Color Shifting Ink

These inks contain microscopic pieces of metallic substances or variable pigments which display color changes depending on the angle of observation or lighting. An unaided eye will observe this effect as a change of color when the viewing angle is changed.

Color shifting inks consist of multi-layered micro flakes in a transparent ink medium. The pigment flakes are microscopic waveband-selecting optical devices (interference filters). Color shifting inks are most commonly applied in intaglio flexographic and screen printing.

The color change effect does not replicate and is very difficult to produce since color copiers or scanners can only copy a document at one fixed angle relative to the document’s surface.