Process of forming imaged photohardened material

Claim 1

A process for reducing temperature dependency during toning which comprises (a) laminating a photohardenable image-forming material on an image-receiving film wherein said image-forming material comprises a synthetic resin support layer and a photohardenable layer having a thickness from about 2 microns to about 1 mm consisting essentially of a mixture of: (i) about 10 to about 80 weight % of at least one ethylenically unsaturated photopolymerizable compound based on the total weight of the dried film; (ii) about 20 to about 90 weight % of binder based on the total weight of the dried film wherein a binder is selected from the group consisting of single polymers with Tg≦70° C. and mixtures of polymers each with Tg≦80° C., the binder is at least one thermoplastic copolymer selected from the group consisting of esters of acrylic acid and esters of methacrylic acid, and the copolymer possesses at least 2 weight percent salt forming groups selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, sulfonic acid, sulfonamide and hydroxyl groups; (iii) at least one crosslinking agent selected from the group consisting of compounds of mulivalent metals of groups IIA--IVA, IIB--IVB and VIIB of the Periodic Chart, said agent being present in an effective amount to reduce temperature dependency during toning wherein fluctuations in achievable toned density due to temperature are less than fluctuations in achievable toned density in a tonable film comprising a synthetic resin support layer and a photohardenable layer consisting essentially of (i), (ii) and (iv); and (iv) about 0.01 to about 15 weight percent of a photoinitiator or photoinitiating system activatable by actinic radiation based on the total weight of the dried film; (b) image-wise exposing to produce nontacky regions; (c) removing the film support; (d) applying toner to the tacky regions, whereby lamination, exposure, removal of the film support and toning are repeated several times.