Method of making foamed, opacifying elements

A method for providing a foamed, opacifying element, the method comprising:

• providing a foamable aqueous composition comprising:
• (a) at least 0.05 weight % and up to and including 20 weight % of porous particles, each porous particle comprising a continuous polymeric phase and a first set of discrete pores dispersed within the continuous polymeric phase, the porous particles having a mode particle size of at least 2 μm and up to and including 50 μm;
• (b) at least 20 weight % of a binder material;
• (c) at least 0.1 weight % and up to and including 30 weight % of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of dispersants, plasticizers, inorganic or organic pigments and dyes, flame retardants, optical brighteners, tinting colorants, thickeners, biocides, fungicides, metal flakes, and inorganic or organic fillers;
• (d) water;
• and
• (e) at least 0.001 weight % of an opacifying colorant different from all of the one or more additives of (c), which opacifying colorant absorbs predetermined electromagnetic radiation,
• all amounts being based on the total weight of the foamable aqueous composition;
• aerating the foamable aqueous composition to provide a foamed aqueous composition having a foam density of at least 0.1 g/cm3 and up to and including 0.5 g/cm3;
• disposing the foamed aqueous composition onto a surface of a porous substrate;
• drying and at least partially curing, simultaneously or in any order, the foamed aqueous composition on the surface of the porous substrate to provide a dry foamed composition on the surface of the porous substrate, and
• densifying the dry foamed composition on the surface of the porous substrate to provide the foamed, opacifying element.