Process for forming photo-polymeric image

Claim 1

A process for forming a photo-polymerized image by the use of a light-sensitive layer which process comprises: a first step of exposing the light-sensitive layer to an activating ray in the form of visible light, UV light, an electron beam or X-rays, the light-sensitive layer containing (A) an activating component in the form of a free radical generating agent or an active radiation oxidizing agent which is capable of being activated by the activating ray, (B) a light-sensitive resin selected from compounds which increase in molecular weight by being polymerized or cross-linked by means of light or compounds which vary in chemical or physical properties by being decomposed or reacted by means of light, and (C) a colorable or decolorable component selected from an arylamine, N-vinyl compounds, a leuco compound or a styryl, cyanine or merocyanine dye which is capable of being colored or decolored by the activated activating component provided that when the color of both the colored colorable component and the decolorable component absorbs an energy of a light, which light itself does not cause the polymerization of the light-sensitive resins nor activate the activating component, the energy is transferred to the light-sensitive resin for polymerization; whereby the colorable or decolorable component is either colored or decolored; and a second step of exposing the light-sensitive layer, resulting from the first step, to the light imagewise when the exposure in the first step is uniform, and uniformly when the exposure in the first step is imagewise, so that the light-sensitive resin is polymerized by the energy from the decolorable component or the colored colorable component to form the photo-polymerized image.