Thermal transfer ribbon assembly comprising a metal layer and a protective coating layer

A system for introducing one or more of a reflective image, a refractive image, or diffractive image to a substrate by use of thermal transfer printing, the system comprising:

• a thermal transfer ribbon comprising a protective coating layer, an image layer, and an adhesive layer, wherein the image layer includes a material that is one or more of a reflective material, a refractive material, or a diffractive material, wherein a defined portion of each of the protective coating layer, the image layer, and the adhesive layer are configured to be simultaneously transferred from a carrier film of the thermal transfer ribbon to the substrate while the thermal transfer ribbon is moving in a direction along a surface of the substrate by selectively applying heat to the defined portions of the thermal transfer ribbon,
• wherein the defined portions of the image layer and the protective coating layer that were transferred are configured to be adhered to the substrate using the adhesive layer, and
• wherein, subsequent to transferring the defined portions of the protective coating layer, the image layer, and the adhesive layer, the defined portion of the protective coating layer is configured to be cross-linked by exposing the protective coating layer to a radiation source after the defined portions of the protective coating layer, the image layer, and the adhesive layer are transferred from the carrier film, wherein cross-linking the defined portion of the protective coating layer provides durability to the defined portion of the image layer that is transferred to the substrate.

A method comprising:

• simultaneously transferring a defined portion of each of a protective coating layer, an image layer, and an adhesive layer from a carrier film of a thermal transfer ribbon to a substrate while the thermal transfer ribbon is moving in a direction along a surface of the substrate by selectively applying thermal energy to the thermal transfer ribbon, the image layer comprising a material that is one or more of a reflective material, a refractive material, or a diffractive material;
• adhering the defined portions of the image layer and the protective coating layer that were transferred to the substrate using the adhesive layer, the defined portion of the image layer configured to form one or more of a reflective image, a refractive image, or a diffractive image;
• and
• subsequent to transferring the defined portions of the protective coating layer, the image layer, and the adhesive layer, providing durability to the defined portion of the image layer that is transferred to the substrate by cross-linking the defined portion of the protective coating layer that is over the defined portion of the image layer by exposing the defined portion of the protective coating layer to a radiation source,
• wherein the defined portions of the protective coating layer, the image layer, and the adhesive layer that are transferred include only necessary amounts of the protective coating layer and the image layer to form one or more of the reflective image, the refractive image, or the diffractive image on the substrate and no additional amount of one or more of the protective coating layer or the image layer.