Patent ID: 8506748

Claim:
A process for imaging a flooring material, comprising the steps of: forming a printed image comprising a heat activatable colorant, wherein the printed image is positioned so that the heat activatable colorant contacts a surface of a section of flooring material, and wherein the section of flooring material comprises an image receptive layer that has an affinity for the heat activatable colorant; and applying heat to the printed image, wherein the heat activates the heat activatable colorant, and the heat activated heat activatable colorant binds to the flooring material to form an image on the flooring material; wherein the flooring material comprises a vinyl material and a shrinkage control layer, and wherein the image receptive layer dimensionally shrinks not more than five (5%) percent relative to the shrinkage control layer as a result of the application of heat to said flooring material during imaging of the flooring material.