Method and system for increasing rub resistance

A system comprising:

• a printer configured and arranged to form a symbol on a surface of a material using hot melt ink;
• a laser processing subsystem comprising a laser and an optical assembly;
• and
• electronics communicatively coupled with the printer and the laser processing subsystem, the electronics being configured to generate a laser beam from the laser and convey the laser beam, using the optical assembly, onto at least the hot melt ink forming the symbol, thereby increasing rub resistance of the hot melt ink on the surface of the material,
• wherein the optical assembly comprises a beam director arranged to scan a projected spot of the laser beam onto the surface of the material along a controllable path, and
• wherein the electronics are configured to use a first optical fluence on the hot melt ink forming the symbol and use a second optical fluence used on the surface outside of the hot melt ink forming the symbol, the first optical fluence being lower than the second optical fluence.