Patent ID: 8633954

Claim:
A method of forming an image on a substrate, comprising the steps of: a) applying a coating of magnetic or electric field alignable flakes within a binder to a first region of the substrate, b) moving the substrate at the speed of at least 25 ft/min and applying a magnetic or electric field so as to orient at least some of the flakes within the coating; and, c) while the first region of the substrate is moving in a first downstream direction, irradiating with one or more laser beams in one or more first sub-regions of the first region of aligned flakes so as to cure the binder in the one or more sub-regions while allowing the coating of flakes in a second adjacent sub-region of the first coated region to remain uncured so as to maintain alignment of flakes within the one or more first sub-regions while not maintaining alignment of the uncured coating of flakes, wherein said irradiating includes irradiating a plurality of locations on the substrate along a predetermined direction across the downstream direction so that lines of flakes across the substrate in the one or more first sub-regions are cured in succession as the substrate is moving and wherein the length of the lines vary in a predetermined manner so as to form an image, and subsequently applying a second different magnetic field to the same coating of flakes within the first region and curing the flakes within the second sub-region of the first region, whereby a discernible image is formed dependent upon a contrast between a difference in alignment of the flakes in the first sub-region and the second sub-region.