A method of manufacturing a discretized optical security microstructure on a substrate and a shim for use in the method

Abstract

Manufacturing a discretized optical security microstructure on a substrate includes providing an ink into one or more cavities of a shim, the one or more cavities of the shim represent the discretized optical security microstructure, pressing the shim against the substrate, and removing the shim from the substrate. The shim is removed from the substrate such that the ink remains on a surface of the substrate forming the discretized optical security microstructure. The shim includes a number of cavities. The characteristic size of an individual cavity is from 80 μm to 50 cm and the depth is from 300 nm to 100 μm. The cavities of the shim represent a discretized optical security microstructure representing diffractive or another optically active surface, preferably in a form of macro and/or micro relief, or simply curved shape with or without grating/hologram micro relief.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.