Method of making image reproducing material having scratch improvment

Claim 1

A process for preparing an image reproducing material for a lithofilm said process comprising (a) forming a coating composition by admixing scratch resistance improver, photosensitive layer ingredients and coating solvent, said scratch resistance improver being present in an amount ranging from about 0.35 to 10% by weight of the photosensitive layer ingredients, said scratch resistance improver having the formula AmBn wherein A is mono- or divalent, straight or branched C 11-20 aliphatic hydrocarbon; B is hydroxyl, amino, nitrile, aldehyde, carboxyl, alkylamide, ester of carboxylic acid with C 1-3 monohydric or polyhydric alcohol, or ammonium salt or a periodic table group I-IV metal salt of a carboxylic acid, m is an integer of 1 to 3; and n is 1 or 2, said photosensitive layer ingredients being such as to provide a photosensitive layer in step (c) with a fluidizing point not higher than 95° C. and comprising monomer containing one or more photopolymerizable double bonds, a photopolymerization initiating amount of photoinitiator, a functional amount of binder which is a solid organic polymeric material at a temperature lower than 50° which has film forming properties in the photosensitive layer formed in step (c), and actinic light absorber to provide an absorbance of 1.5 to 4 in the photosensitive layer formed in step (c); (b) coating said composition onto a transparent support in amount and thickness to provide a photosensitive layer of thickness of 1 to 6 microns in step (c); (c) drying coating provided by step (b) so that it contains less than 100 ppm coating solvent to obtain photosensitive layer with scratch resistance improver therein of thickness of 1 to 6 microns and fluidizing point not higher than 95°, whereupon, because of said dried state and because of said fluidizing point, said scratch resistance improver migrates to the surface of the photosensitive layer removed from said support to provide scratch resistance properties thereto.