Patent ID: 7108890

Claim:
A process for printing a durable image on a substrate comprising: (a) providing a porous substrate having a porous surface on which a durable image is to be printed; (b) providing a transferable sublimable ink image transfer sheet bearing an image to be printed formed from sublimable inks; (c) providing on said porous surface of said porous substrate a transparent polymeric coating formed from a resin of acrylic polyol that, upon curing, provides a hard and durable polymeric coating that is uv-resistant and which receives and retains a sublimable ink image therethrough; (d) contacting the durable polymeric coating formed on said porous surface with said transfer sheet with said sublimable ink image positioned against said durable polymeric coating; and (e) transferring said sublimable ink of said image from said transfer sheet to the durable polymeric coating and pores of said porous substrate by sublimation whereby the image penetrates and fuses into the porous substrate to provide a subsurface image formed in said porous substrate that wears only at the same rate as the porous substrate to maintain the integrity of the image.