Silver halide color photographic material and image forming method using the same

Claim 1

A silver halide color photographic material comprising a support having thereon at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer; wherein, when the following two kinds of developments, namely, Development Processing A and Development Processing B, which are different in color development time are conducted to the silver halide color photographic material, the yellow, magenta and cyan gradients obtained satisfy the following conditional expressions: 0.8 ≦ γ B (C)/γ A (C) ≦ 1.2 0.8 ≦ γ B (M)/γ A (M) ≦ 1.2 0.8 ≦ γ B (Y)/γ A (Y) ≦ 1.2 wherein γ A (Y), γ A (M) and γ A (C) represent the yellow, magenta and cyan gradients, respectively, obtained when Development Processing A is conducted and γ B (Y), γ B (M) and γ B (C) represent the yellow, magenta and cyan gradients, respectively, obtained when Development Processing B is conducted; wherein the Development Processing A comprises color developing the silver halide photographic material for 150 to 200 seconds and at a temperature of 35 to 40°C with a color developer containing a color developing agent in an amount of 10 to 20 mmol/ℓ and containing substantially no silver halide solvent; wherein the Development Processing B comprises color developing the silver halide photographic material for 25 to 90 seconds and at a temperature of 40 to 60°C with a color developer containing a color developing agent in an amount of 25 to 80 mmol/ℓ and containing at least one silver halide solvent selected from the group consisting of a thiosulfate, a methanethiosulfonate, a thiocyanate and compounds represented by the following formulae (I) to (V): L 1 -(A-L 2 ) n -B-L 3 (I) wherein L 1 and L 3 are the same or different, and each represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group or a heterocyclic group; L 2 represents an alkylene group, an arylene group, an aralkylene group, a heterocyclic ring linking group or a linking group comprising a combination of these groups; A and B are the same or different, and each represents -S-, -O-, -NR-, -CO-, -CS-, -SO 2 - or a group comprising any combination of these; n represents an integer of 1 to 10; provided that at least one of L 1 and L 3 is substituted by a -COOM group, an -OM group or an -SO 3 M group; M represents a hydrogen atom or a counter cation; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; provided that at least one of A and B represents -S-; wherein R 11 , R 12 , R 13 and R 14 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; wherein R 21 and R 22 each represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; provided that R 22 may represent a hydrogen atom; Y represents -O-, -S-, or -N(R 23 )-; R 23 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkynyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an amino group, an acylamino group, a sulfonamide group, a ureido group or a sulfamoylamino group; and R 21 and R 22 , or R 22 and R 23 may be combined with each other to form a ring; wherein Q 41 represents a nonmetallic atom group necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring, provided that the heterocyclic ring may be condensed with a carboaromatic ring or a heteroaromatic ring; L 41 represents a single bond, a divalent aliphatic group, a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, a divalent heterocyclic group or a linking group comprising a combination of these; R 41 represents a carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, an amino group or an ammonium salt; q represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and M 41 represents a hydrogen atom or a cation; wherein X 51 and Y 51 each represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, a heterocyclic group, -N(R 51 )R 52 , -N(R 53 )N(R 54 )R 55 , -OR 56 or -SR 57 ; X 51 and Y 52 may form a ring exclusive of an enolic form, provided that at least one of X 51 and Y 51 is substituted by at least one of a carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, an amino group, an ammonium group and a hydroxyl group; R 51 , R 52 , R 53 , R 54 and R 55 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group; and R 56 and R 57 each represents a hydrogen atom, a cation, an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group.

Claim 8

A method for forming a color image comprising subjecting a silver halide color photographic material, said silver halide color photographic material comprising a support having thereon at least one red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, at least one green-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer, to one of Development Processing A and Development Processing B, which are different in color development time; wherein the Development Processing A comprises color developing the silver halide photographic material for 150 to 200 seconds and at a temperature of 35 to 40°C with a color developer containing a color developing agent in an amount of 10 to 20 mmol/ℓ and containing substantially no silver halide solvent; wherein the Development Processing B comprises color developing the silver halide photographic material for 25 to 90 seconds and at a temperature of 40 to 60°C with a color developer containing a color developing agent in an amount of 25 to 80 mmol/ℓ and containing at least one silver halide solvent selected from the group consisting of a thiosulfate, a methanethiosulfonate, a thiocyanate and compounds represented by the following formulae (I) to (V): L 1 -(A-L 2 ) n -B-L 3 (I) wherein L 1 and L 3 are the same or different, and each represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkenyl group or a heterocyclic group; L 2 represents an alkylene group, an arylene group, an aralkylene group, a heterocyclic ring linking group or a linking group comprising a combination of these groups; A and B are the same or different, and each represents -S-, -O-, -NR-, -CO-, -CS-, -SO 2 - or a group comprising any combination of these; n represents an integer of 1 to 10; provided that at least one of L 1 and L 3 is substituted by a -COOM group, an -OM group or an -SO 3 M group; M represents a hydrogen or a counter cation; and R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; provided that at least one of A and B represents -S-; wherein R 11 , R 12 , R 13 and R 14 each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; wherein R 21 and R 22 each represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aralkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; provided that R 22 may represent a hydrogen atom; Y represents -O-, -S-, or -N(R 23 )-; R 23 represents an alkyl group, a cycloalkynyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, an amino group, an acylamino group, a sulfonamide group, a ureido group or a sulfamoylamino group; and R 21 and R 22 , or R 22 and R 23 may be combined with each other to form a ring; wherein Q 41 represents a nonmetallic atom group necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring, provided that the heterocyclic ring may be condensed with a carboaromatic ring or a heteroaromatic ring; L 41 represents a single bond, a divalent aliphatic group, a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group, a divalent heterocyclic group or a linking group comprising a combination of these; R 41 represents a carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, an amino group or an ammonium salt; q represents an integer of from 1 to 3; and M 41 represents a hydrogen atom or a cation; wherein X 51 and Y 51 each represents an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group, a heterocyclic group, -N(R 51 )R 52 , -N(R 53 )N(R 54 )R 55 , -OR 56 or -SR 57 ; X 51 and Y 52 may form a ring exclusive of an enolic form, provided that at least one of X 51 and Y 51 is substituted by at least one of a carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, a sulfonic acid or a salt thereof, a phosphonic acid or a salt thereof, an amino group, an ammonium group and a hydroxyl group; R 51 , R 52 , R 53 , R 54 and R 55 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group; and R 56 and R 57 each represents a hydrogen atom, a cation, an aliphatic group, an aromatic hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group.