Phototropic photosensitive compositions containing fluoran colorformer

A stable phototropic photosensitive composition which comprises:

• a. at least one component capable of curing, crosslinking or polymerizing upon suitable initiation,
• b. an initiator for said component that is potentiated by actinic radiation,
• c. a fluoran colorformer compound capable of becoming more intensely colored upon contact with a color activator, said fluoran compound having the structural formula ##STR53## where R.sub.a is hydrogen or an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted and that may be interrupted by ##STR54## and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen;
• R.sub.b is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups, cycloaliphatic groups, aromatic groups or mixed aliphatic-aromatic groups or R.sub.b is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members bound via a ring nitrogen and containing in addition to nitrogen, one or more of oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members
• or R.sub.a and R.sub.b together form a condensed aromatic nucleus;
• R.sub.c is hydrogen, halogen, an aliphatic group of one to 12 carbon atoms that is unsubstituted or substituted and that may be interrupted by nitrogen or oxygen and that is bound directly via carbon or oxygen, or R.sub.c is an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups, cycloaliphatic groups, aromatic groups, mixed aliphatic-aromatic groups or where R.sub.c is a heterocyclic group with three to twelve ring members containing one or more of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members or R.sub.c is an aromatic group that is unsubstituted or optionally substituted or a mixed aliphatic-aromatic group or an aromatic ether or aliphatic-aromatic ether group;
• R.sub.d is hydrogen, lower aliphatic or an amino group where one or both hydrogen atoms are optionally replaced by unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic groups, cycloaliphatic groups, aromatic groups, mixed aliphatic-aromatic groups or R.sub.d is a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members containing one or more of nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur as hetero ring members;
• R.sub.e and R.sub.f each independently is hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic of one to 12 carbon atoms which may be interrupted by oxygen or nitrogen, and which is be bound directly via carbon, cycloaliphatic groups, aromatic groups, mixed aliphatic-aromatic groups, or R.sub.e and R.sub.f, together with the nitrogen atom form a heterocyclic group of 3 to 12 ring members, optionally containing, in addition to nitrogen, one or more of sulfur and oxygen as hetero ring members;
• (R.sub.g).sub.m represents one to 3, independently, of hydrogen, lower aliphatic bound directly via carbon or oxygen, or is halogen, acetamido or optionally substituted amino
• and provided that at least one of R.sub.b, R.sub.c and R.sub.d is an amino group, as defined, and
• d. a latent activator for the fluoran color-former that is capable of activating the fluoran compound under the influence of actinic light and is capable of generating or facilitating the production of an acidic substance which can react with said fluoran compound to activate a color change.