A surface treatment for a protective plastic film and/or laminate is disclosed. In certain versions, the surface treatment includes coating a major surface of the plastic film or laminate with a curable coating formulation wherein one or more of the coating ingredients are diffused or migrated at least partially into the plastic film or plastic laminate. The migration of coating ingredients creates a gradual transition layer from the plastic film to the coating layer and leads to unique properties. In other versions, diffusion does not occur and a relatively sharp interface is defined between the coating formulation and the plastic film. Optionally, the surface treated plastic film is laminated to a release liner coated with a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) to form the aforementioned laminate.
