Method for printing on a portable data medium, particularly a smart card, and resulting printed data medium

Abstract

A method for printing on an exposed polymerised thermoplastic or curable layer of the body of a portable data medium, and a portable data medium particularly a chip card, comprising a polymerised layer, are disclosed. The method comprises the steps of mixing a polymerisable thermoplastic or curable binder and at least one light-sensitive compound responsive to laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength in such a way that it changes from a first state to a second coloured state, in order to form a mixture, exposing the mixture to the laser radiation having a predetermined wavelength; and polymerising the mixture to form the polymerised layer of the body of the data medium. The method is particularly suitable for printing on smart cards.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.