Secure devices for personal article identification, such as driver's licenses and vehicle license plates, and methods of producing such improved devices

A method of making a vehicle license plate comprising the steps of:

• providing a backing plate including a first surface and a second surface;
• coating a first surface of a transparent substrate with a heat activated colorant and substrate adhesive that comprises a polymer suitable for adhering with colorant and that has an activation temperature;
• printing colorant on the colorant and substrate adhesive as coated to the first surface of the transparent substrate, the colorant providing at least vehicle registration information, the printing including a step of adhering the colorant to the colorant adhesive using a heated roller for applying heat and pressure to the colorant as applied to the colorant adhesive, the heat applied from the heated roller being of a level that softens the colorant and substrate adhesive sufficiently for thereby allowing the colorant to sink into the softened colorant and substrate adhesive by the heated roller without heating the colorant and substrate adhesive above its activation temperature while advancing the transparent substrate through a printing device to thus provide adhesion of the colorant with the colorant and substrate adhesive without the presence of solvent;
• and
• laminating the transparent substrate as such has been printed with colorant with the backing plate, the colorant and colorant and substrate adhesive being positioned between the transparent substrate and the backing plate, the laminating being conducted in a heat/pressure laminator by heating the colorant and substrate adhesive above its activation temperature and applying pressure to secure the transparent substrate and backing plate together.