflection properties in the first wavelength range compared to the second wavelength range, and said identification label having at least one light background around mark components printed with dark color, the inspection method comprising the following steps:

• illuminating the combination of the security marking and the identification label with light in a specified wavelength range,
• capturing an image of the combination of the security marking and the identification label,
• identifying the security marking and the identification label in the image,
• capturing a possibly averaged gray value of the contrast field of the security marking,
• capturing a possibly averaged gray value of the background of the identification label,
• comparing the gray value of the contrast field of the security marking with the gray value of the background of the identification label,
• determining whether the gray value of the contrast field of the security marking deviates from the gray value of the background of the identification label by less than a predefined maximum amount, and
• generating and outputting a signal indicating a lack of integrity if the gray value of the contrast field of the security marking deviates from the gray value of the background of the identification label by more than the predefined maximum amount.