Structurally-colored articles and methods for making and using structurally-colored articles

A method of making an article, comprising:

• softening or melting a thermoplastic material by increasing a temperature of the thermoplastic material to a first temperature at or above one of a creep relaxation temperature, a heat deflection temperature, a Vicat softening temperature or a melting temperature of the thermoplastic material, wherein the thermoplastic material defines a first surface of a component;
• disposing a first side or a second side of an optical element on the first surface;
• wherein the optical element imparts a structural color to the article;
• and
• before or following the disposing, re-solidifying the thermoplastic material by reducing the temperature of the thermoplastic material to a second temperature below the one of the creep relaxation temperature, the heat deflection temperature, the Vicat softening temperature or the melting temperature of the thermoplastic material;
• and
• forming a first textured surface on the first surface of the component, comprising, during or following the increasing the temperature of the thermoplastic material to the first temperature, contacting the first surface of the component with a second surface of a transfer medium;
• and following the contacting, removing the second surface of the transfer medium from the first surface of the component, transferring the optical element from the transfer medium to the component, wherein the removing occurs during or following the increasing the temperature;
• and
• wherein the second surface of the transfer medium includes the first side or the second side of the optical element.