Decorative relief finish process

A process of making a decorative relief finish, said process comprising:

• forming on the surface of an object on which a decorative relief finish is to be formed a partially hardened layer of coating material having an uneven surface with a plurality of projections of different heights;
• providing a pressing roll having a surface which is made of a material which is resinous, has a continuous pore structure, is at least semi-hard, and has the properties of water absorption and water retention;
• impregnating said pressing roll with a liquid which is capable of being evenly distributed through the pores of said roller material, which will not damage said roller material, and which has an affinity to said coating material;
• and
• pressing and rolling said pressing roll, while impregnated with said liquid, against the top portions of those of said projections above a predetermined height, thereby flattening said projections to said height, the remainder of said projections below said given height being left unflattened, thus forming a decorative relief finish having both flattened and roughened areas.