Methods for making fasteners

A method for forming a fastener, comprising:

• providing a multiplicity of suitable polymer particles;
• providing a base with a front surface;
• providing a contact release surface of a suitable surface energy;
• dispersing, on the contact release surface, the multiplicity of polymer particles thereby forming separate preform projections sitting on and projecting from the contact release surface to corresponding terminal ends;
• transforming the polymer particles, dispersed on the contact release surface, into an at least semiliquid state of a suitable viscosity, at least some of said particles being in contact with the contact release surface for a time sufficient to transform into preform projections having contact edges influenced by the surface energies of the polymer particles and of the contact release surface;
• contacting and fixing the front surface of the base with the terminal ends of at least some of the preform projections;
• removing the base, thereby separating the preform projections fixed thereto, from the release surface;
• and
• thereby forming engaging projections projecting from the front surface of the base.