Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Helmut Walter

Roland Moraw

Manfred Unger

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing multilayer identity cards by electrophotographically reproducing identity information on a card core material and then laminating protective film on both sides of the core material. In preferred embodiments, the core material itself may be made up of several layers with additional security markings thereon. A relief grid image or a hologram can be inserted into the card core prior to lamination. In a further embodiment, after lamination, the identity card blank is photomechanically scanned and positioned in accordance with existing control marks and punched to produce the finished identity card.

Process for the manufacture of identity cards

The application discloses an identity card consisting of a plurality of layers, of which the cover layers are highly transparent films and the layers of the card core are films of moderate to low transparency, as a result of added pigment. One core layer carries information, which can be read directly, if desired, above a security print, while the other core layer has an additional security marking, such as a guilloche print, a marking which can be read optically only with the aid of a special lamp, or a piece of magnetic tape. All the layers consist of polymers which can be fused together to form a laminate which is fused together like a monolithic block and which does not have any interfaces which allow a mechanical, thermal or chemical separation.

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Wiesbaden, Germany

Helmut Walter