A process for producing an optical effect layer exhibiting one or more indicia on a substrate, said process comprising the steps of: a) applying onto a substrate surface a coating composition comprising i) platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles and ii) a binder material so as to form a coating layer on said substrate, said coating composition being in a first state, b) forming an assembly comprising the substrate carrying the coating layer and one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia, wherein the substrate carrying the coating layer is arranged above the one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia, wherein the one or more negative indicia consist of a soft magnetic plate comprising one or more voids having the shape of the one or more indicia, the soft magnetic plate being either made of one or more metals, alloys or compounds of high magnetic permeability or being made of a composite comprising from about 25 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of soft magnetic particles dispersed in a non-magnetic material, the weight percents being based on the total weight of the composite, and the one or more positive indicia consist of an arrangement comprising one or more indicia placed or attached to a non-magnetic holder, said indicia being either made of one or more metals, alloys or compounds of high magnetic permeability or being made of a composite comprising from about 25 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of soft magnetic particles dispersed in a non-magnetic material, the weight percents being based on the total weight of the composite, c) moving the assembly comprising the substrate carrying the coating layer and the one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia obtained under step b) through an inhomogeneous magnetic field of a static magnetic-field-generating device so as to bi-axially orient at least a part of the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, and d) hardening the coating composition to a second state so as to fix the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles in their adopted positions and orientations. a) applying onto a substrate surface a coating composition comprising i) platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles and ii) a binder material so as to form a coating layer on said substrate, said coating composition being in a first state, b) forming an assembly comprising the substrate carrying the coating layer and one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia, wherein the substrate carrying the coating layer is arranged above the one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia, wherein the one or more negative indicia consist of a soft magnetic plate comprising one or more voids having the shape of the one or more indicia, the soft magnetic plate being either made of one or more metals, alloys or compounds of high magnetic permeability or being made of a composite comprising from about 25 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of soft magnetic particles dispersed in a non-magnetic material, the weight percents being based on the total weight of the composite, and the one or more positive indicia consist of an arrangement comprising one or more indicia placed or attached to a non-magnetic holder, said indicia being either made of one or more metals, alloys or compounds of high magnetic permeability or being made of a composite comprising from about 25 wt-% to about 95 wt-% of soft magnetic particles dispersed in a non-magnetic material, the weight percents being based on the total weight of the composite, c) moving the assembly comprising the substrate carrying the coating layer and the one or more negative indicia or one or more positive indicia obtained under step b) through an inhomogeneous magnetic field of a static magnetic-field-generating device so as to bi-axially orient at least a part of the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles, and d) hardening the coating composition to a second state so as to fix the platelet-shaped magnetic or magnetizable pigment particles in their adopted positions and orientations.