Water compatible energy curable compositions containing malemide derivatives

A method for curing an active single phase water compatible actinic radiation curable composition, comprising:

• irradiating a water compatible non emulsion, non dispersing compound, water, and a maleimide derivative of the formula:
• 8
• wherein n and m each independently represent an integer of 1 to 5, and the total of m and n is 6 or smaller;
• R11 and R12 each independently represent a linking group selected from the group consisting of an alkylene group, an alicyclic group, an arylalkylene group, and a cycloalkylalkyene group;
• G1 and G2 each represent an ester linkage selected from the group consisting of —COO— and —OCO—;
• and R2 represents a linking chain having an average molecular weight of 100 to 100,000 selected from the group consisting of (poly)ether (poly)ester linking chains, or mixtures thereof in which at least one organic group selected from straight or branched chain alkylene group, straight or branched chain alkylene group having a hydroxyl group, alicyclic group, aryl group, arylalkylene group, and a cycloalkylalkyene group connected via at least one linkage selected from the group consisting of an ether or ester linkage.