Multilevel embossing by printing with a reactive monomer

In the process for producing a decorative surface covering having a multilevel embossed wear surface comprising

• forming a dryblend composition comprising vinyl chloride resin particles, plasticizer, and a polymerizable monomer having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites,
• forming a layer of said dryblend having a thickness in the range of about 0.005-0.080 inch,
• heating said layer to sinter the dryblend without fusion and to form a porous, open layer,
• forming design areas on at least a portion of said dryblend layer by applying thermoplastic resinous ink thereto in an amount sufficient to cause penetration thereof into the dryblend to a depth of at least 2 mils at the points of application, and finally heating to fuse all thermoplastic resins,
• the improvement comprising forming said design areas by applying a plurality of thermoplastic resinous inks of different compositions, at least one of said thermoplastic inks containing a polymerizable monomer having at least two olefinically unsaturated sites, and a polymerization catalyst therefor, and at least one ink having a composition free of both monomer and catalyst, said final heating step causing polymerization and cross-linking of the monomer in the monomer-containing ink and in the dryblend in the areas to which it was applied, whereby embossed design areas are achieved on the final product which produce different embossed effects.