Resinous polymer sheet material having surface decorative effects of contrasting gloss and method of making the same

A process for the production of a surface covering having both dull areas and glossy areas on its surface, which process comprises the steps of:

• (a) laying down a base layer,
• (b) selectively applying to said base layer in the form of a design having defined areas where a dull surface appearance is desired, a photoinitiator,
• (c) applying a resinous composition wear layer uniformly over the surface prepared in step (b), said resinous composition containing a curable monomeric material therein,
• (d) subjecting the surface prepared in step (c) to a sufficient amount of heat for a sufficient amount of time to gel the resinous composition wear layer, thereby providing said wear layer with a dull overall appearance, but without providing sufficient thermal energy to cure the monomeric material contained uniformly therein,
• (e) subjecting the surface of the gelled wear layer to actinic radiation to selectively cure and harden the monomeric material over those areas where the photoinitiator was selectively applied, thereby permanently securing a dull appearance to the wear layer over such defined areas, and
• (f) subjecting the composition of step (e) to a sufficient amount of thermal energy to permit the remaining uncured resinous composition to flow from a dull appearance into a glossy appearance and cure and harden in such a condition, without affecting the dull appearance of the surface on those areas cured and hardened by actinic radiation in step (e) thereby providing a surface covering having both dull and glossy areas on its surface.