OPTICALLY VARIABLE SECURITY ELEMENT

The invention relates to an optically variable security element (1) comprising a relief layer (102) having a plurality of structurally identical optical individual elements (2) which each have an individual element surface (6) which is divided into part-surfaces (61, 62) which have different directed degrees of reflection, and the part-surfaces (61, 62) are divided into groups in such a way that each group comprises a part-surface (61, 62) of an individual element surface (6) and each group encodes an associated reflection motif which is dependent upon the viewing angle and is visible with thenaked eye, also comprising at least one planar region (3) which extends between the optical individual elements (2) and comprises part-regions (31, 32) having diffraction gratings, which by the predetermined directed light produce at least one diffraction motif which is dependent upon the viewing angle and is visible with the naked eye, and the reflection motifs dependent upon the viewing angle and the at least one diffr