The invention relates to identification documents, and in particular to
providing optically variable personalized data to identification
documents. In one implementation, we provide an identification document
comprising a document layer and a first indicium. The document layer
comprises a material capable of being printed by a thermally transferable
optically variable ink. The first indicium is printed on the document
layer and comprises personalized data and printed to the document layer
by a thermally transferred optically variable ink. The first indicium may
be printed to the document layer by disposing a thermally transferable
optically variable ink in a mass transfer panel of a printer ribbon
adapted for use in a dye diffusion thermal transfer printer, and printing
the first indicium as part of a mass transfer printing process. The
thermally transferred optically variable ink can be selected and printed
such that the first indicium has at least one of a luster, shine, sheen,
pearlescent appearance, iridescent appearance, and mirror-like
appearance. This technology enables the creation of a halftone "mirror
image" over a color ghost image to achieve a layered and linked multiple
personalization scheme of ID documents.