In-line coating method for preparing soft-feel polymeric films and films prepared thereby

A method for preparing a biaxially oriented polyester polymeric film, comprising:

• (a) forming a polymer core layer B of one or more polyesters;
• (b) optionally adding an adhesive layer or a skin layer C onto the polymer core layer to make a base layer B/C;
• (c) stretching the polymer core layer or base layer uniaxially in a machine direction;
• (d) coating a surface of the polymer core layer B, or a surface of the polymer core layer B opposite the skin layer C, with a liquid solution A consisting of (i) a crosslinker, wherein the crosslinker is a material selected from the group consisting of carbodiimides and polycarbodiimides, and (ii) a coating comprising one or more aliphatic water-borne polyurethanes, and one or more aqueous acrylic polymers, and with said coating incorporating one or more additives to enhance haptic properties of the biaxially oriented polyester polymeric film;
• (e) heating the coated polymer core layer B to dry and crosslink the coating and crosslinker of liquid solution A to form an outer coating layer on the layer B to create a coated film;
• and
• (f) stretching the coated film in the transverse direction during or following the heating step (e) to form the biaxially oriented polyester polymeric film.