A method of manufacturing a transferable refractive optical system, comprising a microstructure-bearing release liner and a synthetic image presentation system attached to the microstructure-bearing release liner, the synthetic image presentation system made up of one or more arrangements of structured image icons substantially in contact with, but not completely embedded within, one or more arrangements of focusing elements, attached to the microstructure-bearing release liner, which method comprises: forming the microstructure-bearing release liner comprising a lens mold layer adhered to a carrier film, wherein the lens mold layer is formed from a curable resin having a plurality of voids with negative lens geometries, the negative lens geometries being made by curing the resin against a rigid surface having positive lens geometries; and forming the transferable refractive optical system onto the lens mold layer of the microstructure-bearing release liner by: placing the lens mold layer of the microstructure-bearing release liner against a rigid icon mold while an optically functional, radiation curable liquid polymer fills voids in both the lens mold layer and the rigid icon mold, applying pressure with a nip roller to exclude excess liquid polymer, and simultaneously exposing the liquid polymer to radiation such that the curable polymer cures or hardens and can be lifted from the icon mold, wherein the cured or hardened polymer has the structured image icons formed from voids in an outer surface thereof; filling the image icon voids with a material providing a contrast with the optically functional polymer to form a filled image icon layer; wherein the synthetic image presentation system has a higher stiffness or resistance to bending than the carrier substrate and the lens mold layer. forming the microstructure-bearing release liner comprising a lens mold layer adhered to a carrier film, wherein the lens mold layer is formed from a curable resin having a plurality of voids with negative lens geometries, the negative lens geometries being made by curing the resin against a rigid surface having positive lens geometries; and forming the transferable refractive optical system onto the lens mold layer of the microstructure-bearing release liner by: placing the lens mold layer of the microstructure-bearing release liner against a rigid icon mold while an optically functional, radiation curable liquid polymer fills voids in both the lens mold layer and the rigid icon mold, applying pressure with a nip roller to exclude excess liquid polymer, and simultaneously exposing the liquid polymer to radiation such that the curable polymer cures or hardens and can be lifted from the icon mold, wherein the cured or hardened polymer has the structured image icons formed from voids in an outer surface thereof; filling the image icon voids with a material providing a contrast with the optically functional polymer to form a filled image icon layer; wherein the synthetic image presentation system has a higher stiffness or resistance to bending than the carrier substrate and the lens mold layer. placing the lens mold layer of the microstructure-bearing release liner against a rigid icon mold while an optically functional, radiation curable liquid polymer fills voids in both the lens mold layer and the rigid icon mold, applying pressure with a nip roller to exclude excess liquid polymer, and simultaneously exposing the liquid polymer to radiation such that the curable polymer cures or hardens and can be lifted from the icon mold, wherein the cured or hardened polymer has the structured image icons formed from voids in an outer surface thereof; filling the image icon voids with a material providing a contrast with the optically functional polymer to form a filled image icon layer; wherein the synthetic image presentation system has a higher stiffness or resistance to bending than the carrier substrate and the lens mold layer.