Releasable polyester high gloss metal transfer film

A metallized film consisting of a transferable metal layer and a carrier film, wherein all layers of the carrier film consist essentially of thermoplastic polyester, and wherein the carrier film contains a core layer consisting essentially of thermoplastic polyester, and a first skin layer coextensively adjacent in direct contact with one side of the core layer, a side of the first skin layer opposite the core layer defining a metal-contacting surface, said first skin layer consisting essentially of thermoplastic polyester and a release agent;

• in which at least one of the core layer and the first skin layer each independently comprises a heterogeneous mixture of finely divided solid particles uniformly dispersed in a continuous phase of the thermoplastic polyester, and in which the solid particles in the film are present in concentration and size effective to provide the metal-contacting surface with roughness characterized by Ra at most about 50 nm and Sra at most about 30;
• in which the release agent is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactant, non-ionic surfactant, about 0.1-1 wt % paraffin wax dispersed in the thermoplastic polyester, and a mixture thereof, and is present in the thermoplastic polyester of the first skin layer in an amount effective to provide the metal-contacting surface with a preselected adhesion value to a metal in the range of about 0.4-39 g/cm (1-100 g/in) measured by a 180 degree ethylene acrylic acid polymer peel test;
• and
• wherein the carrier film has a thickness of about 4-75 μm;
• and
• the transferable metal layer is in direct contact with the metal-contacting surface of the first skin layer, with the metal of the metal layer being selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, silver, titanium and a blend thereof, and the transferable metal layer having a thickness equivalent to an optical density of about 0.2 to about 4, and in which the transferable metal layer on the metal-contacting surface exhibits a specular reflection of at least 860 gloss units measured by glossmeter at a 60° angle.