Method and system for producing stable locked colors in thermochromic materials

An apparatus for forming a multi-colored image on a substrate that includes a thermochromic material capable of producing at least two different colors, the apparatus comprising:

• a first heat source configured to provide heat producing energy that heats individually selected pixels of the thermochromic material to one or more first temperatures sufficient to activate the individually selected pixels for color shift;
• a first UV source configured to flood an area corresponding to the individually selected pixels with a first UV radiation dosage sufficient to partially polymerize the thermochromic material;
• a second heat source configured to provide heat producing energy that heats the individually selected pixels of the thermochromic material to one or more second temperatures after the individually selected pixels have been flooded with the first UV radiation dosage;
• and
• a second UV radiation source configured to flood the area corresponding to the individually selected pixels with a second UV radiation dosage during a time that second heat source heats the individually selected pixels to the second temperatures.