Inks or coatings with selective absorption profiles in the NIR-spectral range. This property serves diverse effects. The group of IR-blocking inks transmits in the visible spectrum but strongly absorbs in the NIR-region. Although being visually transparent they fulfil the specification for transmission density (ISO 7810:2003) for transaction cards and thus perform properly in an ATM. IR-Upconverter marked inks can reversibly be activated by an IR-Laser pen to emit visible light. Additional to IR-absorbing Inks we offer IR-diaphanous Inks that are -opaque in the visible but transmit IR-light.